Online marketplace Trade Me announced it has launched a newly improved version of its ‘Book A Courier’ service just in time for the holidays, where members can send almost any item to anyone in New Zealand.
Stuart McLean, Trade Me’s head of marketplace, said that extending the service beyond transactions made on Trade Me alone was something customers had been requesting.
“It’s been fantastic to see Kiwis send more than 1.5 million Trade Me items via Book A Courier since it launched back in April 2016, and it’s a natural extension for us to make it easier for our members to send items to anyone in the country, even if they haven’t sold through our site,” McLean said.
According to McLean, the retailer had always intended to extend the Book A Courier if demand was there. He said the team was motivated by wanting to reduce the stress of sending parcels as the frantic Christmas season loomed.
“It’s a ridiculously busy time of year for lots of New Zealanders so we’re pleased to have it out well in time for the Yuletide rush,” he said. “We anticipate it will make it a little bit easier to send presents to friends and family around the country.”
McLean said there is no need for fancy packaging and that items can be packaged up in almost anything including Christmas wrapping or even a Santa sack, as long as the item is safe, secure and protected. Then simply write the reference number on it and the courier will collect it.
“There’s no queues or waiting around: you can do everything online and it’s picked up from wherever you like,” he said.
To use Book A Courier, members only need to visit the Book A Courier section on Trade Me’s desktop site and hit the ‘Start Booking’ button.
“Just choose the courier quote that suits you best and note that prices vary based on size, weight and location,” McLean said. “We work closely with the great folks at CourierPost and Fastway, so there’s excellent coverage across the country and very competitive rates.”
The final step is to package the item securely and choose the pick-up location.
