How will I know if I am outbid?
How do I increase my bid?
How will I know that I won?
How can I view a listing of all bids I've submitted?
Can I submit a bid offline?
Why isn't my bid showing up online?
How are leading bids determined?
What is a reserve price?
What is a Proxy bid?
What do the sales formats mean?
What is Buy It Now?
How will I know if I am outbid?
We notify you by e-mail when you are outbid. However, there may be unpredictable delays in the transmission of e-mail. Therefore, it is best to regularly visit our Web site to check on the bidding progress.
[top] [Bidding FAQ]
How do I increase my bid?
Go directly to the item, select your bid amount, enter your User ID and Password, and submit your bid. You can also go directly to the item by clicking on the hyperlink contained in your bid confirmation e-mail or by locating the item in your My Account administration area.
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How will I know that I won?
We will notify you by e-mail if you win. However, you are responsible for determining whether you have won by visiting the site and checking the status of your bid in My Account. The e-mail message will contain all applicable contact information.
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How can I view a listing of all bids I've ever submitted?
Go to My Account and select "View Bids You Have Placed." Enter your User ID and Password, and click on the Proceed button.
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Can I submit a bid offline?
No. At this time we only accept bids online.
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Why isn't my bid showing up online?
You may have to "Refresh" your browser to display your latest bid.
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How are leading bids determined?
The leading bids are determined as follows for the different selling formats:
- English Auction: The bid with the highest dollar amount is the leading bid and wins the auction. In the case of a tie, the earlier bid wins the item.
- Dutch Auction: The bid(s) with the highest dollar amount(s) wins the auciton.
[top] [Bidding FAQ]
What is a reserve price?
The reserve price is the lowest price at which a seller is willing to sell an item. If the bidding does not meet or exceed the reserve price, the item will not be sold. The reserve price is never disclosed to bidders. The product detail page will inform you if the reserve price has been met or not. If a listing does not have a reserve price, the seller has agreed to sell to the highest bidder and cannot refuse for any reason. This reserve price should be above the minimum bid price. The auction begins at the minimum bid price.
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What is a Proxy bid?
A proxy bid allows bidders to set the maximum value they are willing to pay for an item. If you choose to enter a proxy bid, this amount is always kept confidential from other bidders, however, a 
will be displayed next to your bid price. Our proxy bidding software then enters the lowest possible winning bid for you. If another buyer bids (in real time or by proxy), we will automatically raise your bid until you are winning or have reached your maximum value. If your maximum value is reached, we will notify you automatically by e-mail that you have been outbid.
[top] [Bidding FAQ]
What do the sales formats mean?
English Auction - In an English auction, buyers bid online until the auction ends. The item is then sold to the highest bidder at the end of the auction period.
Dutch Auction - A Dutch auction is a multiple-item listing. The main difference between Dutch and multiple quantity English auctions is that with Dutch auctions, all Winning Bidders get their items at the price of the lowest Winning Bid. Additionally, Proxy Bidding cannot be used with Dutch auctions.
Reverse Auction - In a Reverse auction, suppliers bid online to satisfy the buyer's request. Used primarily for procurement purposes, Reverse auctions allow buyers to list items and services they are interested in purchasing, and then suppliers bid down the price. The lowest bid wins.
Fixed Price - In Fixed Price listings, the item is available for immediate purchase at the price listed. This is not an auction, so no bidding is required.
"Hot" Listing - This symbol indicates an item which has generated a higher than normal level of bidding interest. All "Hot" listings for a particular category can be found grouped together by clicking on the "Hot" status button on the Product Listing pages.
[top] [Bidding FAQ]
What is Buy It Now?
Buy It Now allows the seller to sell a single quantity English Auction item to a bidder for a given price. When a bidder opts to Buy It Now, the auction ends immediately and the bidder becomes the buyer. The following circumstances allow for the Buy It Now option to exist:
- The item must be a single quantity English Auction with no bids and no reserve price.
- The item must be a single quantity English Auction with a reserve price that has not been met. As soon as the reserve price is met, the Buy It Now option disappears.
