How to Bid
Here you'll find detailed
instructions on how to bid on an item.
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I'm Ready to Bid, What
Now? |
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Register: |
To start
bidding, you'll first need to Register as a
member. Then you're ready to begin. Here's what to do: When
you see an item your interested in, click on it for the full
description and image. |
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Bidding: |
Once you
have found an item you would like to bid on, scroll down on
the listing page until you see the bidding section. It will
ask for your User Name, Password and the amount of your bid.
You can also choose to use a proxy bid. Click on "Review
Bid" when you are finished. |
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Review
Bid: |
Carefully
review the item that you are bidding on and how much you have
agreed to pay for it, then click on the "Place Bid" button
to finalize your bid. You will immediately see whether you
are currently the high bidder. |
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After
placing the bid: |
While you
are waiting for the auction to finish (this may take several
days), you will receive an automatic e-mail informing you
whether you have been outbid by another bidder. Be aware that
some bidders wait until the last minutes to place their bids. |
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Raising
your bid: |
To raise
your bid, go down to the "Place Bid" input box on the item
you wish to place your higher bid on (below the item's description)
and enter your User Name, Password and your higher bid. Click
on "Review Bid" when you are finished. Carefully review the
item that you are placing the higher bid on and how much you
have agreed to pay for it, then click on the "Place Bid" button
to finalize your higher bid. You will immediately see whether
you are currently the high bidder. |
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Winning
the auction: |
If you are
the highest bidder when the auction ends, you and the seller
will receive an automatic e-mail. You must contact the seller
within three business days. You are under contract to pay
him or her the amount of your bid and any other expenses (if
any that were mentioned in the item listing page). The seller
is also under contract to send you the item upon payment receipt. |
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Definition of Terms: |
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Proxy
Bid: |
Proxy bidding
is letting our system bid for you automatically. Think of
Proxy as someone who watches the auction while
your busy doing other things. You activate Proxy
by entering the highest amount you are willing to pay
for an item in the "Place Bid" box. The system will then bid
for you, bidding only enough to make you the high bidder.
If someone exceeds that bid, our Proxy
places another bid for you and so on up to the maximum
amount you've specified. Under no circumstances will Proxy
ever bid MORE than you said. The system will send you
an e-mail about an outbid and you can give Proxy
a few more bucks to play with, if you like. Just enter
another Proxy bid amount. |
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Reserve
Bids: |
Our system
supports Reserve Bid. Some auctions
may be ran with Reserve Bid. The
reserve price is the lowest price at which a seller is willing
to sell their item. The reserve price is never disclosed to
bidders. A seller might specify a reserve price if he or she
is unsure of the real value of his or her item and would like
to reserve the right to refuse to sell the item if the market
value is below a certain price. During an auction, an annotation
will be displayed in the item information screen if the seller
has specified a reserve price.
The seller may specify a reserve bid when they list an item.
This price should be above the minimum bid price. If a bidder
has authorized a Proxy Bid that
is equal to or greater than the reserve bid, then the item
will be sold to that bidder at the reserve price at the auction's
closing. |
Auction Tips For Buyers! |
Tips for
Buyers:
Get the most out of your bidding experience. Check
out the suggestions gathered from other experienced
buyers: 1.
Know The Item You Are Bidding On!
- If a description of
an item is unclear, be sure to clarify
the description with the seller before you
bid. Please also note that it is up to the
sellers to select their own payment options
and by bidding on an item, you are agreeing
to these terms. It is the bidder's responsibility
to make sure that payment terms are clearly
understood up front.
- If you're not sure
what an item is worth, do a little research
before you decide what you're willing to pay.
2.
Check The Seller's Reputation!
- The number in parentheses
next to a bidder's or seller's User I.D. is
that person's feedback rating - a tally of the
comments other users have submitted about this
seller.
- To view a sellers
or bidders feedback record, just click on the
link "view seller's feedback" on the
item description page of the item you are interest
in placing a bid on. This will automatically
bring up the feedback record on the seller of
that item. If you want to view the feedback
on any auction member, you can do so by visiting
the following link: feedback
- If you have a consumer
complaint or need to obtain information on a
company, you can visit the http://www.bbbonline.org/,
or other state and local consumer agencies.
