|
  Browse Help uBid Info |
|
Winning a Consumer Exchange
Auction
Do I pay a fee
to uBid when I buy something on the Consumer Exchange?
When you win an auction in the Consumer Exchange, you pay no
fees to uBid. You will only need to pay the seller your winning bid price
plus shipping. Please note that Consumer Exchange sellers always determine
the shipping method and price.
Can I purchase
a warranty on an item won on the Consumer Exchange?
Items sold in the Consumer Exchange are not eligible for the
uBid Extended Warranty Program. Items purchased in the Consumer Exchange
may be subject to a warranty provided by either the seller or the original
manufacturer, but not all products will have warranties. Note: Sellers
are required to indicate whether a warranty is provided. If you are not
sure if a warranty is offered, ask the seller.
How do I determine
the method of payment for auctions in the Consumer Exchange?
The seller determines what methods of payment are accepted
for his or her Consumer Exchange auctions. Accepted payment methods are
listed on each auction page.
Below are common forms of payment:
- Money order/Cashier's check
- Personal check
- C.O.D.
- Visa/MasterCard
- American Express
- Diners Club
- Discover/Novus
- Pay Pal
To determine whether other payment options are available, please contact
the seller directly.
How do I determine
shipping cost and delivery time?
Consumer Exchange sellers are encouraged to list the shipping
method and cost in every auction. However, please be advised that Consumer
Exchange sellers reserve the right to determine shipping costs. If you
have questions about the shipping charges in a specific auction, please
contact the seller.
Once you have verified the method and cost of shipping with the seller,
please arrange a specified shipping date with the seller. Items shipped
via commercial shipping services or the U.S. Postal Service on average
take 7 to 10 days to reach their destination. However, if you paid for
your item(s) using a check, please allow for another 1 to 2 weeks for
your check to arrive and be processed by the seller. If you do not receive
your item(s) in the expected timeframe, please contact the seller to reconfirm
when and how the item was shipped.
What do I do when
I win an auction?
Contacting the Seller
Once an auction closes, uBid will send the seller your contact information
so that he or she can contact you with information about shipping costs,
payment instructions, and an address to which your payment may be sent.
Use your best judgment if a seller asks for a cash payment or refuses
to give you an address other than a Post Office box. You do not need to
send your payment unless you are comfortable with the information provided
to you by the seller. Also, make sure that you check the seller's ratings.
Click here for more information on ratings.
Rating a Seller
Once you win a Consumer Exchange auction, you may evaluate the seller
by posting one rating of 1-5 stars and one comment. Click
here to learn more about rating a seller and for important considerations
in posting ratings. You may post ratings and comments only for other Consumer
Exchange members with whom you have closed auctions. There is a limit
of one rating and comment per closed auction.
What if there is
a problem with an item I purchased, or I don't receive the product I paid
for?
Buying from individuals in the Consumer Exchange is usually
easy and hassle free, but you may occasionally have problems with other
buyers or sellers. uBid is not involved and does not participate in the
transaction between buyers and sellers, and is not responsible for the
behavior of buyers and sellers in the Consumer Exchange. If there is a
problem, here are some ways you can try to resolve the dispute.
- Contact the Seller - Try emailing or calling the seller again.
Read over your past email communication to see if there was a misunderstanding,
and ask for a phone number at which the seller may be reached so that
you can try to resolve the dispute over the phone. Remember to keep
a copy of your email communications.
- Leave a rating - The Consumer Exchange rating system allows
other users to leave ratings and comments about their experiences. If
you have had a poor experience with another member of the Consumer Exchange,
leave a rating to let other members know about your experiences. If
a buyer or seller accumulates several negative ratings, they may be
removed from participating in the Consumer Exchange. The rating system
works only if you use it! Find out more about the Consumer Exchange
rating system by Clicking Here.
- Use a third party - There are many professional third part
arbitration services available. uBid does not represent or support any
arbitration.
- Report fraud - There are many ways to report cases of fraud.
If you have used the US Postal Service to send your payment to the seller
but have not received your merchandise, you can file a complaint with
your local U.S. Post Office or Attorney General. You can also contact
the National Fraud Information Center.
Contact the Better Business Bureau
or the Internet Fraud Complaint Center
if you believe you have been working with a business rather than an
individual. Also, you can file a complaint with the FTC by contacting
the Consumer Response Center by phone: 202-FTC-HELP (382-4357); TDD:
202-326-2502; by mail: Consumer Response Center, Federal Trade Commission,
Washington, DC. Although the Commission cannot resolve individual problems
for consumers, it can act against a company if there seems to be a pattern
of possible law violations. If you believe you have been a victim of
fraud, report it to the proper authorities and help keep the Consumer
Exchange the better place to auction.
