'Additional Information Prompts' is a dynamic feature that helps sellers collect any additional information that they might need from the buyers. For example , if a seller is selling T-Shirts, he/she can ask buyers to select the colour, size that they wish to buy.

Learn more about:
» Additional Information Prompts

Anyone buying or selling anything can earn extra money by simply joining the Affiliate Programme. Join the most innovative affiliate programme in South Africa and earn up to R150 per Confirmed Registered User that you refer and be part of the success of Africa's Largest Online Marketplace. Use Banners, Trade Searches and Trade Feeds on your site and you can start earning extra money today.

Learn more about:
» Affiliate Information

An auction is a public sale in which the seller specifies the minimum price of an item. Multiple buyers 'bid' for the item and the highest bidder wins the auction. The seller also has the options to set a 'Reserve Price' for the item, and auction multiple quantities of an item.

Learn more about:
» Reserve Price
» Multiple Quantity
» How to buy an item
» Selling an item using Auctions

When buying an item on bidorbuy, if you have any doubts or queries, you can ask the seller about it by using the 'Ask the Seller a Question' facility. You will find this link located on the 'Item' page just below the item description. As soon as the seller replies to your question, you will be informed via e-mail. If the seller has answered questions asked by other users, you will also find them listed in 'Questions and Answers' at the bottom of the 'Item' page.

Sellers can choose to automatically re-list their items when listing them for sale on bidorbuy so that they need not manually re-list it. Sellers have the following choices for re-listing their items:

1. Re-list what is Not Sold the Next Day - the item will be re-listed the next day with the quantity that has not been sold.
2. Re-List what is Not Sold Immediately - the item will be re-listed immediately with the quantity that has not been sold.
3. Re-List the Original Quantity the Next Day - the item will be re-listed the next day with the original quantity as a new listing, even if some or all of the quantity has been sold.
4. Re-List the Original Quantity Immediately - the item is re-listed immediately with the original quantity as a new listing, even if some or all of the quantity has been sold.

All registered bidorbuy users have a unique bidorbuy user ID. This is the way in which a user is identified on the site. You can choose a unique bidorbuy user ID for yourself when registering.

Learn more about:
» Registration

The bidorbuy profile is the summary of a bidorbuy user's account. A profile contains the City he/she lives in, and the date since he/she has been a registered bidorbuy user. It also shows the user's profile as both a buyer and seller.

The 'Profile as a Seller' gives a brief profile of the user's selling activity on bidorbuy. It contains the total number of items sold, the number of positive, negative and neutral ratings received, details of these ratings, and feedback that other users have left on him/her.

The 'Profile as a Buyer' gives a brief profile of the user's buying activity on bidorbuy. It contains the total number of times that he/she has bid on or purchased items on bidorbuy, the number of positive, negative and neutral ratings received and feedback that other users have left on him/her

When listing their items for sale using auctions, sellers need to set a 'Bid Increment' amount, which is the amount by which each bid will increase during the auction. There are two types of 'Bid Increments' that sellers can choose from:

'bidorbuy Defined Bid Increments': Select this and bidorbuy will change the 'Bid Increment' amount automatically, depending on the 'Bid Increment' slabs we define. Note that for 'Reserve Price Auctions', the 'bidorbuy Defined Bid Increment' is dependent on the 'Reserve Price' and not the bid amount.

'Seller defined Bid Increments': Select this if you would rather choose the 'Bid Increment' yourself.

'bobPay' is a payment system which allows sellers who have been approved by 'bidorbuy' to accept credit card payments from any buyers. bidorbuy receives the payment, via a secure payment gateway, and the seller is then credited with this amount, minus the bank fees charged by bidorbuy (currently set at 5%).

Bulk Upload helps you put many listings on the site. It is a great tool for sellers who wish to list many items at once. It is the easiest, smartest and most cost-efficient way of uploading items in bulk. Sellers can upload items in bulk with the help of a CSV sheet, which is basically an Excel spreadsheet template.

