Frequently Asked Questions
Basic Questions
What is Bid-Save?
Bid-Save is a new kind of auction that features online entertainment for a great shopping experience, most commonly known as a penny auction. Experience the thrill of participating in live auctions while trying to score hot deals on great products! Bid-Save auctions feature only brand new merchandise, and bidding starts at just $0.01 on every item. Bid costs range from only $0.75 - $0.90 each, depending on the BidPack purchased, so you can walk away a winner with only a small amount invested! For every bid placed, an item’s price increases by the amount indicated and the counter adds up to a maximum of 30 seconds to the timer per bid, to give you or someone else the chance to bid. An auction ends when there are no further bids and the counter reaches zero.
What are the costs?
There are only 2 charges associated with Bid-Save:
Bid Purchases
The basic bid price is $0.90 each. BidPacks are available in denominations of 25, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500. Larger BidPacks provide discounts on Bid prices, currently as low as $0.75 per bid.
Won Auctions
When you win an auction, you will pay the final price listed on the auction in addition to any bids you have spent on bidding for that item. The final auction price will include the auction price, shipping charges, and any applicable taxes. Currently, any items shipping to Florida are subject to sales tax.
About Bidding
How do I purchase bids?
You can buy bids using either your credit or debit card, via PayPal. You do not need a PayPal account to make purchases. Please note that all BidPacks are non-refundable.
How do I bid?
After registering and purchasing bids, select the item(s) you wish to bid on and place a bid by clicking the Bid button.
How do I Use the Bid Butler?
The Bid Butler is an automated bidder that you may utilize to make multiple bids on an item. To use the Bid Butler, click on the item that you want to bid on. This will take you to the item’s description screen. At the top of the Bid History, click on the Bid Butler tab, and enter the information of your choosing. The information required is as follows:
Starting Bid Amount - The starting auction price that you want the Bid Butler to start bidding for you.
Maximum Bid - The auction price that you want the Bid Butler to stop bidding.
Number of Bids - The maximum number of bids that you want the Bid Butler to make for you.
Do I get my bids back if I do not win an auction?
The bids you place on an auction are considered used and are non-refundable.
Where can I see my activity?
You can see your bidding activity by clicking the Account button at the top of the screen, and clicking My Bids on the left side of the Account page. The Account page also includes Won Auctions as well as other account features.
Auctions
When does an auction end?
An auction ends when the countdown clock reaches 0:00:00 and the Bid button will be replaced with "Ended".
Why does the counter seem stuck at 0:00:01?
The official end time of the auction is maintained on our servers, which is synchronized to atomic clocks for great accuracy. The countdown timer displayed on your computer is based on information received from our servers regarding bids and the end time. We endeavor to make sure this information is always as up-to-date as possible, however sometimes there might be a slight delay in the information reaching your computer. When your computer thinks the auction has ended, it will hold at "0:00:01" while it waits for further information from our servers:
- Either new bids that have been recorded before the auction ended, which are then displayed, together with an update of the countdown timer,
- Or the auction has actually ended, and the countdown timer then shows "Ended".
If many new bids have been recorded, or if several Bid Butlers have been "battling it out", the countdown timer may increase by a substantial amount of time.
If the countdown timer stays stuck in "0:00:01" state, that means something wrong occurred either on your computer or somewhere in the Internet between our servers and your computer. Please refresh the page to get the most current information.
I just won an auction! What’s next?
First of all, Congratulations on your win!
Once the auction has ended, and you are the winner, you will find your winning auction by clicking on the Account button at the top of the screen, and clicking Won Auctions on the left side of the Account page. Next, you will begin the check out process by purchasing the item using the "Pay using PayPal" button. We will confirm via email, any payments received and shipping information. Please remember to purchase the item within 14 calander days of the end of the auction. If you still haven’t purchased the item within 14 days, the item will be removed from your cart. All bids placed towards that item are non-refundable.
What is the difference between auction price and the retail price?
Auction Price
The auction price is the price of the item, plus any shipping, and applicable taxes, due at the end of the auction. Only the winner of the auction can buy the item at that price.
Retail Price
The retail price is the price you would pay if the item was purchased through a traditional retailer.
Are there win limits?
In an effort to give everyone an equal chance of winning, there is a 5-item limit per 7 calendar days.
Delivery and Shipping
What are my delivery charges?
