How to Bid

Here you'll find detailed instructions on how to bid on an item.

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 you are interested in, click on it for the full description and image.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Definition of Terms:

Proxy Bid: Proxy bidding is letting our system bid for you automatically. Think of Proxy as someone who watches the auction while you are 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.

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.

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. 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.

Terms & Conditions!

Please read and familiarize yourself with our Terms & Conditions which outlines our policies and terms of use.

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:

1. 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.

2. Click on the "Bid now" and this should take you directly to the bidding section of the item.

3. After arriving, enter your password and the bid amount.

4. When done and if all is OK, a confirmation note will come with a request to agree on the Terms and Condition.

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.

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.
In order to win the auction, a bidder must meet or exceed the reserve price and have the highest bid.
If no bidders meet the reserve price, neither the seller nor the high bidder are under any further obligation.