Learn more about:
» Bulk Upload

'Buy Now' is an easy and fast way of buying and selling on bidorbuy. When using 'Buy Now', the seller sells an item at a fixed price. All buyers buy the item at the same price, immediately. This is advantageous for sellers who want to sell their items quickly.

To buy the item at the fixed price, buyers need to click on the 'Buy Now' button on the Item Page and then continue placing their order.

Learn more about:
» Setting a 'Buy Now' Price while selling
» Buying an item

At bidorbuy, we believe in promoting a safe trading environment and a community of genuine buyers and sellers. Most transactions on bidorbuy are trouble-free and smooth. In rare cases, where buyers face genuine problems with the sellers, bidorbuy assists them through the 'Buyer Protection Programme'. A buyer can seek protection under the 'Buyer Protection Programme' only if:

1. He/she has made payment for an item and has never received it.
2. He/she has received an item that is significantly lower in value when compared to what was described, or something totally different to what was described in the listing.

Here are some tips for you that will enhance your buying experience:

1: Clarify your Doubts by Asking the Seller a Question: Make use of the 'Ask the Seller a Question' facility provided just below the item description on the 'Item' page.
2. Check the Seller's Ratings and View Buyer Feedback: View his/her profile by clicking on his bidorbuy user ID on the 'Item' page. There are 3 numbers in brackets next to the seller's bidorbuy user ID. These numbers give you the seller's'Ratings' status. The positive ratings are indicated with a '+' sign, the neutral ratings are in the centre, and the negative ratings are indicated with a '-' sign.
3: Look for Items with Warranties or Guarantees: If there is ever a problem with the item, you can either receive your money back or have the item replaced or repaired, depending on the Warranty/Guarantee offered.
4: Compare Prices: bidorbuy is a marketplace where buyers and sellers come together to trade. Since there are multiple sellers on bidorbuy, some of them offer the same items. As a buyer, you have the advantage of comparing the prices of different sellers and deciding on the seller that gives you the best price.

Before buying on bidorbuy, we urge you to take note of our very important Buying Safety Tips.

• Never give your password to anyone, including bidorbuy.
• Always check a seller's rating before buying from them.
• If you have won a bid, contact the seller to ensure that they are legitimate.
• Beware of deals that look too good to be true.
• Never buy an item on pre-order. Make sure your item really exists before paying the seller.
• Always read the item description carefully to check the condition, age and size of the items.
• Make use of the Questions & Answers feature on the listing descriptions to ask questions of the seller should you need more information on the item you are interested in buying.
• Be very careful of sellers who attempt to bypass the bidorbuy process by providing contact details in their listings or on their Questions & Answers section.
• Always check shipping costs to ensure that the costs are reasonable before making your bid.
• Be aware of the Buyer Protection Plan which will protect against the unlikely event of your purchase not going according to our sales Terms and Conditions. The Buyer Protection Plan only applies to purchases made from Verified Users .
• Many items on bidorbuy come with warranties and guarantees , which basically ensure peace of mind while shopping.
• Notify bidorbuy of any suspicious behaviour by reporting it to Community Watch .
• Always make sure that you are 100% comfortable that the seller is legitimate, that the seller's ratings are good, that the shipping charges are reasonable and that the item's description is a true reflection of what you are buying before making payment.

All the items that are sold on bidorbuy are put into different categories for your convenience. Some of these categories are 'Household and Office', 'Jewellery and Watches', 'Arts', etc. You can find the list of categories on the left-hand side of the homepage or by clicking on the 'All Categories' link under the main list of categories.

Sellers are required to choose a 'Primary Category' for their items when listing them for sale. These are the categories under which the items are listed on the site.

When you click on any category you will reach the category home page. Each category also has sub-categories to it. For example, the 'Jewellery and Watches' category has sub-categories such as 'Bracelets', 'Rings' and 'Necklaces'.

