QuiBids 101
The 3 Biggest Mistakes Beginners Make
Users new to QuiBids often require some time and help before they completely understand our auction platform and start winning auctions. We here at QuiBids hate for any new user to struggle on indefinitely. We understand you can shop anywhere, so we want for you to succeed on our site and to enjoy yourselves doing it. So here goes a little article offering some tactical advice for you beginners. It’s natural to feel daunted going into your first couple of auctions, so consider this your plan of attack.
Let’s start with two scenarios typically encountered by new QuiBids users:
Scenario 1: Joseph Blow purchases $24 worth of bids in an attempt to haul in a new laptop. "This is great!” Joe says. “I'm going to score this laptop for $24 at most and save a ton of money!"
True to his last name, Joe spends all his bids on the laptop auction, but doesn’t walk away with a brand new computer.
"I don't like QuiBids!” Joe says. “I didn't get my laptop for $24 and lost all my money! I'm never coming back." The story ends sadly for Joe and QuiBids both, since he lost $24 and we lost a customer.
Scenario 2: Sally Shopper stumbles upon the QuiBids site, drawn in by the amazing low prices that QuiBids products sell for. “How hard can this be?” she says. “It doesn’t look much different from eBay. This’ll be fun!”
Sally buys a BidPack and dives into the action headfirst. She spends $10 before realizing that auctions reset every time someone bids. "That’s not how eBay works!” she says. “I can't believe I spent my money on some scam. Forget that!”. So ends another sad story.
We've heard countless stories like these two. Some of you might be able to relate. It really hits home to lose money. We don’t want anybody to walk away empty-handed like Joe Blow or Sally Shopper, who fell victim to three of the biggest mistakes that users make in their first experiences with QuiBids. They are:
1) Setting unrealistic expectations
We can't stress this enough, but users need to set realistic goals when participating in auctions. If someone is new to an online auction, he or she shouldn't expect to win a laptop on the first try with only the cheapest bid pack available. We’re not saying it couldn't happen... it could and it has. BUT, it is highly improbable. Know that you’ll be bidding against users with far more experience and that the odds are against you because of it.
While everybody loves an underdog, we encourage new users to start using the site by participating in smaller auctions. You’ve gotta crawl before you can walk, right?
2) Going for the big catch
It’s not wise to immediately go after the most popular item on our site. There are a lot more competitors vying for the popular products, and many of them are our highly skilled veterans. Once acquainted with the site you’ll then understand that going after popular products warrants certain measures to protect your bid investment. We recommend that you commit to only one such auction at a time and that you don’t get too involved without considering using the “Buy Now” feature (if you don’t win, that is).
Don't spread yourself too thin when bidding on the big-ticket items. Be willing to devote more time and money to increase your odds of winning. We find that any participant willing to spend about 1/3 of the value of the item in bids greatly increases his or her odds of winning the item.
3) Jumping right in
As with anything you invest your money in, do research before jumping into QuiBids entertainment retail auctions. Each auction is going to be different from the others, so read and understand our Terms & Conditions, familiarize yourself with the "Buy Now" option, the Bid-O-Matic tool and our pricing structure. We also recommend carefully watching other auctions to see how they unfold.
All this will help you to understand “the nature of the business," as well as what we strive to accomplish with our site. By limiting your understanding of the system, you are setting yourself up at a severe functional disadvantage.
As we always say, we offer a fun and exciting online auction experience for our customers. We think that a stronger grasp on the QuiBids system will help enrich your experience and facilitate a better, more fun shopping experience.
Comments (44)
slimdogg Says:
How long am i considered a beginner?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Until you win your first auction.
Ezygoin686 Says:
Okay, let me get this straight. We buy bids in order to bid then if we win there is an additional charge for the item and you loose the money you spent to bid. I am new and just saw your site talked about on the news tonight. I appreciate your help.
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Sure thing. The bids you buy are put into your account, so they are pre-paid every time you go into an auction. Let's say you bid on a $100 item, you put forth 10 bids and the ending price is $12.90. If you win, you've technically spent $6 in bids and then you pay the ending price of $12.90 which totals $18.90, plus any shipping. Shipping just varies per item. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact our support at support@quibids.com.
mauricesmom Says:
Sooo, since each 'penny' bid purchased costs $.60, it's not a penny auction, but a 60 cents on the dollar auction, correct? And if someone wins, say, a MacBook Pro for $50.00, it's actually costing him or her $300.00? Am I understanding this correctly?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Hmm... not exactly.Let me explain.Penny auctions get the name from the items starting at zero and going up in each of its respective penny increments of: 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents or 10 cents.Each bid costs you $0.60.If someone buys a MacBook Pro for $50, they get the MacBook for that amount. In addition, they could've placed either 5 bids ($3) or 50 ($30) to win the auction. it actually just depends on how many bids were placed.
gwydion Says:
I can't seem to find this answer . . . at what point does an auction end? I understand you add time until you make the cost of the item. Does time stop being added in once you cover the cost or at a certain percentage over cost? Seems like it could keep going on forever.