3.
Proxy Bidding!
- First, you specify
the maximum amount you want to bid. That
amount is kept secret and is your proxy bid.
- The system will
bid on your behalf as the auction proceeds,
bidding only enough to outbid other bidders.
If someone outbids you, the system immediately
increases your bid.
- This continues until
someone exceeds your maximum bid, or the auction
ends, or you win the auction!
- Plus your proxy will
never exceed what you're willing to pay
for the item.
- Proxy bidding is also
available for Dutch Auctions.
4.
Make Note Of Auction Details!
- Be sure to make
a note of auction information. That way,
you can contact the seller right away to complete
the transaction if you're the high bidder. You'll
need:
- The seller's
user ID and email address
- The auction
item number
- The item description
- And the time,
date and price you bid on the item
5.
Protect Yourself
- Make sure the item
you are bidding can be lawfully purchased in
your area. The Consumer Product Safety Commission
occasionally bans sales of goods that may be
dangerous to consumers.
- Remember, we are only
a venue and we do not guarantee the ability
of a seller to complete the transaction or the
quality of the items.
- If you feel at all
unsure about a transaction, ask the seller to
use escrow for the payment.
- Escrow Overview - What is Escrow? Escrow is when a buyer places
money in the custody of a trusted third party.
The money is then paid to the seller once a
specified set of conditions are met. How does
it...
- Negotiate escrow
terms with the seller before you place
a bid.
- Consider paying
by credit card. Many cards offer insurance
or reimbursement for transactions over $50.00.
7.
Be Courteous to Other Users
- Treat everyone with
the courtesy you expect to receive.
- When you send an email,
take the time to write in complete sentences,
with a salutation and closing. Those little
touches make all the difference!
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Terms & Conditions! |
Please read
and familiarize yourself with our Terms & Conditions which outlines
our policies and terms of use.
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Placing Bids On Auctions! |
To enter a bid
on an item for auction, you must first register.
After the registration process is complete, you
can place a bid on any item up for auction by following
the steps below:
- Click on the link
to the item you are interested in placing a
bid on. This should bring up the item
description page for the item.
- Before entering your
bid, take a brief moment to review the seller
feedback
record.
- After reviewing the
seller's feedback
record, click on the "Bid Icon" located to the
left of your screen. This should take
you directly to the bidding section of the item.
- After arriving, enter
your User Name, Password, Quantity you are bidding
on if dutch auction and your bid amount.
- When done, click the
"Review Bid" button to review the bid you just
submitted. If all is OK, submit your bid.
The binding contract of the auction is between the winning
bidder and the seller. Please
bid carefully! Once you make and confirm a bid,
you can't withdraw it unless:
- The seller materially
changes the description of the item after your
bid
- The amount of your
bid was clearly a typographical error
- Other exceptional
circumstances; however, you can't back out because
you decided to bid on another item, decided
you couldn't really afford it, or changed your
mind.
Please note that it is up to the sellers to select their
own payment options and by bidding on an item, you
are agreeing to these terms. It is the bidder's
responsibility to make sure that payment terms are
clearly understood up front. |
The
Different Types Of Auctions! |
Reserve Price Auctions:
A reserve price is set by a seller who will not
sell below a certain price.
- Bidders know there's
a reserve price, but they do not know what it
is.
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In order
to win the auction, a bidder must meet or
exceed the reserve price and have the highest
bid.
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If no
bidders meet the reserve price, neither the
seller nor the high bidder are under any further
obligation.
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You can't
use reserve prices for Dutch Auctions.
Dutch Auctions:
This fast-paced, free-for-all format is perfect
if you have multiple, identical items to sell.
- Sellers start by listing
a minimum price, or starting bid, and the number
of items for sale.
- Bidders specify both
a bid price and the quantity they want to buy.
- All winning bidders
pay the same price—which is the lowest successful
bid. That might be less than what you bid!
- If there are more
buyers than items, the earliest successful bids
get the goods.
- Higher bidders get
the quantities they've asked for.
- Bidders can refuse
partial quantities.
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