Together the categories and sub-categories make it easier for you to find an item on bidorbuy.
Click here to view:
» Category Map

Sellers on bidorbuy can promote their items by increasing their visibility on bidorbuy through Special Listings. 'Category Page Featured Listing' is one of the Special Listings where the item is displayed as part of the 'Featured Items' on the respective Category Page and under 'Featured Listings' at the top of the listing pages of that category.

Learn more about:
» Special Listings

A 'Classified' listing on bidorbuy is just like the 'Classifieds' or adverts that we see in newspapers and magazines. It helps the buyers to check the item out thoroughly before buying. At bidorbuy, buyers can read the 'Classified', get an indicative price and respond to this online. Once a buyer responds to a 'Classified', he is given the seller's contact details. The seller also receives an e-mail with the buyer' contact details. The buyer and the seller take the transaction forward from there.

Learn more about:
» Selling an item using Classified
» Responding to a Classified

These processes are:

• Contact Customer Care - For all general queries
• Buyer Protection Programme - bidorbuy protects buyers in case of fraud
• Community Watch - Users alert bidorbuy about suspicious activity.
  

'Discreet Item' is a new feature, which keeps transactions between buyers and sellers private on bidorbuy. Buyers can now purchase items without having their user IDs disclosed.

Sellers can now choose to make an item 'Discreet': the user IDs of bidders/buyers for that item will not be displayed throughout the site. When the 'Auction' or 'Buy Now' listing ends, only the seller will know who bought/bid on the item.
Learn more about:
» Discreet Item advantage for a buyer/bidder
» Discreet Item is a great tool for sellers

bidorbuy charges its sellers certain fees which include: a Transaction Fee, a Special Listing Fee and a Classified Listing Fee. We also offer easy modes of fee payments, which include Bank Debit Orders and Credit Card payments.

Learn more about:
» Fees

The 'bidorbuy Forum' is a platform where registered bidorbuy users interact with each other and with bidorbuy. This is where users voice their opinions, make suggestions and air their grievances. The 'bidorbuy Forum' has various sections to it:

• bidorbuy Announcements: Announcements by bidorbuy staff. Only bidorbuy staff can post new topics. Anyone can post responses.
• Selling on bidorbuy: Post your questions and comments about selling on bidorbuy here.
• Buying on bidorbuy: Post your questions and comments about buying on bidorbuy here.
• Weird, wacky or funny items: Come across some funny items for sale on bidorbuy? Tell others about them here.
• Feedback to the bidorbuy team: How do you experience bidorbuy? Positive or negative we would like to hear about it.
• bidorbuy Category Discussion: Discuss category related matters with fellow bidorbuy sellers and buyers.

This guide was drawn up by the Gemological Society of SA and is intended to increase consumer confidence and encourage buyers to do repeat business on bidorbuy. It serves as a way of 'levelling the playing field' between sellers so that the same standards apply to all and all have a fair chance of success.

Learn more about:
» Gemstone Selling Guide

Sellers can promote their items by increasing the visibility of their listings on bidorbuy using Special Listings. 'Highlighted Listing' is one of the Special Listings where the item is displayed with a yellow background on both the 'Category Listing' and the 'Search Results' pages so that it stands out from regular items. In addition to this, the item title is emphasized in bold.

Learn more about:
» Special Listings

Sellers on bidorbuy can promote their items by increasing the visibility of their listings on bidorbuy using Special Listings. 'Home Page Featured Listing' is one of the Special Listings where the item is displayed as part of the 'Featured Items' section on the bidorbuy homepage and on top of the listing page of 'All Featured Items'.

Learn more about:
» Special Listings

There are 4 easy steps to buying or bidding on bidorbuy:

1. Register: To buy on bidorbuy you need to be a registered user. Register on bidorbuy by clicking on the 'Register' button at the top of the site and filling in a simple form.
2. Find an Item: Enter either the item name that you are searching for in the 'Search' box at the top of the site, or browse the categories on the left-hand side of the page to find your item.
3. Read the Item Page: There are 3 kinds of listings on bidorbuy - 'Auctions', 'Buy Now' and 'Classifieds'. Click on the item image/title, and you will be taken to the 'Item' page. Read this thoroughly. Check the 'Item Details', the 'Shipping' and 'Payment Details' and then place your bid/order. For Classified listings, after reading the 'Item' page, click on the 'I am interested' button to get the seller's details via e-mail.
4. Confirm and Submit your Order: Confirm your bid/order details and place your order.