- Contact uBid - If you have a serious complaint about a particular
user or you think that the user may have committed fraud, let us know
by emailing Consumer Exchange
Support and by providing us with the user's Login ID, the auction
number and any additional information about the incident.
Tips
for Buyers
- Bid Wisely
uBid restricts the sale of prohibited items listed.
Do not bid on items that you think may be prohibited by uBid. If you
notice an item on the site which is on uBid's Prohibited List, please
go to Consumer Exchange Support
and email uBid. uBid does not guarantee the quality, authenticity, or
condition of any products sold in the Consumer Exchange, so protect
yourself using the suggestions above.
- Check the Seller's Rating
Consumer Exchange members can leave ratings for all other members with
whom they have closed auctions. By checking the rating of the seller
offering an item you would like to bid on, you can see what types of
experiences other buyers have had with this seller. If there are negative
ratings, consider looking for other sellers with similar merchandise,
or use a third party intermediary. PLEASE NOTE THAT NEW SELLERS WITH NO
RATINGS, OR SELLERS WITH A RATING BELOW 4 STARS, ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE
BUYER PROTECTION PROGRAM
- Be Familiar with the Item
When you place a bid within the Consumer Exchange, you are agreeing
to the shipping and payment terms that the seller lists on his or her
auction. Make sure that you know about the item in which you are interested
before you place your bid. If you have any questions about the item
or the product contact the seller. For more information on contacting
the seller, Click Here.
- Protect Yourself
Use common sense when completing a sale with a seller. A seller who
refuses to use an escrow service and/or requests you to wire money overseas
deserves a second look. Please remember IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO RETRIEVE
MONEY WIRED OVERSEAS. If you are uncomfortable with the information provided
to you by the seller, remember that you are not legally obligated to complete
the sale.
- Keep Track of Important Auction Details
If you do have a future problem with a Consumer Exchange auction, it
helps to have the information you need, including the lot/auction number,
the seller's name and ID, a description of the item with detail of what
is included, time, date & price of your bid, and whether you used Bid
Butler.
Consumer
Exchange user's guide to safe buying
We believe that your experience with the Consumer Exchange will be pleasant
and hassle-free, but a few common-sense reminders may prevent regrets
later on.
- Check the seller's ratings and use your best judgment before closing
a deal with him or her. Verify the seller's identity. Be wary if you
receive an email from the seller with a different contact name or email
address than what was used in the auction (which you will receive in
your winning bid confirmation after the auction closes). Ask the seller
for his or her phone number, and speak directly over the phone.
- Think twice about wiring money overseas. We certainly do not want
to discourage international trading, but please be judicious when wiring
money overseas. It is virtually impossible to reclaim your funds from
an unresponsive seller, or to prosecute fraudulent sellers in many countries.
- Consider alternative payment plans. Online payment solutions and escrow
services can offer protection against fraud to both the buyer and the
seller.
- Is the seller actually a business? Before giving your credit card
information to anyone, verify the seller's reputation through online
resources such as www.bbbonline.com,
or by visiting the seller's web site.
- We encourage you to make every effort to reach a conclusion that is
satisfactory to both parties, but keep in mind that you do not need
to send your payment unless you are comfortable with the information
provided to you by the seller.
- If you do encounter any problems with a seller, please make sure to
leave a rating on that seller's account indicating the problem, as well
as contacting us at uBid Customer Care
so that we may look into the problem and take the appropriate action.
uBid is not involved in transactions between sellers and buyers in the
Consumer Exchange, and does not own, warehouse, ship or otherwise manage
any inventory or goods offered by Consumer Exchange sellers. Instead,
Consumer Exchange sellers list their items directly, and assume responsibility
for all aspects of their auction listings, including product descriptions,
identification of quantities, establishment of starting and maximum bid
prices, and shipping. Once the auction closes, it is up to the buyer and
seller to make arrangements for payment and shipping. UBID CANNOT ENSURE
AND DOES NOT KNOW WHETHER THE SELLER WILL PERFORM AS PROMISED. ACCORDINGLY,
YOU SHOULD EXERCISE CARE IN ENTERING INTO ANY AGREEMENT WITH ANOTHER PERSON
IN THE UBID CONSUMER EXCHANGE. Consumer Exchange sellers' products are
not eligible for uBid's return policy.
|
|
|
