Before an Auction

1. How do I find an item that I bid on?
   
2. What is 'Add to Watchlist'?
   
3. What is 'Tell a Friend'?
   
4. What is the 'Automatic Bid Limit'?
   
5. What is the 'Reserve Price'?
   
6. What is 'Buy Now' price?
   
7. What is a 'Multiple Quantity Auction'?
   
8. If there is a 'Reserve Price' in a 'Multiple Quantity Auction', will it be for the total quantity or for each item?
   
9. Who wins in a 'Multiple Quantity Auction'?
   
10. What are 'Ratings'?
    
11. What if the item/seller appears to be suspicious?
    

During an Auction

1. Why can't I see the Reserve Price?
   
2. What if the Reserve Price was not met?
   

After an Auction

1. How do I know I have won?
   
2. Can I withdraw my bid later?
   
3. What if there is a difference between the advertised item and the one delivered?
   
4. What if the item is not shipped from my city?
   
5. Can I change my Payment Method after confirming my order?
   

1. How do I find an item that I bid on?
To find an item that you have bid on, simply click on 'My bidorbuy' at the top of the site. If you are not yet logged in, enter your bidorbuy user ID and password at this stage.

Once you have done this, click on 'Buyer's View' and then on 'Live Auctions you're Losing ' or 'Live Auctions you're Winning', which displays all the bids placed by you with details such as the 'Item ID', the 'Item Status', the 'Bid Status', the 'Bid Type', the 'Maximum Bid', the 'Winning Quantity' and 'End Date'. When you click on the 'Item Title', the corresponding 'Item' page will be displayed.

2. What is 'Add to Watchlist'?
'Add to Watchlist' is a feature that allows you to keep track of the auction. If you do not wish to participate in the auction, or choose to do so at a later date, you can watch the auction with the help of this feature.

To add an item to your 'Item Watchlist', click on the 'Add Item to Wachlist' button on the 'Item' page.

To view the items that are in your Item Watchlist, click on 'My bidorbuy' at the top of the site, and then click on 'Item Watchlist' in the 'Buyer's View' link. Here, you can view the list of items currently in your Item Watchlist. Details such as the 'Item Title', 'Bids/Purchases', 'Quantity', 'Listing Type', 'Status' and 'End Date' will be listed here. When you click on the 'Item Title', you will be taken to the relevant 'Item' page.

3. What is 'Tell a Friend'?
Use this feature to recommend any item on the site to your friends and family members. Click on the 'Tell a Friend' link on the 'Item' page. Here, fill in your friend's e-mail address, your e-mail address, the subject line, your personal message, and click on 'Send'. The e-mail will be sent to your friends or family immediately. bidorbuy also provides you with a default subject line and message, in case you do not wish to personalise the e-mail.

4. What is the 'Automatic Bid' Limit?
The 'Automatic Bid' feature bids on your behalf. So, if you are not online or are not able to track the auction, you won't miss out on the item you wish to buy. This allows you to just sit back and let 'Automatic Bid' do the bidding for you.

'Automatic Bid' is optional. It bids on a particular item for you with the specified 'Bid Increment' amount to meet the current highest bid amount. It will bid on your behalf only up to the maximum amount that you have specified. This amount is the maximum amount that you, the buyer, are willing to pay for an item and is kept confidential.

Please note that this feature does not directly increase your bid amount to the maximum amount you have specified. Instead it will bid higher only to meet the current highest bid amount. To activate the 'Automatic Bid', enter your maximum bid amount in the 'Your Maximum Bid' box and click on the 'Bid Now' button. The system will bid for you when someone else outbids you, or at the end of the auction in order to meet the 'Reserve Price'. Every time the 'Automatic Bid' feature bids for you, you will be informed via e-mail.

For example:

The 'Starting Price' is R1.00
The 'Bid Increment Amount' is R100.00
The 'Reserve Price' (not visible to you) is R901.00
The 'Current Bid Amount' placed by you is R501.00
The 'Automatic Bid' placed by you is R1001.00, so you will meet the reserve price, and win the item. Obviously, if you set your maximum bid price lower than the reserve, then 'Automatic Bid' will not bid to meet the reserve.


If someone bids higher than you, 'Automatic Bid' will bid for you. The bid amount will increase by R100.00; it will be the sum of the current highest bid amount plus R100.00. In other words, if someone bids R601.00 on the item, 'Automatic Bid' will bid R601.00 for you.

Assuming nobody else bids more than you and the auction is closing with the 'Reserve Price' not met, then 'Automatic Bid' will bid R901.00 to meet the 'Reserve Price'. If somebody has already bid R901.00, then your 'Automatic Bid' will also increase to R901.00, if it is within your maximum bid limit. The person who has bid first, (i.e. the one using 'Automatic Bid') will win the tie.

5. What is the 'Reserve Price'?
The 'Reserve Price' is the minimum price that the seller is willing to accept for an item. This amount is set by the seller before the auction starts, and is never disclosed. To win a 'Reserve Price Auction', you have to bid equal or higher than the 'Reserve Price' set by the seller. 'Reserve Price Auctions' can be identified with the '' icon.

For example:

The 'Starting Amount' is R100.00
The 'Reserve Price' set by the seller is R115.00


To win this auction, you have to bid above R115.00. If your bid amount is R110.00 and you are the highest bidder, you will not win the item because your bid is not above the 'Reserve Price' of R115.00.

If you are using 'Automatic Bid' on a 'Reserve Price Auction', and if at the end of the auction the 'Reserve Price' has not been met, then your bid amount will increase automatically to the 'Reserve Price' amount or the maximum limit set by you, whichever is lower.