Selling on bidorbuy is simple! We offer you three modes of selling your items - 'Auction', 'Buy Now' and 'Classifieds'. Once you have decided on the mode of selling, you need to follow a simple 3-step process to list your item for sale on bidorbuy:

1. Register on bidorbuy: To sell on bidorbuy, you need to be a registered user. Register yourself on bidorbuy by clicking on the 'Register' button at the top of the site and filling in a simple form. After registering as a regular user you will also need to register as a seller.
2. Create a listing: Create a listing by clicking on the 'Auction' or 'Buy Now' link on 'Selling' tab after clicking on the 'My bidorbuy' link in the top navigation.

Sellers can enhance their item's description by using HTML coding when listing their items. HTML code essentially consists of tags, which are special commands in angle brackets (><) that carry out various functions, such as making the text bold, creating words in italics, creating line breaks, etc.

Learn more about:
» Using HTML

bidorbuy invoices its sellers on monthly basis (for all sales in the previous month). The invoice is sent to the seller at the beginning of the month. The invoice is e-mailed to the e-mail address provided in your registration details.
Learn more about:
» Invoicing

In order to promote a safe, fair and enjoyable trading experience for all users, bidorbuy has established a set of listing policies.
Learn more about:
» Listing Policy

Sellers can offer the buyer a Money Back Guarantee. When buyers buy an item covered under a Money Back Guarantee, it means that, if there is any problem with the item, they have the option of returning it to the seller and obtaining a refund. The seller may only deduct certain amounts - such as the costs incurred in shipping the item to the buyer - and refund you the remaining amount.

Learn more about:
» Warranties and Guarantees

The 'My bidorbuy' section helps you manage your selling and buying activity on bidorbuy. This section has essentially 3 'views' - the 'Buyer View', 'Seller View' and the 'Affiliate View'. The 'Buyer View' helps you manage all the bids and orders you have placed on bidorbuy, auctions you have won, etc. The 'Seller View' helps you manage all the items that you have listed, orders you have received, etc.

To access 'My bidorbuy', click on the 'My bidorbuy' link in the top navigation of the site. Click on the 'Seller' tab to access the 'Seller View'. Similarly, click on the 'Buyer' tab to access the 'Buyer View'.
Learn more about:
» My bidorbuy - Buyer View
» My bidorbuy - Seller View

Most sellers support Online Bank Transfers. Buyers can pay for their purchases by transferring money to the seller's account through Online Banking i.e. on the Internet.

Learn more about:
» Payment Methods
» Modes of payment of bidorbuy fees

bidorbuy.co.za is Africa’s largest online shopping website that brings buyers and sellers together in an online marketplace where sellers can sell virtually anything online and shoppers can bid for or buy, almost anything in either an online auction or shopping format.

Learn more about:
» Online Shopping

A 'Payment Method' is the method buyers use to pay the sellers for their listed items. Each seller offers one or more 'Payment Methods', and buyers have to choose from the 'Payment Methods' specified on the 'Item' page only. Some of the 'Payment Methods' offered on bidorbuy are bobPay Credit Card, Online Bank Transfer and Buyer Picks Up and Pays.
Learn more about:
» Payment Methods

At bidorbuy, we believe in offering our sellers the means to increase their sales. Personal Offer is one such initiative. Through Personal Offer sellers get a second chance to sell their items. A seller can make a Personal Offer to the runner-up bidders for the quantity of items not sold in an auction (at the price the bidder bid).

