Yes. On eBid it is free to list your auction. After you have joined you will need to upgrade your account from Buyer to either Seller (free but card validation required) or Seller+ (security subscription required). Seller gives you access to our "Standard" auction format which is free to list with a 3% Final Value Fee. If you upgrade to Seller+ can use our "Free Auction" which has NO listing fees and NO fvf. See our Registration FAQ page for more details on upgrading your account. Seller+ subscriptions can be purchased for 7, 30, 90, 365 days or a Lifetime giving you zero listing fees and zero final value fees for life.

eBid has 7 (seven) forms of auction. They are all different in their own way, some are available to only Seller account type holders, some are available to only Seller+ account type holders. See below for a full explanation.

Auction Type? Thumbnail in Results Photo Top of Listings Featured Fee Reserve Fee BuyNow Fee Listing Fee Final Value Fee Standard (available to Seller eBidders only) N Y N $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 3% Platinum (available to Seller eBidders only) Y Y N $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.05 3% Free (available to Seller+ eBidders only) N Y N $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 0% Gallery (available to Seller+ eBidders only) Y Y N $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 2% Featured Y Y Y $1.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 0% Frontpage Y Y Y $2.50 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 0% Happy Hour Y Y Y From $2.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 0%

You can also add "Extras" to your auctions to improve its visibility throughout the site. The cost is per posting of an auction.

Extras Name Fee Improvement Bold $0.07 The title of your auction will be bold on all category, subcategory and search result listing pages that it appears on Highlight $0.18 The entire row of your auction will be highlighted on all category, subcategory and search result listing pages that it appears on Subtitle $0.15 Add a subtitle in small lettering under the main title on on all category, subcategory and search result listing pages that your auction appears on Extra Photo $0.05 Add extra photos to your auction page Extra Category $0.05 Show your auction within another category as well as your main chosen category

Simple answer is to click here and choose which category you want to place your item(s) into.. Then just follow the on screen instructions. You will be asked for things like auction title, a description, a photo if you have one, the starting bid price, reserve price, quantity etc...

All sellers must have Seller or Seller+ access, that means they must have a credit or debit card validated with us. We run these through the secure servers of Netbanx.com or PayPal to allow us to check the authenticity of the users selling on eBid. This cuts out fraud dramatically and stops sellers spamming the site with worthless auctions.

Click on "modify/delete" on the individual auction page for the auction you wish to change. Enter your details, some things cannot be changed once a bid has been placed.

The bid increment of your auction is the amount the minimum bid price is automatically raised by after each bid is made.

If the current price is between 0.01 and 0.99 this means the bid increment will be 0.05
between 1.00 and 4.99 => 0.25
between 5.00 and 24.99 => 0.50
between 25.00 and 99.99 => 1.00
between 100.00 and 249.99 => 2.50
between 250.00 and 499.99 => 5.00
between 500.00 and 999.99 => 10.00
between 1000.00 and 2499.99 => 25.00
between 2500.00 and 4999.99 => 50.00
between 5000.00 and 9999999.99 => 100.00.

You will be automatically sent the buyers full contact details by email when your auction reaches its end.

If you've been unable to contact the high-bidder by email, then you may, if you desire, contact the underbidders. If there are other bidders for your item, you can contact them in the order in which they appear in your item's bidding history. Please remember that many people don't access their e-mail daily, so they may not be intentionally ignoring you if you don't hear from them straight away. You can see the bidding history by logging into the members area and looking up the auction in question from the My eBid > Selling > Auctions I Listed section.

Click on "modify/delete" on the individual auction page for the auction you wish to change. Enter your details, some things cannot be changed once a bid has been placed.

You can check on your account by logging into the members area and clicking on the My eBid > My Money link, here you will see your live account details, with your current balance.

When posting your auctions we have three types of Description Editors available for entering and editing information : Plain HTML Box, WYSIWYG Simple and WYSIWYG Advanced. Your favoured method can be selected when posting auctions by using the dropdown menu in the 'Auction Description' section. You can also set your editor default in the my Defaults section. To do this go to My eBid - my Defaults (left hand side menu) and select your preference in the General Defaults section.

Plain HTML Box: If you already have HTML prepared then this can be pasted into Auction Description Area..

WYSIWYG Simple: This will enable you to get your auction up and running with the minimum of fuss. What you type into the description area is how the auction will be shown when the auction is posted. There are a minimum number of Tool icons available but sufficient to get a no frills auction on site quickly and efficiently..

WYSIWYG Advanced: Similar to the WYSIWYG Simple option but with far more editing and HTML options available to enhance your auctions..

The reserve price of an auction is the minimum price that the seller of the item is willing to sell the item for. This price should be above the minimum bid price. The auction will begin at the minimum bid price and once the bidding reaches the reserve price then the seller is obliged to sell the item placed for sale.

If an auction ends and the reserve price has not been met, both the seller and the high bidder are released from any further obligation to complete the transaction. The buyer must know that if they did not meet the reserve price, then as stated, the seller will not be willing to sell the item.

If you have your photo on your hard drive then upload to your Gallery when you are listing a new auction or go to My eBid at any other time.

