bidorbuy.co.za Help - Buying - Tips for Buying

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Tips for Buying

Ask the seller a question

On the item description page, you will find information about the item such as the condition of the item (new or secondhand), the dimensions, features, image and price.

You might require additional information about the item, and to this end bidorbuy provides an option to ‘ask the seller a question’, where you can type in any question you have about the item which will be sent directly to the seller via the bidorbuy site, and you will be notified via email when the seller has responded to your question.

Check ratings and view buyer feedback

A seller’s rating indicates the experiences other buyers have had when transacting with the seller. You will find a seller’s rating in brackets next to his/her bidorbuy username on the item description page. An overall rating is calculated by adding all the positive and negative ratings together. A visual representation of the rating is also provided by means of stars (insert icon picture)

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If you’d like to learn more about a seller’s ratings, click on his/her bidorbuy username and you will see a detailed breakdown of all the ratings the user has received to date as well as the specific comments that buyers have made in the past.

Look for warranties and guarantees

Warranty:
Sellers can offer warranties such as ‘Replacement warranty’, ‘Dealer warranty’ and a ‘Manufacturer’s warranty’ which means that if you purchase a faulty item, you could return it to the seller who will have it repaired or replaced.

Guarantee:
This is usually a money back guarantee, which means that if you are not satisfied with an item you have purchased, you can return it to the seller for a refund

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Buyer protection programme

bidorbuy believes in promoting a safe trading environment, and to this end, buyers can seek protection under the ‘buyer protection programme’ in the following instances only:

• if the buyer has made payment for an item and never received the item; or
• if the buyer has received an item that is significantly lower in value or materially different to item that was described in the ‘item description’.

All ‘Auctions’ and ‘Buy Now’ listings by Verified Users are covered by the bidorbuy buyer protection programme.

The maximum amount that can be claimed is as follows:

• From a Verified User with a rating score of at least 0: a maximum of R500 (five hundred rand);
• From a Verified User with a rating score of at least +10: a maximum of R2,000 (two thousand rand);
• From a Verified User with a rating score of at least +50: a maximum of R3,000 (three thousand rand).
  (The rating score for a user is calculated by adding the positive and negative ratings together)

All buyer protection claims carry a 5% excess charge, deductible from the claim amount. The bidorbuy buyer protection programme covers only the final bid price, not additional costs like shipping and escrow fees.

In an effort to promote secure transaction methods and to encourage buyers to make safe purchases, the bidorbuy buyer protection programme does not cover the following situations:

• Payments made via cash
• Payments made via wire transfer
• Payments made via traveler’s cheque
• Payments sent to a post office box
• Payments sent to any international location (outside of South Africa)
• Transactions concluded off the site
• Sales from classified advertisements

Please note the following conditions regarding the bidorbuy buyer protection programme:

• The claim submission must be dated within 30-60 days after the end of the contested ‘auction’ or ‘buy now’.
• The seller must be a ‘Verified user’, denoted by a green tick next to the seller’s rating.
• The bidorbuy protection programme does not cover items in transit.
• Items that are collected or delivered in person are not covered by the bidorbuy protection programme.
• If you paid for the item with a credit card, you will need to submit a claim to the credit card issuer prior to filing a claim with bidorbuy. If your credit card issuer denies your claim, you will then be entitled to file a claim under the bidorbuy buyer protection programme. You will need to provide proof that your claim was denied by your credit card issuer.