Personal Offer is useful to sellers who have multiple quantities of an item as they can offer them to the runner-up bidders on the same auction rather than listing it again and waiting for new bidders. It is also useful to bidders who have lost out on an item by a small amount as they get the chance to get the item at their highest bid amount.

Learn more about:
» Personal Offer

Selected sellers on bidorbuy can promote their items by increasing the visibility of their items on bidorbuy through Special Listings. 'Priority Listing' is one of the Special Listings where the item is displayed on both the category listing and the 'Search Results' pages in a separate section called 'Priority Items' which appears above the 'Regular Items' section.

Learn more about:
» Special Listings

At bidorbuy, we are committed to protecting your privacy. We value your trust, and assure you that we will use the information we collect only to provide a more personalised shopping experience. The Privacy Policy outlines in detail how the information with which you entrust us is protected by bidorbuy. Some of the areas covered are Privacy Guarantee are: our use of information collected from you; our disclosure of your information; how we protect your information; children's privacy and more.

Click here to read
» bidorbuy's Privacy Policy

Items that are sold on bidorbuy are slotted into different categories. If the item fits into more than one category, the seller can list the same in a second 'Promotional Category' (fee applies).

For example, if a seller is selling a necklace, he/she may choose 'Costume Jewellery' as the Primary Category and 'Necklaces' as the Promotional Category.

bidorbuy may also run marketing promotions in which sellers can participate by selecting specially designated Promotional Categories.

Ratings are based on the actual experiences that users have while buying and selling. There are three kinds of ratings - Positive, Negative and Neutral. Buyers rate sellers based on the service and product quality. Sellers rate buyers based on the ease of transaction and receiving payments, etc.

Learn more about:
» Ratings

You need to be a registered bidorbuy user to be able to bid, buy and sell on bidorbuy. Registration helps you and bidorbuy in many ways. Firstly, it helps bidorbuy contact you whenever necessary at various stages of a transaction. For example, when you buy, win a bid, or sell an item. Secondly, registration ensures a safe shopping environment, as bidorbuy knows all the details of its users. Registration is beneficial to you as it informs you of all regular, promotional and special offers on bidorbuy. What's more is that it's free. Click on the 'Register' button at the top of the site to register yourself.

Learn more about:
» Registration

When listing their items for 'Auction' sales, sellers can set a 'Reserve Price' for their items, which is the minimum price that they are willing to accept for the item.

Learn more about:
» Selling an item using Auctions

At bidorbuy, we believe that our users should transact in an absolutely safe, secure and transparent environment. We have put a few procedures in place to ensure that you trade without any worries and with complete peace of mind. These procedures together form the 'Safety and Trust Programme'.
These are:

• The Ratings System
• Money Back Guarantee
• Community Watch
• Buyer Protection Programme
• Verified Users

The 'Sale Not Complete' Alert, is of great help to sellers. If the buyer has not completed the sale within 7 days after the close - i.e. refusing to make payment and accept the item - sellers need to file the 'Sale Not Complete' Alert against the buyer. If the buyer still does not complete the transaction the seller receives a SNC credit, which means they are not charged a Success Fee for that order. For more SNC Help click here.

bidorbuy.co.za takes every precaution to prevent the loss, misuse and alteration of all information under its control. When you submit sensitive information via our site, your information is protected both online and off-line. When any of our pages ask you to enter sensitive information, such as a credit card number, that information is encrypted and is protected using SSL. When you are visiting a secure page, such as our registration form, the lock icon on the bottom of Web browsers such as Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer indicate a locked signal, as opposed to un-locked, or open, when you are just 'surfing'. While we use encryption to protect sensitive information online, we also do everything in our power to protect user-information off-line. The servers that we store personally identifiable information on are kept in a secure environment. If you have any questions about the security on our site, then send an e-mail to hello@bidorbuy.co.za.

This is the market price of the item, which is indicated by the seller when selling an item. This is optional and the seller may provide this to give buyers an indication of the market value of the item, and add appeal for the buyer if he/she is offering a discounted price.