If you have your photo on your digital camera then you will need to move it onto your computer before you can upload it. Check you camera's instructions for doing this.

Uploading a picture to your new auction is very simple. When posting your item, under the Photo section, click on the choose button then in the Image Upload Form you can show the location of your image. If the image is on your PC use the Image Location on Hard Drive section (use the Browse button if you need to find the location). If the image is stored elsewhere on the Internet use the OR Web Image Location to indicate the address. Files should be gif or jpg and should be below 4mb in size.

You can store your pictures on eBid in the ‘my Gallery’ section. To do this go to my eBid – my Gallery (right hand menu). Pictures may then be uploaded from the Internet. You can add a Title to your pictures to aid you in finding and filing your images. Please ensure the file is gif or jpg and below 4mb in size. Once your pictures have been uploaded to your Gallery they can be added to your auctions as required. When you are posting an auction, under the Photo section hit the Choose button and the listings in your gallery will be shown. Simply click on the relevant image and this will be added to your auction.

A Dutch Auction is an auction in which the seller has multiple identical items to sell. When starting a Dutch Auction the seller must enter the quantity, starting bid (reserve price is not used) and bid increments. All winning bidders pay the same price, which is the lowest successful bid.

Bidders must specify both a bid price and the quantity they want to buy. Proxy bidding is not used in Dutch auctions. Again, all winning bidders pay the same price, which is equal to the amount bid for the last item of the collection.

Example:

Say there is a dutch auction for ten identical items..
Let's say at the end of the auction there have been four bidders...

the first bidder bid $3.00
the second bidder bid $4.00
the third bidder bid $5.00
the fourth bidder bid $6.00

At the end of the auction the four winning bidders each pay $3.00
(this is the lowest amount, in this case $3.00)

Now lets say (using the same senario) the dutch auction
was only for three identical items...

only the second, third and fourth bidders would be winning bidders
and they would all pay $4.00

the first bidder would have had to bid a higher amount before the auction ended to stay in the running (because there were 4 bidders and only 3 items).

Remember, all successful bidders will pay the same price, which is the lowest successful bid.

Finally, remember demand must exceed supply for the starting bid to go up and even then most users win the items they bid on at the minimum asking price but the only way to be assured of being a winner is to make sure you are not the lowest bidder.

Different levels of access give members different facilities. For more details view our Registration, Upgrading and Logging in FAQ page.

Everytime a member has been involved in a successful auction they are expected to leave feedback on the counterparty. You have an option of leaving either Praise, Neutral or Negative feedback along with any comments you have about your experience with this member. This will give other members of the community an insight into the trustworthiness and reliability of this individual. To leave feedback you need to go to your own eBid login area and click on the "myFeedback" section.

BuyNow allows you to list an item with a 'BuyNow' price above your specified reserve and starting price. If a potential bidder elects to use the 'BuyNow' price they will have to pay a premium. By paying the BuyNow premium the buyer is Guarenteed a successful purchase of your item. If the BuyNow feature is elected, the item listing will close immediately and will not enter into an auction type bidding war.

'BuyNow' will only be available during the opening period before any bidding activety has started. BuyNow is only available Seller+ members. You can also use the BuyNow facility on its own without bidding facilities by choosing the Fixed Price method of selling..

Seller+ account type holders can download the eBid Spreadsheet the My Bulk Upload section of My eBid. Auctions are normally uploaded within the hour.

Your auction will be shown with in the correct category with normal profile exposure. You are allowed a photo on the auction page but you will only see a small camera icon in the left column on search result and category listing pages. You are not charged a posting fee, a final value fee of 3% will be charged.

A Platinum Auction allows Seller account type holders access to all the features that Seller+ account type holders receive for nothing. This includes BuyNow Price (and therefore also Fixed Price and Run Until Sold), Video, Auto Extend, Custom Start Date, Custom End Date, Gallery Picture in Search Results, Cross Promotions and Integrated Checkouts. A small listing fee is charged and also the normal final value fee when an item sells. Seller account type holders can upgrade their account to Seller+ status to receive all these features for free..

Your auction will be shown with in the correct category with normal profile exposure. You are allowed a photo on the auction page but you will only see a small camera icon in the left column on search result and category listing pages. You are not charged a posting or final sale value fee.

Your auction will gain more coverage than a free auction with a thumbnail image of your product showing in search result pages and category listing pages. You will be charged a small posting fee if you make a sale. You will not be charged a posting fee and you will not be charged a final value fee if the item doesn't sell.

Featured Auctions are shown at the top of your allocated category and subcategory pages, in their own section above all the free and gallery auctions. They include a thumbnail in the search result and category listing pages. If you opt for "on first bid" or "run until sold" the auction will remain as a featured for 60 days before becoming a normal listing.

This will give your auction listing a high profile exposure on the Front page for a day before showing as a "Featured Auction" listing which will give you coverage at the top of subcategory and category listing pages with a thumbnail image.