[top] [Bidding FAQ]
Auction Extension
Bid Cancellation
Bid History
Bid Increment
Bid Price
Bid Search
Bidding
Buy It Now
Categories
Close Date
Cookies
Credit Cards
Customer Support
Dutch Auction
E-Mail Address
English Auction
Fixed Price
Hot Items
Maximum Bid
Minimum Bid
My Account
Opening Soon
Password
Placing a Bid
Product Detail
Proxy Bidding
Registered User
Reserve Price
Reverse Auction
Search Listings
Secure Server
Start Date
Starting Price
Time Status
User Agreement
User ID
User Registration Information
Auction Extension
During the last few minutes of bidding, there may be an extraordinary flurry of bidding activity on an item. In order to ensure bidding integrity, and to prevent last minute bid "sniping" -- where a bidder waits until the final seconds to place a bid -- the site will automatically extend bidding in 5-minute increments until there is no additional bidding activity in a 5-minute period of time. At the end of the Extended time period, the item will be moved to a Closed status, and the time remaining field will display a dash (-).
[top] [Glossary]
Bid Cancellation
We permit bid cancellation only under extraordinary circumstances. Once your bid is placed, you have an obligation to complete the transaction if you win. Keep your User ID and Password confidential, so that other users cannot access your account. If you believe you have an extraordinary situation (i.e. you left out the decimal point and bid $2000 instead of $20.00), please contact customer support immediately.
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Bid History
The "Bid History" shows the list of bidders and their activity on the listed item. It provides to you the bid time, user ID, original bid quantity, current bid quantity, bid amount, proxy status (), as well as the status of each bidder ("Winning Bid" or "Outbid"). This page is updated immediately after each new bid making it the place to find the most recent bidding activity. The product detail page displays up to ten bids and the "View Complete Bid History" page shows all bids for the listing.
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Bid Increment
The Bid Increment is the amount by which you must outbid the current winning bid. For your convenience, we provide a pull-down menu that allows you to easily select a value in a bid increment above the current value. If an item is listed at $100 with a $10 bid increment, you will be able to select a value from the drop-down menu in $10 increments. If you want to place a bid that exceeds the highest bid available on the pull-down menu, we suggest that you use our Proxy bidding feature.
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Bid Price
Bid Price is the amount you are willing to pay for an item. You can update your Bid Price at any time by placing a new Bid on the item.
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Bid Search
You can review your personal Bid history by going to My Account. Under "Auctions," you can select "View Bids You Have Placed" and "View Auctions You Have Won."
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Bidding
In order to bid on an item, you must first register. Registration is free and allows you to take full advantage of our service. Once you are registered, you can locate an item by searching or by selecting the item from the appropriate category. Once you locate the item, select your Bid Amount, the Bid Quantity, enter your User ID and Password and click on the Place Bid button. You will be taken to a bid confirmation page where you can review your bid. You will automatically receive an e-mail confirming your bid.
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Buy It Now
Buy It Now allows a seller to list an auction item with the option of selling it for a given price. It is only applicable to English Auctions with a quantity of one. If there is no reserve price on the item, then the Buy It Now option disappears after the first bid. If there is a reserve price on the item, then the Buy It Now option disappears after the reserve price is met. The auction ends as soon as a buyer executes the Buy It Now option.
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Categories
All listings are assigned a specific Category. All Categories on this site are available on the Browse Categories page.
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Close Date
Listings close at the time specified by the Seller. If there are bids within the last 5 minutes of the auction, the listing(s) will automatically extend by 5 minutes after the completion of the regular auction. The auction will continue to extend until no additional bids are placed within one 5-minute time frame. Items that have been extended will have an "Extended" indicator in the "Auction Status" field on the Product Detail page. Closed items may continue to appear in listings for approximately 5 minutes on our site, but you will not be allowed to bid on them.
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Cookies
A Cookie is a very small text file placed on your hard drive by a Web page server. The cookie serves as your identification card, and cannot be executed as code or deliver viruses. It is uniquely yours and can only be read by the server that gave it to you. Check your Browser's options or preferences to enable/accept Cookies.
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Credit Cards
A credit card is not required at the time you Register to use our service and as a result, we do not store your credit card information. When you win an auction item or purchase a fixed price item, we will email you a Paypal invoice, which will allow you to pay with either your credit card or your Paypal account. If you have any questions or concerns about credit card safety, please contact us.