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Time is only added when people bid. An auction ends when no one else bids, and that last bidder then wins the auction. We don't let auctions go on just to cover our costs, therefore we end up losing on quite a few auctions. We keep it fair.
delcristo Says:
1 penny bid is $.60 cents so a 2 penny bid is $1.20 bid is my math correct or are 2 cents bids same as 1 cents bid in value. sorry i didn't major in math..
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
No problem. Every bid you place is always just $0.60. Doesn't matter the cent auction. Each item has its own cent increment (you will see that in the upper left hand corner of the item by a colored banner), that being 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 or 20 cents.Let's say you place one bid in a 2 cent auction. The price of the item will go up 2 cents respectively (per bid placed), but your bid is still only $0.60.Hope that helps!
fairy Says:
I just made a bid and it told me to confirm my E-mail address. How do I do that?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
You can confirm your account by going to your e-mail inbox, and finding the confirmation e-mail that we send out. Just click on the link provided in the e-mail and your account will be confirmed.
satanthecow Says:
if I win an auction, then forget to pay within 7 days, are my bids credited back to me?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
No, because bids that have been used in an auction cannot be refunded, as they determine the ending price of an auction. If you chose to not pay for the item, the order will simply be canceled.
davidperch Says:
What happens if I run out of bids in the middle of bidding for an item?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
You have then ran out of bids (you'll see at the top of your screen how many you have left). You will then have to purchase another bid pack to continue participating in that auction.
BiblioBlade Says:
are ther auctions going 24/7 or is it business hours?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
24/7
Danky16 Says:
So say you buy your bid package and then decide that QuiBids inst for you do you have to use these bids or do they get credited back to you when you deactivate your account
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Be sure to let support know at support@quibids.com. We will refund any unused bids, no problem.
rnoriega193 Says:
Okay, I'm trying to understand the "last bidder" concept. Does that mean that if I bid last within the last 10 seconds and nobody bids afterwards within those 10 seconds that I win? Or, does it mean that if I bid, the clock auto resets to 10 seconds, and it has to go the full 10 seconds without a bid for me to win?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
It will have to go the full 10 seconds without another bidder for you to win the auction (with you being that last bidder).
HMS3AIEA Says:
I understand the whole resetting of the clock thing as long as people continue to bid...so technically, an auction could continue on for an hour/hours after it has counted down to zero and continues to reset a few seconds as long as people continue to bid - is that right?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Yes, that is correct.
yitz1913 Says:
If i place a bid and i lose do i have to pay that money?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Just the bid(s) that you already placed. But those were already pre-paid. You wouldn't have to pay anything else on top of that.
sethn112 Says:
say i win a bid for $5.00,,, what else do i pay?? is there any hidin charges to look out for... like if i win the 5 dollar bid is that all i pay or is it more for the item after i win the bid
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
You can take into account the number of bids you placed, plus any shipping, which is standard. So let's say you bid on a $50 product. You got it at $5. You pay that $5 plus any shipping. If you put in 2 bids worth($1.20), in the end you wouldn't spent $6.20 total for the product, plus any shipping. The bids you use are already pre-paid, therefore no additional would be taken out at checkout. Just the $5, plus shipping.
louie8202 Says:
say if i win the bid. and its $23.00 for the playstation 3 so do i get it for $23.00 and shipping fee only so there for i would be getting it for just saying $43.00 is this correct?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
You will also take into account the amount of bids (pre-paid) you put for that auction. If you put in 20 bids ($12), then you'd get the PS3 for $35, plus shipping, whatever shipping is at that time.
americancurl Says:
What is the difference between a bid pack and a bid voucher?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Bid packs are bundles of real bids that are purchased for just $0.60 per bid. These are considered 'real bids' and are used during any auction. You are able to use the Buy Now feature with these bids only. Voucher bids are bundles that are either up for auction or given out via promotions. Voucher bids cannot be used towards the Buy Now. However, they do not count against the win limits, so users are able to win more.
narwhal91 Says:
When bidding on an item, do you just click the bid button and the bid is placed? Or are there any other steps?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
No other steps after you purchase your designated bid pack. Just click the bid button.