Shipping charges are located on the item’s details page. You can reach the details page by clicking on the item up for auction. The charges shown upon winning an auction are for delivery to addresses within the continental United States only. Any delivery charges outside of the continental United States will be calculated accordingly. If you have a P.O. BOX, please contact customer service at shipments@bid-save.com to make alternate shipping arrangements.
When can I expect delivery?
Delivery times vary for the different items that we auction. Most of our items are shipped directly from our suppliers, with the majority of orders arriving within 15 business days of payment. We’ll let you know as soon as your item has been shipped. If an item has not been received within 15 business days, please contact us at shipments@bid-save.com.
Has my item been shipped yet?
We will send an email with shipping details as soon as your item has been shipped. If an item has not been received within 15 business days, please contact us at shipments@bid-save.com.
Returns and Complaints
The item I won is broken. What do I do?
Occasionally an item might not work or may get damaged in transit. If this has happened, our goal is to resolve your problem as quickly as possible. If an item is not working, it can sometimes be useful to check the manufacturer’s website or call their help line for assistance. Many of the most common problems are easily solved without having to return the product.
For damaged items, please contact us at returns@bid-save.com. Please provide the auction ID, as well as your Username, as this will help us to deal with your problem more quickly and efficiently. If the item has been damaged during shipping, we may ask to provide photos of the damaged package and item for our insurance purposes.
Important: Please do not return the item back to us without first contacting us – this is likely to delay the time it takes to replace your item if it is damaged.
Is there a guarantee on auctioned products?
Purchased items are subject to the warranty provided by the manufacturer.
Can I get a refund on an item I have won?
If within 7 days of delivery, you decide that you no longer want the item, we will be happy to refund the final auction price that you paid for that item. The item must be in its original packaging and must not be damaged. Please contact us for return details, making sure to provide the auction ID and your Username. Please note that we cannot offer you a refund on the cost of the bids that you placed on that auction (bids are non-refundable) nor the return shipping cost. Refunds are not available for audio or video recordings, and computer software. Any returned gift cards are subject to available balance verification before any refund is given. Used gift cards are ineligible for refund.
Managing my Account
How do I change my password?
Please log onto Bid-Save.com, then go to Account, and select Change Password. You will then be prompted to type your old password and new password.
What do I do if I forget my password?
If you forget your username and password, an email will be sent to you with your username and a reset password. For security reasons, Bid-Save does not keep user passwords on file.
Can I change my username?
Under normal circumstances, we do not allow users to change the Username. However, if you find it necessary to change your Username, please contact us and we will attempt to comply with the request. When registering your Username, please be careful not to select a user name that could cause offence or abuse the rights of third parties. Bid-Save reserves the right to remove or alter any offensive names without the consent of the user.
Can I change my first name and last name?
If you have a name change, please contact us at info@bid-save.com and we will make any necessary changes to your account upon verification. Please note that accounts are non-transferable.
Where can I check how many auctions I have won?
Once you’ve become a registered user, Account is the place to manage the bidding process and personal preferences. Click on the Account button at the top of the screen and go to Won Auctions.
How do I confirm auctions I’ve won?
Please log into Bid-Save, go to Account, and select Won Auctions.
Can I change my email address?
If you want to change your email address, please log into Bid-Save, go to Account, and select Edit Profile. You will then be able to enter the new email address.
May I have more than 1 account?
It is strictly against Bid-Save policy to have more than 1 account. If you are operating more than one account, your account(s) will be closed. Any items won through a multiple account will be deemed null and void.
Payment and Payment Methods
How do I pay for bids or auctions I have won?
You can buy bids or pay for items you have won, using either your credit or debit card, via PayPal. Please contact us at payments@bid-save.com for further payment assistance.
What if I don't have a PayPal account?
You do not need a PayPal account to use Bid-Save. Once you click on Pay using PayPal, there is an option to pay by credit/debit card without having a PayPal account.
Technical Issues
What happens to auctions during system downtime?
Downtime, or outage, is an occasional and unforeseeable problem with the Internet, and means that bids cannot be placed during this short period when we are offline. If we experience downtime at any point, we automatically add ten minutes on to the auction end time, so that our bidders are not left at a disadvantage. It is impossible to place any bids whilst the system is experiencing downtime, so any bids attempted during this period will not be accepted or debited from your account. If this situation does occur, we advise you to refresh your screen regularly, either by pressing F5 or the refresh button on your browser.
In the event that an auction ended prematurely due to a system outage or an unforeseeable disruption in service, all ended auctions will be reviewed on a case by case basis. Bid-Save reserves the right to deem any won auctions as null and void during a system outage.