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Customer Support
If you have specific questions on the item description, payment or shipping, please contact us by using the appropriate links at the bottom of each page or click on our seller link on the Detail page. We also have a knowledgeable and friendly support staff that can assist you with any problems you may experience using the site, including technical issues, fraud prevention and any other questions, concerns, and comments you may have regarding the site. If you have any questions, please contact us by using the appropriate links at the bottom of each page.
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Dutch Auction
A Dutch auction is a multiple-quantity item listing. The main difference between Dutch and multiple quantity English is that with Dutch auctions, all winning bidders get their items at the price of the lowest winning bid. Additionally, Proxy bidding cannot be used with Dutch auctions.
For example, a Dutch auction has 3 items for sale. The opening price for the items is $10.00 each with a $1.00 bid increment. After the listing opens, a bid is placed for $10.00 for one of the three items. Another bid is then placed. The second bid is placed for $11.00 with a quantity of one (this bid could not be placed for $10.00, but had to be placed for at least $11.00). A third bid is then placed for $12.00 for a quantity of one (this bid could not be placed for less than $12.00). A fourth bid is then placed for $13.00 (this bid could not be placed for less than $13.00). If the listing were to close at this point, the 3 people with the highest bids (and largest bid quantities) would be declared the winners (i.e. the bidders who bid $11.00, $12.00, and $13.00 respectively). However, because all bids clear at the lowest Leading Bid, the individuals who bid $12.00 and $13.00 will only be required to pay $11.00 for the item. Since the price increments for each bid, new bidders can knock the earlier low bidders out of the running.
Note: If there is a Reserve Price of $12.00 on these items, then only bidders who have exceeded the Reserve Price will be declared the winners.
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E-mail Address
Your E-mail address is the primary means by which we communicate with you, so please ensure your account has the correct E-mail address. To change your E-mail Address, log in to My Account. This will send you to the appropriate page allowing you to revise any of your Personal Information, including your E-mail address. Once you are done with your changes, you will receive a message that your information has been successfully updated.
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English Auction
An English auction can be used for either a single item or multiple items. With English listings, the price is raised successively until the listing closes. You must use at least the next highest bid increment when making a bid.
For single quantity English Auctions, the high bidder is declared the winner and is required to pay the seller the amount of winning bid. If there is a tie, then the earlier bid is declared the winner.
For multiple quantity English Auctions, the high bidders are declared the winners and each person is required to pay the seller the amount of their winning bid. If there is a tie, then the earlier bid will be a leading bid. Additionally, when there is a multiple quantity auction, then you may have to accept a partial win on your bid.
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Fixed Price
In fixed price listings, the item is available for immediate purchase at the price listed. This is not an auction, so no bidding is required. As long as there is quantity available for an item, buyers can purchase the listed item at the sale price. Fixed Price Listing purchases are binding commitments. After a Buyer makes a purchase, the order is processed immediately and cannot be cancelled.
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Hot Items
When the number of bids on an item reaches a certain level that item becomes a "Hot Item." Hot Items can be found by selecting the "Hot" hyperlink on the category pages.
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Maximum Bid
Your Maximum Bid is the highest amount you are willing to pay for an item. You can enter this amount the first time you bid, and our proxy bidding software makes sure that your actual bid is the lowest possible winning amount (see the definition of "Reserve Price" for an explanation of how reserve price listings are handled). If you are outbid, your bid will be raised automatically until it has reached your maximum bid and will never exceed that set amount. If your maximum bid is exceeded, you will automatically receive notification by e-mail that you were outbid; providing you an opportunity to place another bid on the item.
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Minimum Bid
The minimum bid is the least amount you can bid on an item in order to win. If there is one item listed, the minimum bid amount will be the amount of the current high bid plus the bid increment. If there are multiple items (as in a Dutch auction) this amount will be the lowest amount that would qualify as a winning bid.
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My Account
My Account is your site management area. You can keep track of your bidding and purchasing activity and change your user registration information.
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Opening Soon
Listings with a status of "Opening Soon" have been placed in our system, but are not yet open for bidding. Listings with this status may be available for viewing up to three [3] days before bidding begins.
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Password
Your Password is required to login to the site. You can change your Password from My Account once you are logged in. If you forget your Password, use the "Forget Password?" link to retrieve it.