Jebbie0607 Says:
let's say I place 7 bids ($4.20 deducted) and win a bid for $25, but I only bought a 45 bid-book for $27.00. How do you get the remaining cost (S/H too). Would you charge my credit card I gave to buy the bid-book?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
If I understand you correctly, at checkout, you will then buy the product's ending price, plus its shipping. You would input your card info at that time, so you could use another card if you so choose.
nitroracer Says:
Ok im new here and have been watching some bidding i just wanna make sure i have everything right ... say i buy bids for 60cents a bid ok and by chance i win the item for say $20 and i made 5 bids .. i know each bid is 60 cents i make i only pay the $20 plus shipping correct ? the $3 is not added to the $20 im just deducted the 5 bids or $3 that i paid to bid .. some of the other questions kinda confused me but im pretty sure that how it works
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Yes, you are correct. Those 5 bids (or $3) you placed were already pre-paid and in your account. They would have been deducted respectively at the time of your bidding. So at checkout, you'd pay the $20, plus shipping.
sobrien331 Says:
If I just won an auction for 25 bid (beginner here), how can I tell when those bids expire?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Go to "My QuiBids" and click on "Bid Credit History." You will find information such as the date and time the bids were put into your account, a description, an expiration date (if applicable), a dollar amount purchased and the bids purchased.
liddlebigboy Says:
Is a running total of the number of bids I have remaining displayed for me while I'm bidding?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Yes, you can view your remaining bids in the top right corner of your screen near your username. Thanks!
CaustinH Says:
If you win an auction, how do you pay for the item?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
You can purchase your item by going to My QuiBids and clicking the Pay Now button next to the items picture under Recently Won Auctions.
elsdigi Says:
when a friend signs up i get 25 bids after their first bid purchhase. but what if it's been more than 48 hours after their purchase and no bids added to my account? what do i have to do?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
To refer a friends to QuiBids.com just go to your My QuiBids and select the Refer Friends tab in the column on the left hand side of the page. Then you can input their information. The system will then send them an invitation via e-mail. To sign up they just need to follow the link provided in the e-mail. Once this is done and they have purchased bids we can get bids credited to you! Please allow 1-3 business days for bids to be credited to your account.
SnowWhite11 Says:
When you win a bids voucher how does that work? Does it go straight to your QuiBids account?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Yes, when you win a bid package and pay the ending auction price and transaction fee then the vouchers will be placed automatically into your account.
lance1955 Says:
Once and Item is won, do you provide a tracking number? Thanks
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
As soon as tracking information is provided it will be listed on your MyQuiBids page.
MelodyLBeatt Says:
I've learned a few things since stumbling into QuiBids: 1) In my opinion, you're the best bidding store on the internet; 2) You have a greater range of all new products than other sites; 3) You ship almost instantly; and 4) I cannot lose as long as I only bid on products I want to buy. You do not let us overpay for a product, and as long as we use common sense and only bid on products we want to buy, it's impossible to lose. (There's even a web site that sells shipping insurance, so if you use this site often, you can get reimbursed for all shipping charges.) The biggest thing to watch out for (in myself) is power plays and ego -- slamming down bids unnecessarily because I'm in a "war" with another bidder. Stupid, stupid, stupid. It wastes bids and it's my fault. Also, I need to be picky about what I bid on, so i don't use my wins on something and then see something I really would like a shot at come along. Oh, one more thing to watch out for -- bidding when I'm too tired. I can't tell you how many auctions I've lost because I fell asleep for "just a second" and in that split second, the auction ended. Thanks, QuiBids. You've been researched, studied, picked apart -- and there's nothing wrong with you and a lot right.
Jamsband Says:
I hope your still around for your helpful answers. I understand how it works after reading and watching for a while now. I have a question that I assume I know the answer, but have not seen it happen: theoretically one could win an auction with one bid, coming in with the last bid and no one bidding after him, though not very likely, one could win with one bid at .60cents plus the cost of winning auction item. Does this ever happen?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Yes, that is very possible. If someone is the last person to place a bid in an auction then they win.
carl9391 Says:
Can I view some auctions before purchasing bid packs?
kmcmullen@QuiBids Says:
Yes, you can have an account for no charge. However, please keep in mind that QuiBids is a pay to participate auction site. You must purchase bids in order to participate in our auctions.
mara009 Says:
I'm in Australia you guys ship out this far or would will i be wasting my time in trying to bid and win?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Not at all! We now ship to Australia!
azreal01 Says:
I would like to purchase a bid pack, but i don't want to purchase 100 to begin with. This is the only option that i have been given and I'm new to the site and that seems too much for me to spend at first. Do you offer smaller bid packs and, if so, how do I get to the page that will let me purchase one?
kmcmullen@QuiBids Says:
The only bid package that we offer at this time is our Starter Bid Pack. After this initial purchase, you will be able to choose from a variety of bid packages.
