Packaging and shipping
Book a courier
We offer a service that lets you book a courier both for items you’ve sold on Trade Me or if you have something else to send not sold on site. You can have them picked up from home (or anywhere else you like). It’s super cheap, simple, and you can use any packaging you have lying around the place.
How it works:
- If you’re selling on Trade Me, add courier quotes to your listings using our handy calculator during the listing process.
- Once you’re ready to send an item, just package it up and book a courier from ‘My Trade Me’ under ‘Book a courier’ ‘. You don’t even need to print a label – just write it on the package.
- Once you’ve booked the courier, we'll send tracking information to you (and your buyer if you’ve sold on site).
- The courier will then pick it up from your address – you don’t even need to be there.
As long your parcel is secure in the packaging and the dimensions are right, your package will be picked up and sent to its destination.
Packaging your courier item
You don’t need professional courier bags, but you must make sure your item is securely wrapped and won’t get damaged in transit. Old cardboard boxes, shoe boxes, or robust shopping bags make good options. Wrapping in supermarket bags, tissue paper or newspaper isn't suitable.
For bags, you need to ensure is that the package is no greater than 5 kg and the bag is the correct size for the courier service you have booked. If you're sending your package in a box, it shouldn’t be heavier than 25 kg or excessively large.
Keep in mind that marking your item as fragile does not guarantee that it will be handled any differently by your courier. All items need to be packaged well enough to be handled by the couriers many times through the transport process, so the more delicate an item, the more packaging will be required. Otherwise it might not be suitable for shipping.
Courier pick up
Pick up is Monday – Friday. If you’ve left clear pick-up instructions, you don’t need to be there when the courier arrives. As long as it’s secure and the dimensions are right, your package will be picked up. If there’s any trouble with your pick up or you need to adjust the booking, contact the courier directly – Fastway: 0800 327 8929, Courier Post: 0800 268 743.
If you do choose to leave an item for pick up unattended, Trade Me, Courier Post and Fastway have no liability for any loss or damage to the item until the courier company has applied an electronic scan to the item to indicate the item has been accepted into the courier’s network.
FAQ
Having trouble booking?
If you run into any errors during the booking, check the addresses – often the format needs tweaking, so checking the address by a quick Google search can help. If it doesn’t match up, manually editing the address (by selecting the ‘Can’t find your address?’ link in the address finder) so it matches should do the trick. There are also some rural addresses where couriers can’t pick up, but the vast majority of New Zealand is covered.
There are also occasions when you won’t be able to Book a courier in your listing. The most common reason is when we may have to review the buyer’s payment or the category is restricted (e.g. firearms). You can check the question mark beside ‘Courier unavailable’ to see what the reason may be.
How much does it cost to book a courier?
Non-rural shipping costs begin at $2.75. The cost will vary depending on which package type you choose (box or bag), the size and weight of your parcel, the buyer’s address, and whether it requires a signature on delivery.
Why are buyers paying a different price to what I’ll be paying?
This has come about because during the listing process you're given a range of estimates. When it comes to booking the service the price is based on the buyer’s delivery address, so it can sometimes be a bit higher if they live a little further away.
Why might a courier be unavailable?
If this happens it could be because we have temporarily frozen the payment for the item to check the validity of your buyer’s credit card, or the nature of their buying behaviour. Any other reasons are usually technical and very rare. Best thing to do? Leave it for a bit and come back to it tomorrow.
We also restrict some categories like firearms, plants and foodstuff, so it’s not possible to book a courier for these categories.
What if I don’t have a printer to print a label?
If you aren’t able to print your label, just write the code we’ve given you on your parcel.
What if something goes wrong with my delivery? Who do I contact?
If something goes wrong or your item goes missing, you need to contact your courier. Fastway: 0800 327 8929, Courier Post: 0800 268 743.
If your item has been damaged or lost, you’ll need to lodge a claim with the courier within seven days of discovering the issue. Check out the Courier Post or Fastway websites for full details on how to make a claim.
It’s important to keep your buyer updated on the claim process. If you’re in-trade, you have an obligation to ensure your goods turn up on time and in reasonable condition, so you may need to refund your buyer if the courier can’t track down your item, or if it turns up damaged.
How do I pay for my courier?
Your Trade Me account Is charged for any bookings you make. If you’re in debt, you will need to credit your account before booking a courier.
Why do I have to enter a phone number?
Our couriers require a phone number so that they can contact you if they have any questions or concerns regarding your delivery. If you haven’t used this service before, this section will populate with the phone number on your Trade Me account.
Can I cancel or change a booking?
If you’ve made a mistake and really need to cancel or change your booking, please contact the courier directly.
How will I know if there are any problems with delivery?
If any issues arise, the courier will contact you directly using the phone number you have provided.