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Placing a Bid
After you have reviewed the Product Detail Information and you're ready to bid on the item or service, select the "Bid Amount" and "Bid Quantity", enter your user ID and password, and then click the Submit Bid button. You will then be sent to a new page confirming your bid. You will automatically receive an e-mail confirming your bid.
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Product Detail
As the seller, we try to offer as much information about our listings as possible. As a bidder, if you need more information, please contact us by using the links provided.
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Proxy Bidding
When you bid on English or reverse auctions, you can use our proxy bidding () feature. The minimum bid displayed on the bidding page is the least amount you can bid. However, you can also enter a higher bid that reflects the maximum you're willing to pay for the item. Proxy bids must conform to the bid increments determined by the seller. If you choose to make it a proxy bid, this amount is always kept confidential from other bidders. Our proxy bidding software then enters the lowest possible winning bid for you. If another buyer bids (in real time or by proxy), we will automatically raise your bid until you are winning or until you have reached your maximum.
You will be notified via e-mail whenever you are outbid. The e-mail message will contain a link back to the listing, or you can find your bid by searching by the item number or going directly to the category listing. You can then increase your bid by clicking on the description and entering your new maximum bid amount when the detail page is displayed.
Example:
Starting price is $10.00 and the bid increment is $5.00.
On the detail page, enter your proxy bid: $25.00
Click "Place Bid". The next page confirms your bid.
Your winning bid is: $10.00
You will also receive a bid confirmation via e-mail.
If another bidder enters a bid, the process may look like this:
On the detail page, enter your proxy bid: $25.00
Click "Place Bid". The next page confirms your bid.
Your winning bid is: $10.00
The second bidder places a bid at: $15.00
Second bidder is losing at: $15.00
You are winning at: $20.00
This Second Bidder's bid was exceeded because your proxy bid ($25.00) is higher. You are still winning at one increment above their maximum bid: $15.00.
[top] [Glossary]
Registered User
A "Registered User" is anyone who has completed the registration process and received a user ID and password for our site. You must be a registered user in order to bid or conduct any other activity on this site.
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Reserve Price
The "Reserve Price" is the lowest price at which a Seller is willing to sell an item, even though the starting price may be much lower. If the bidding does not meet or exceed this price, there is no sale. The reserve price is never disclosed to bidders.
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Reverse Auction
In a Reverse auction, suppliers bid online to satisfy the buyer's request. Used primarily for procurement purposes, Reverse auctions allow buyers to list items and services they are interested in purchasing, and then suppliers bid down the price. The lowest bid wins.
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Search Listings
You can search the "Keyword", "Item Number", and "User Name" of all "Open Listings" from any "Search" box. Searches are also available for items "Opening Soon", "Closing Soon", "Closed Items", "Hot Items" and all items in a particular category.
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Secure Server
When you register, you will enter your information via our secure server that uses 256-bit encryption. This server uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology, the industry standard in Web security, used primarily for transmitting sensitive information over the Internet.
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Start Date
Listings start at the time specified by the seller.
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Starting Price
The "Starting Price" is the amount the seller sets as the minimum amount allowed to bid on the listing. A seller may set a reserve price when a starting price is desired to display as the amount lower than what will be accepted as a winning bid (this is done to initiate bidding since bidders do not know the amount to what the reserve price has set). "Reserve Price" is the lowest price at which a seller is willing to sell an item, even though the starting price may be much lower. If the bidding does not meet or exceed this price, the item will not be sold. The reserve price is never disclosed to bidders.
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Time Status
All transactions are based in the U.S. Eastern Time (EST) zone.
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User Agreement
All users of this site agree to abide by our "Terms and Conditions" located on this site.
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User ID
Every registered user of this site has a user ID. It is used to login to bid or view My Account. When you bid, your user ID is displayed in the Bid History rather than your name or email address.
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User Registration Information
We collect information from you during the user registration process, including your name, address, and e-mail address. We request this information in order to provide you full access to our service. The information you provide is captured on a secure server and certain information such as your password is encrypted. This information is not available to other users of the site. We will use your information to process transactions if you win or purchase something on our site. We may further use your contact information to notify you about other programs that may interest you. We will never sell, share or otherwise distribute your user registration information with third parties unless they are directly involved in processing your purchase.
You can update your user registration information anytime by signing in to My Account.
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