Using the above example, if you set the 'Automatic Bid' limit at R120, then at the end of the auction your bid will be set to R115.00

6. What is a 'Buy Now'?
A 'Buy Now' lets you buy an auction item at a fixed price.

To buy the item at the fixed price, just click on the 'Buy Now' button on the Item Page. You will be led to the Order Details page where you can continue placing your order. Once you have successfully placed your order, you will receive an email informing you of the same.

7. What is a 'Multiple Quantity Auction'?
This is a special auction where a seller has more than one quantity of the item he/she wants to auction. To find out if the auction is a 'Multiple Quantity Auction', please check the quantity of the item in 'Item Description' on the 'Item' page. If the number of quantities displayed is more than 1, then it is a 'Multiple Quantity Auction'.

If you are interested in bidding on a 'Multiple Quantity Auction', you need to decide how many of the items you wish to bid on and enter this number under 'Quantity' on the 'Item' page. The final bid amount will be 'Amount per Quantity' x 'Quantity'.

8. If there is a 'Reserve Price' in a 'Multiple Quantity Auction', will it be for the total quantity or for each item?
The 'Reserve Price' will be per item. Each item won will need to reach the 'Reserve Price' before it is considered as sold.

9. Who wins in a 'Multiple Quantity Auction'?
Just as in any auction, the bidder's win is based on the highest bid per item, the highest quantity bid upon, and the earliest date and time of bid.

For example:

The 'Minimum Bid Increment' is R10.00
Quantity: 5 of the item
Starting Bid Amount - R100.00


Look how the Winners and the Runners-Up will be determined:

Winners

2 at R100.00 each, on 14 Jan 10:30, by Bidder A (0)
1 at R110.00 each, on 14 Jan 10:30, by Bidder B (2)
1 at R110.00 each, on 14 Jan 11:10, by Bidder C (0)
1 at R110.00 each, on 14 Jan 11:40, by Bidder D (3)


Runners-Up

1 at R100.00 each, on 14 Jan 10:00, by Bidder E (3)


Notice that even though Bidder E placed bid at 10:00 am, Bidder A wins since he bid for 2 items.

10. What are 'Ratings'?
bidorbuy believes in providing its users with a safe shopping environment. The 'Ratings' system is a means of achieving this.

A 'Rating' is a comment that users leave on the site about other users. These comments are based on the actual experiences that users have had whilst buying and selling. There are three kinds of ratings: Positive, Negative and Neutral.

Before buying, you can view the 'Ratings' of the seller and make an informed decision about whether or not you wish to transact with him/her. There are 3 numbers in brackets next to the seller's bidorbuy user ID. These numbers give you the 'Ratings' status of the seller: the positive ratings are indicated with a '+' sign; the neutral ratings are in the centre, and the negative ratings are indicated with a '-' sign.

11. What if the item/seller appears to be suspicious?
If you feel that the seller or the item is suspicious, you can use the 'Spot a Problem? Notify Community Watch' facility on the 'Item' page. You need to be a registered bidorbuy user to be able to use this facility.

Clicking on this link will take you to a form. Select the relevant option from the subject drop down menu. Key in your message, explaining why you feel the item/seller is suspicious, and click on 'Send E-mail'. The bidorbuy team will review the item and inform you via e-mail about the action taken.

1. Why can't I see the 'Reserve Price'?
The 'Reserve Price' is never disclosed: it gives the buyer a chance to decide the worth of the item; it also protects the seller's confidentiality rights.

2. What if the 'Reserve Price' is not met?
If the 'Reserve Price' is not met, then item is considered unsold. The seller then has the option of re-listing the item.

1. How do I know I have won?
If you win the auction, you will be informed via e-mail, which will give you all the necessary details about your winning bid and the seller. The 'Item' page and 'My bidorbuy' also display the winners' details after the close of the auction. Click on 'Buyer View' and then on the 'Orders Placed' link. This page will display the 'Pay NOW!' button next to the auctions you have won.

2. Can I withdraw my bid later?
No, you cannot withdraw your bid. Your bid is a legally binding contract and you are obligated to complete the purchase if you are declared the winning bidder. bidorbuy encourages you to double check the details before bidding, as we believe in having a trusted community of genuine buyers and sellers.

3. What if there is a difference between the advertised item and the one delivered?
bidorbuy is a virtual marketplace that allows buyers and sellers to come together to trade. If you have any concerns about the items offered by any seller, you may ask the seller about his/her listing by using the 'Ask Seller a Question' facility provided on the 'Item' page. We do advise you to clear all your doubts before you place a bid.

If, at the end of the transaction, you realise that item that you have received differs from the one the seller described in the 'Item Description' on the 'Item' page, you may contact us at hello@bidorbuy.co.za.

4. What if the item is not shipped from my city?
Most items on bidorbuy are delivered all over South Africa. Even if the item is not shipped from your city, it will nevertheless be delivered to your address. Check the 'Shipping Charges' on the 'Item' page to see if the seller is offering delivery outside his/her city limits, and if he is charging extra for this. If the seller is charging additional 'Delivery Charges', the total payment will be the winning bid amount plus the 'Delivery Charges'.

If you wish to see items from your city only, use the 'Advanced Search' feature provided at the top of the site. Most 'Category' pages also give you the facility to search for items in different cities.

5. Can I change my 'Payment Method' after confirming my order?
You will be able to select your 'Payment Method' after you are declared the winning bidder and you convert your winning bid into an 'order'. However, you cannot change your method of payment once you have ordered. You may contact the seller if you wish to change your details. We suggest you to check the 'Payment Method' options before confirming your order.