Learn more about:
» Selling an item using Auctions

At bidorbuy, we value our seller community. We believe in offering our sellers not only a comfortable and safe selling environment, but also full assistance and support in all their activities. It is for the same reason that we now have a dedicated team that will assist our sellers. The Seller Support team will take care of all your seller-related queries. The Seller Support team can be contacted at hello@bidorbuy.co.za .

Learn more about:
» Seller Support

Here are some tips for sellers that will certainly enhance their selling experience:

1. Create an appropriate and attractive listing by providing your item with an attractive title, description and image. List your item in the appropriate category and choose from the Special Listings to give maximum exposure to your items on bidorbuy.
2. Always offer Warranties and Guarantees for your items.
3. Do not charge extra for Shipping.
4. Always offer different payment methods to buyers. Various buyers prefer various methods of making payments and this way you appeal to more buyers.

Shill Bidding is when sellers place bids (whether blatantly or under a disguise) on their own listings with the intent to raise the bid price in the hope that other bidders would feel forced to bid for that item at a higher price, thereby artificially inflating the perceive market value or desirably of the product that is on auction.

Learn more about:
» Shill Bidding

The 'Shipping Charge' is the amount that sellers charge the buyers for delivering the item to them. Sellers need to create 'Shipping Charge' options for their items in the 'Sellers View' section of 'My bidorbuy'.

Learn more about:
» Shipping Charges

The vast majority of auctions and buy now items on bidorbuy end without any problems however in the unlikely event that there is a dispute between the buyer and the seller, as a last resort an option is to have the dispute resolved by a Smalls Claims Court.

Learn more about:
» Small Claims Court

Special Listings help sellers promote their items by increasing the visibility of their items on bidorbuy. A listing fee is charged for certain Special Listing options.

Learn more about:
» Special Listings
» Selling on bidorbuy

When listing their items for sale using 'Auctions', sellers need to set a 'Start Price', which is the amount at which the bidding for the item starts. If a Reserve Price is set then the seller is not obliged to sell the item unless the bidding reaches or exceeds the Reserve Price.

Learn more about:
» Selling an item using Auctions

There are certain terms and conditions governing the use of bidorbuy.co.za and it is important that one reads and agrees to these terms and conditions before buying or selling on bidorbuy.

Learn more about:
» Terms and Conditions

Trade Brokers are experienced bidorbuy users who, for a fee, help other users to sell their items on bidorbuy. You can find a Trade Broker in your city by searching the 'Trade Broker Directory'.

Experienced bidorbuy users can apply to become a Trade Brokers. One can become a Trade Broker if he/she is:

• You have been selling products on bidorbuy.co.za for a period of not less than 6 months.
• You have successfully sold not less than 50 products on bidorbuy in the past 12 months.
• You have at least 50 positive ratings from not less than 10 different buyers.
• The percentage of negative ratings by buyers, do not represent more than 5% of your positive rating.
• You have kept your account with bidorbuy up-to-date; it has never been outstanding for longer than 30 days in the past 6 months.
• You have never been in breach of bidorbuy's Terms and Conditions.

New users to bidorbuy are subject to a manual approval process. Your account will be reviewed by one of our customer service representatives however if you would like to speed up this process you can contact us directly by phone during office hours.

bidorbuy allows it users to verify themselves on the site. In the once-off verification process, we try to ascertain the authenticity and the credibility of the user. A Verified User can be identified by a green tick next to their bidorbuy username

Learn more about:
» User Verification

bidorbuy currently has the following vacancies available.

The following video tutorials have been made available to educate users and to enhance the bidorbuy experience.

Learn more about:
» How to Buy
» How to Sell

Sellers can offer the buyer certain kinds of warranties on bidorbuy. This can be either a 'Replacement Warranty' or a 'Repair Warranty'. A warranty means that if there is any fault with the item, the seller or the manufacturer may have it replaced or repaired. When you buy an item covered by a warranty, it means that your purchase is protected on different levels, depending on the warranty offered.

Learn more about:
» Warranties and Guarantees