JUMIRE Says:
Hi there, For Canadians... if we win an item, will it cost us the bids, the price at winning, taxes, duty, AND shipping and handling? If so, it won't really be worth it for me. Thanks, JUMIRE
jhayworth@QuiBids Says:
No, all of our users will need to purchase bids prior to bidding. However, Canadian users will not need to pay extra duty taxes for their items because QuiBids ships from Canada.
kevinhesson11 Says:
So when I wanna place my bid on this iPad 2 for 108.00 "bids" its really like paying $6480.00 for it? I'm a little confused? Because if 0.01 bids equals $0.60 then its a simple calculation to say that 108.00 bids multiplied by $0.60 divided by it's 0.01 "bid's worth" makes the purchase price of the iPad $6480.00 CAD...not lookin' good if this is correct
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
No, I think you are a little confused. Whenever anyone places a bid in an auction the auction price goes up by one cent. So lets say that in this iPad 2 auction you put five bids in the auction and you win the iPad 2 and the ending auction price is $108.00. All you will have to pay is $108.00 plus shipping on the iPad. Also, in this scenario you only spent five bids on the auction, so only $3.00 in bids.I hope this clears things up!
xmen2007 Says:
Wow I've been a member of Quibids for about 3 days now and I have won 9 items, one of which is retailed at $1,395 and spent probably 70 bucks including shipping. I wish I will not have issues with receiving the items I won. What is the normal turn around time for shipping items?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Wow that is great! It takes 7-10 business days to receive an item after it has been shipped.
branfam Says:
I am a newbie and have been reading your comments which have been very helpful! I am looking forward to using your site! My question is: if you bid on an item and lose, can you apply your unused bids toward the Buy Now option?
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Yes, you can always use the Buy Now feature on our website on an auction that you have participated in.
bsmart229 Says:
what if i place i bid and no one else place a bid could i win the item with that one bid even if the item cost is over $300
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Yes! That is a possibility, if you only place one bid in an auction and no one else bids you can win an item for as little as one bid!
kudos87 Says:
I joined up yesterday and a few hours later won a mac book pro for $26.49!!!!! So it can be done but you need to understand the psychology of the bidding process, practice on small things like bid packs are a great way to get an understanding.
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
That is great advice!
wajones542 Says:
When / If you win a bid on and Esso gift card or Canadian Tire gift card, how can you be sure it will work at your local Esso or Canadian Tire outlet? I see that everything is in CAD funds so i expect them to be Canadian gift cards....
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
Yes, all of our CAD gift cards are Canadian gift cards and will work at your local stores.
wilshun Says:
If an item is won at 50 bids and I place only one bid, which turns out to be the winning 50th bid, am I responsible for 50 bids ($30) or just the one bid I placed (.60)
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
The winner always has to pay the ending auction price. So if the ending auction price is $30 that is the price you would have to pay no matter how many bids you placed into that auction.
moosetalker Says:
Ff you win a Walmart gift card are they good in the US and Canada. jody
katiehern@QuiBids Says:
No, Walmart cards have a code that is country sensitive so they can only be used in the country that you purchased them from.
megera6 Says:
When you bid it resest the time, right? So does that time ever get shorter? Say I'm watcing a bid at it says 20 seconds, will it ever get shorter than that or does it remain at 20 seconds until the bid is over? If it does get shorter, how much time will it go down to? 10 seconds? 5 seconds?
eklyons@QuiBids Says:
Yes, the time does go down. This timer will move form 20 to 15 to 10 depending on the duration of the auction.
ajnole25 Says:
Hi, if I buy a beginners package of 100 bids do I have to use all or most of those before buying an additional package of say 300 bids so I have a total of 400.
eklyons@QuiBids Says:
You are able to buy bids at any time!
EsteCa Says:
what if something doesn't work when you buy it? Or is it a buyer beware?
eklyons@QuiBids Says:
If you receive a broken item, please contact support and we would be happy to look into that issue for you! You can contact support by sending an e-mail to support@quibids.com.
virbahu Says:
I think no one has asked this question so far.. what is the deal with the Badges, I mean how do they work and what is the benefit of buying the badges from quibids. In whole I want to understand the motive behind the Badges or how they are going to help someone bidding or buying from quibids. Do I have to buy a badge (spend my bids) in order to proceed from beginner to some other level, if yes, then why and if no, will it affect any of my biddings or give an edge to other bidders. Please let me know. Was reading through this section and I just won a small bid, really happy.. this site rocks..
eklyons@QuiBids Says:
You do not have to buy Badges. They are earned when you meet certain goals in your account and they have free bids attached when you claim them! You can view more information about badges in the 'Achievements' tab of your account.
mjh88 Says:
So there are no charges on your credit card aside from purchasing bids correct? No monthly fees, no subscription fees, only when you wish to purchase more bids? And there's no required amount of bids to have in your account to remain a user?
eklyons@QuiBids Says:
That is correct! There are no monthly or subscription fees. The only time your credit card is charged is when you authorize a transaction. There is also no minimum requirement for the amount of bids in your account to remain a user.