Nz Marketplace looking for feedback ;)

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Forums › Startups › Nz Marketplace looking for feedback ;)

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cddt

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#3499471 2-Jun-2026 12:26

gzt: "Funds are released when the buyer confirms receipt (or automatically after 72 hours)"

72 hours is not long enough for courier service most places in NZ.

Has OP ever used a courier in NZ?

TRangi0623

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#3499683 3-Jun-2026 00:47

Thank you all for the feedback and support. I genuinely appreciate everyone who took the time to share their thoughts.

Sky Drop is still a work in progress, and I'll do my best to keep improving it based on your suggestions. thanks again guys really appreciate it

Goosey

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#3499685 3-Jun-2026 06:59

This just launched by the look of it…

https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/361015549/christchurch-star-tup-aims-simplify-second-hand-selling

Linux

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#3499689 3-Jun-2026 07:32

404: NOT_FOUND Code: DEPLOYMENT_NOT_FOUND ID: syd1::spnc2-1780428744165-b078c6ac055a

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#3499690 3-Jun-2026 07:33

dafman:

"Sky Drop is New Zealand's safest marketplace."

Have they got anything to back this up?

dafman

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#3499746 3-Jun-2026 08:49

Linux:

dafman:

"Sky Drop is New Zealand's safest marketplace."

Have they got anything to back this up?

Nothing tangible that I could see when l looked yesterday, hence my comment that I wouldn't go near it in current state.

A general comment that funds are held in escrow with absolutely zero details on how this is set up and how seller safety is assured. So basically, believe us.

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xpd

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#3499763 3-Jun-2026 09:31

TRangi0623:

Thank you all for the feedback and support. I genuinely appreciate everyone who took the time to share their thoughts.

Sky Drop is still a work in progress, and I'll do my best to keep improving it based on your suggestions. thanks again guys really appreciate it

If you could answer the queries, it'd be beneficial to all.

XPD / Gavin

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scottjpalmer

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#3499775 3-Jun-2026 09:53

The lack of addressing the questions/concerns suggests the OP created a Geekzone account purely to link drop or at most harvest free advice. Quite an own goal now that anyone researching Skydrop will find this thread and the concerns it identifies. Bravo.

geek3001

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#3499785 3-Jun-2026 10:05

archive.org suggests the domain was previously in use by an NZ company dealing in lawn care products, one of which had the same name as this domain.

Presumably the OP has obtained the domain name from a pool of expired ones. Hope there's no instance of IP / trade mark violation in play.

muppet

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#3499915 3-Jun-2026 15:06

Yes! Drone delivery! I assume so anyway as the website is down. But the domain name means that, right?

404: NOT_FOUNDCode: DEPLOYMENT_NOT_FOUNDID: syd1::2t7rp-1780455952683-ec855076bbd3

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#3499920 3-Jun-2026 15:18

@TRangi0623 You about?

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TRangi0623

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#3499946 3-Jun-2026 17:04

Fair point.

I've been spending most of my time building and fixing things, so I haven't replied to every question as well as I probably should have.

A lot of the concerns raised here are valid. Sky Drop is still very early and I'm learning as I go. The reason I posted here wasn't to claim the platform is perfect or finished — I genuinely just wanted honest feedback from people with more experience than me so I could see what needed improving.

Since posting, I've already made a number of changes based on what people have pointed out. I've removed wording that overpromised, fixed bugs, improved parts of the buying and selling flow, and continued tightening up security and account verification.

One of the biggest concerns raised was around payments and trust. After reading the feedback, I've changed the payment flow so funds are no longer routed through a central account. Payments are now handled through Stripe Connect, with funds going directly to the seller's Stripe account. The platform doesn't sit in the middle holding customer funds, which was a fair concern raised by several people in this thread.

The original idea behind escrow was to provide additional protection for buyers and sellers, but after reading the concerns raised here I realised that trust has to be earned, especially as a new platform. Several people questioned whether users would be comfortable with a new marketplace sitting in the middle of transactions, and I think that's a reasonable concern. Rather than trying to convince people otherwise, I decided it made more sense to change the system and remove that concern altogether.

I still believe buyer and seller protection is important, and I'll continue looking at alternative ways to provide that in the future. Right now, as a new platform, I don't think I've earned the level of trust required for people to feel comfortable with a marketplace-managed escrow system. That's something that has to be built over time, not assumed from day one.

Another valid concern that was raised was the original 72-hour release period. Looking back, that was a mistake on my part. NZ courier timeframes can vary significantly, and several people correctly pointed out that 72 hours wasn't realistic. I had already increased that period to 14 days while reviewing the feedback, however with the changes to the payment flow that release system is no longer part of the process.

I'm still actively working on the platform every day and making progress. There's still a long way to go, but that's exactly why I wanted feedback early rather than waiting until everything was "perfect". A number of the changes I've made over the last few days have come directly from comments in this thread.

I've actually taken the site offline for the moment while I work through a number of the issues and suggestions that have been raised. I'd rather spend the time improving things properly than leave it running while I know there are areas that need attention.

I'm not pretending the platform is finished or perfect. Building trust is something that has to be earned over time, and I understand why people are sceptical of a new marketplace.

I genuinely appreciate everyone who has taken the time to point out issues, ask hard questions, and challenge some of my assumptions. Even when it's critical, it's useful.

I'll spend some time going back through the thread and answering the questions that have been raised.

Thanks again everyone.

TRangi0623

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#3499947 3-Jun-2026 17:05

I've also added an Arrange Payment option for users who don't want to use Stripe. Not everyone is comfortable using online payments, especially on a new platform, so this gives buyers and sellers the ability to organise payment directly between themselves through a chat. such as cash on pickup or another mutually agreed method.

My goal isn't to force people into a single payment system, but to provide options and let users choose what they're most comfortable with ;)

xpd

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#3499977 3-Jun-2026 20:05

Thanks for the response :)

Will be interested to seeing how you go.

XPD / Gavin

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