Happy Hour Auctions are auctions that are given pride of place on the front page daily and have maximum exposure throughout the day until the auction begins at 6pm. All Happy Hour auctions have No Reserve and bidding starts at $10.00. Once the auction has started bidding is normally very active and continues until the close at 10pm the same day (4hr auction). Happy Hour auction listings are highly prized and there is only 20 places per day. There is a small fee to list an item as an Happy Hour auction. They are also shown with a thumbnail image at the top of your allocated category and subcategory pages. Book early and get up to 90% off the featured fee.

If you have had a bad experience with a member in the past and you do not wish them to bid on your auctions you can enter their name into your 'myBlackball' section of your login. This has the effect of stopping the member from being able to bid on your auctions. Hence, the user is 'blackballed'

Electing an 'on first bid' auction listing means that once you have posted the item for auction the auction clock will not countdown until a bid has been made. If no bid has been made within 180 days the auction will expire

Auction results are available with the "My eBid" section. Members can login by clicking on the login here button that is visible on all pages within eBid.

To keep eBid as clutter free to allow genuine sellers a clean and efficient marketplace in which to trade, we ask all sellers to not break our posting rules.

If any of your items cross this boundary, ALL your auctions will be deleted without notice and your account placed on hold. When you try and login while your account is on hold you will find you are locked out. To remove this ban, please email us using our contact form from the HelpDesk index page stating the item(s) you posted to create this ban and that you will not post such items any more. Please do not email us asking us what you did wrong, a simple apology will re-open your account almost immediately whereas a long winded email conversation will waste ours and your time.

If you state you will refrain from posting banned items and are caught a second time, the same will happen.

If you are caught a third time your account will be locked on a permanent basis. It is up to you to read the posting rules and abide by them, users are told about the posting rules when they start an auction. "I didn't realise" won't be a vaild excuse!

Continuous negative feedback will also see your account placed on hold. Always make sure your first feedback is positive otherwise your account could be investigated.

Holders of multiple accounts will also be placed on hold.

Suspected bidders on their own auctions (shilling) will see their accounts placed on hold.

Users with incomplete address details will be placed on hold.

Seller+ account type holders have the option to select the "Auto Extend" option when starting their auctions. If this option is chosen then any bids made within the last 60 seconds will extend the auction by 60 seconds to allow for more bids to be placed.

As long as you have upgraded to Seller+ you can open up to 5 eBid Stores straight away for no extra monthly fees.

Upload a logo, add a store title, create your categories and colours and set your store to "Online" and you are set. Upload auctions the same way you would normally and you will see an extra drop down menu allowing you to choose the category which the auction will be allocated to in your store.

All auctions in eBid Stores are shown as normal within our search result and category/subcategory browse pages.

To add alot of auctions to your eBid Store quickly simply download our spreadsheet from the My Bulk Upload section of My eBid and populate the eBid Store Category column. See question 18 also.

You can open subsequent stores for a minimal monthly fee of $1.99. If you set your subsequent stores to "Offline" you will not be rebilled at the end of the current month.

To save you time selling your books, dvds, cds and video games you can enter the barcode (UPC) or ISBN number. This will allow you to populate your auction with the data we already have on file for your product, like a photo, synopsis etc. We appreciate users entering the details of the product they are selling if they cannot locate the product already in our database.

If you check out the My Defaults section of My eBid you can add defaults to almost any field of the listing form. You can save different sets of defaults and also set up one set of defaults to show automatically when you go to the list new auction page. You will see each of your default sets in a dropdown menu on the list new auction page. You will also see a list of your previous auctions that you can choose from to populate the form with..

eBid has integrated checkouts for PPPay.com, PayPal.com and Google Checkout. To enable them for your buyers you must :

a. Add the relevant usernames to your "My Personal Details" page of "My eBid".

b. Tick the relevant payment option when listing an auction.

c. Be a Seller+ or a Seller and use the "Platinum Auction" option.

More details can be found on the After the Auction FAQ page..

SKU stands for Stock Keeping Unit. It is basically just somewhere you can place a code or unique identifer for the item you are selling to help you recognise it. Larger sellers may wish to use this to help them pinpoint the exact item sold after an auction closes if they have many similar auctions with similar titles..

A Private Auction is only available when listing in the Adult category. It allows your bidders to bid without showing their usernames. Tick the box on the listing form to enable this.

Run Until Sold is available for Fixed Price sales (sales which only have a BuyNow price and do not have any bidding facilities). If you have say 10 items up for sale on a on a Fixed Price sale then this auction will run until all items are sold. It does not have a fixed ending time. Available to Seller+ only.

Fixed Price means that there is only a BuyNow price for this auction, there are no bidding facilities available. If you choose to use the Fixed Price method then this also opens the option to use the Run Until Sold method for ending your auction, see above. Seller+ only.

Yes, Seller+ eBidders can use the Custom button on the listing page to popup a calendar to choose the exact day and minute to start your auction, the calendar should show right next to the button, scroll up a little if you don't see it.

Yes, Seller+ eBidders can choose in days, hours and minutes exactly how long to run their auctions for. Work out how long from now you want it to close and insert the correct figures. For even more accuracy use this in conjunction with a Custom start time to pin point to the nearest second the time to close your auction.