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Notes from the people making Metzee, and from the sellers on it.
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113 posts tagged trust
What a marketplace owes the people on it
Where we step in, where we deliberately do not, and why that line sits where it does. Argued rather than asserted.
What happens to money inside Metzee
Holds, claims, and why a refund can only happen once. Including the bug that taught us to do it this way.
Metzee compared with selling in a WhatsApp group
A group does trust and immediacy better than any platform. What it cannot do is hold the money, keep the record, or settle an argument.
Using Metzee with a screen reader or large text
What works, what is awkward, and the one part of the product that cannot be made text.
How we change the rules, and how you find out
Important changes are announced in the app. What that means and what it does not.
Our privacy policy, in plain words
What is collected, who sees it, how long it is kept. The policy still governs.
Our terms, in plain words
What the terms actually say, in the order it matters. The formal version still governs.
Collecting safely from someone you have not met
Go to the published point, in the published hours, with the order already paid. Five rules.
How to spot a counterfeit before you bid
Metzee does not authenticate. Five things you can check yourself, live, in under a minute.
Messages that are not from Metzee
Four things Metzee never asks for. If a message asks for one, it is not us.
Is it safe to pay on Metzee?
The card never reaches the seller, and the money is held until the item does. What that covers.
What is shill bidding?
Fake bidding to push a price up. Why it is the worst thing that can happen to an auction site, and what stops it.
Can a seller bid on their own items?
No — the app refuses the request. Not a rule enforced later, a bid that cannot be placed.
What information does Metzee need from a buyer?
Three things, and nothing else. What is never asked for, so a fake asking is obvious.
How do I know a show is not staged?
The seller cannot bid on their own items — the app refuses it. What that covers and what it does not.
What does Metzee actually do about fakes?
Not authentication. What it does instead, said plainly enough that you can judge it.
Does Metzee sell my data?
No. Who does see it, named, and the honest distinction between selling and sharing.
Can the seller see who left a review?
Yes. Reviews are not anonymous, and here is why that is the right design.
How long has Metzee been running?
Not long. Why that is worth saying first, and what to judge instead of age.
Can I visit a seller in person?
Only where a store offers pickup, and only at the place it published. Why that limit is the protection.
Does Metzee check every item before it sells?
No, and no marketplace does. What is actually checked, and what replaces inspection.
Does Metzee own what is being sold?
No. Independent sellers own them. What that means for you when something goes wrong.
Do sellers pay to appear higher?
They can pay for a Home slot, and it is labelled. They cannot pay to move in the lists.
How are shows ordered on the browse page?
By viewers, or by when they start. Nothing in the ordering can be bought.
There is a show on right now.
Nothing to install — it runs in this browser.