Do I Have to register?

If you would like to take part in the auctions located on our site then you will need to register.

NOTES -
During registration please put your USPS mailing address in address line 1 and your PHYSICAL address in address line 2 if they are different.

This is because we can not ship large items to a USPS mailbox! Failure to do so may result in a delay of you getting your item.

Thank you

How do I register on Bargainsandfun.com?

Registration on Bargainsandfun.com is fast, FREE and easy!

1. Follow any registration link on our site
2. Fill in the registration form
3. Confirm your e-mail address

YES, Thats all there is to it!

What if I dont get my Registration Email?

Well this can be caused by many things and we recommend the following.

1. If it has not been 10 minutes please wait as our mail servers may be operating a little slower than normal. This could be very true if alot of new customers are signing up all at once.

2. Check your spam/junkmail folder in your e-mail program.

3. Try having us resend your registration e-mail - You may get an error that says your e-mail address is not found in our system. If this happens then your e-mail address was entered incorrectly when you originally registered. You should e-mail us right away and we will delete the account so that you can re-register. Requests can take up to 12 hours. We will not delete accounts that have been activated.

How do I bid on Bargainsandfun.com Merchandise?

After you have registered on Bargainsandfun.com you can bid on any of our merchandise at any time unless you have hit a win limit for that category. Here is the simplified procedure.

1. Log-in On Bargainsandfun.com
2. Purchase bids if you need to.
3. Find the item you wish to purchase.
4. Bid on the item and make sure you are the high bidder when the auction closes.


***NOTES***
Each bid will add a set period of time to the clock and allow others to bid on the item. It is best to use a bidbuddy or PowerBuddy as described in the FAQ bidbuddy and PowerBuddy sections otherwise you may be outbid at the end of the auction. If you have been watching an auction for a while your browser may have lost the connection to the site. We recommend if you intend to bid near the end that you refresh your browser and confirm that you are still logged into the site.

What is a Bid Buddy?

A Bid-Buddy is an automatic bidder used by someone to automate their bidding on our site. A Bid-buddy will wait until the last few seconds of the auction and begin bidding to ensure that he stays on top. If multiple bid-buddys have been booked on the same auction all of the bid-buddy bids will take place at one time, until all but one is exhausted. Each bid-buddy bid will be listed in the bid history as BID-BUDDY.

Bid-buddys will allow you to step away from your computer without the risk of losing the item in the last few minutes. Just make sure to give your bid-buddy enough bids to work with.

90% of auctions on other sites are won by using a bid-buddy

Bid-buddys can not be used in nail-biter auctions!

How do I book a Bid-buddy?

When you are logged into bargainsandfun.com you will see the "book bidbuddy" box on the top of every auction page. Use this box to book your bidbuddy for that auction.

BID FROM: This box must be higher than the current auction value. It tells the bidbuddy at what price you want him to start bidding. If your amount in this box is higher then the end price for the auction then your bid buddy will NOT bid. However bidding MUST go higher than this number for the bid buddy to function.

BID TO: This is the amount you are willing to spend on the item. It tells your bidbuddy when to stop bidding. If the price of the auction exceeds this amount your bidbuddy will stop bidding.

BIDS: This tells your bidbuddy how many bids he can use. Once he uses this set number of bids he will stop bidding.

After you have filled in the correct amounts just hit the "book" button and your own your way.

****NOTES****
1. You can always check the status of your bid-buddys on the auction page by clicking on the "bidbuddy overview" tab - OR - from your profile page by clicking on the "my bidbuddy" tab.
2. A Bidbuddy can ONLY be deleted if he is NOT running. Once he has started bidding he will continue until either your price is met or he runs out of bids.
3. A Bidbuddy will not start bidding until his start price is met. If you set him to start at $1.00 and the auction ends at $.99 he will not bid and you will loose.
4. You must place a MANUAL bid on the auction PRIOR to setting up your bidbuddy!

How do I beat a BidBuddy?

Well unfortunately there is no straight answer to this question. Here are some ideas and tips that will help you but they may not work all of the time.

1. Book your own bid-buddy - since all bid-buddys will bid against each-other in the final seconds of the auction you can take out your opponents bid-buddys quickly by just setting up your own.

2. If you don't like bid-buddys then look for nail-biter auctions. These auctions do not allow the use of bid-buddys and all bids on them must be placed by an actual human being or by a PowerBuddy (unless the auction is also a NoPowerBidder Auction).

3. Just keep out-bidding it - If you keep bidding on an item eventually the other users bid-buddy will run out of bids or hit its preset high price. This means that when you outbid it - it will NOT bid again.

What is a PowerBuddy

A PowerBuddy is an automatic bidder used by someone to automate their bidding on our site. A Powerbuddy will bid whenever a bid is placed by another user, always keeping its user on top of the auction. If multiple Powerbuddys have been booked on the same auction all of the PowerBuddy bids will take place at one time, until all but one is exhausted. Each Powerbuddy bid will be listed in the bid history as PowerBuddy. 

Powerbuddys will allow you to step away from your computer without the risk of losing the item in the last few minutes. Just make sure to give your Powerbuddy enough bids to work with. 

PowerBuddys can not be used in No-PowerBidder auctions!

How Do I book a PowerBuddy

When you are logged into bargainsandfun.com you will see the "book PowerBuddy" box on the top of every auction page that allows it. Use this box to book your PowerBuddy for that auction. 

BID FROM: This box must be higher than the current auction value. It tells the PowerBuddy at what price you want him to start bidding. If your amount in this box is higher then the end price for the auction then your PowerBuddy will NOT bid. However bidding MUST go higher than this number for the PowerBuddy to function. 

BID TO: This is the amount you are willing to spend on the item. It tells your PowerBuddy when to stop bidding. If the price of the auction exceeds this amount your PowerBuddy will stop bidding. 

BIDS: This tells your PowerBuddy how many bids he can use. Once he uses this set number of bids he will stop bidding. These Bids will be removed from your account right away to ensure that you don't use them and leave him without enough bids. 

After you have filled in the correct amounts just hit the "book" button and your own your way. 

****NOTES**** 
1. You can always check the status of your bid-buddys on the auction page by clicking on the "PowerBuddy overview" tab - OR - from your profile page by clicking on the "my PowerBuddy" tab.
2. A PowerBuddy can ONLY be deleted if he is NOT running. Once he has started bidding he will continue until either your price is met or he runs out of bids.
3. A PowerBuddy will not start bidding until his start price is met. If you set him to start at $1.00 and the auction ends at $.99 he will not bid and you will loose.
4. You must place a MANUAL bid on the auction PRIOR to setting up your PowerBuddy!

How Can I Beat A PowerBuddy?

Well unfortunately there is no straight answer to this question. Here are some ideas and tips that will help you but they may not work all of the time. 

1. Book your own PowerBuddy - since all PowerBuddys will bid against each-other to maintain that top position only one will be left standing!

2. If you don't likePowerBuddys then look for No-PowerBidder Auctions. These auctions do not allow the use of PowerBuddys and all bids on them must be placed by an actual human being or a BidBuddy (unless it is also a nailbiter auction). 

3. Just keep out-bidding it - If you keep bidding on an item eventually the other users PowerBuddy will run out of bids or hit its preset high price. This means that when you outbid it - it will NOT bid again.

I won an Auction - Now what?

Well first let us say - Congratulations on the win!

After the auction closes and you are the winner the item will be moved to your "won auctions" tab in your profile (and you will be sent an e-mail). Follow this procedure to claim and pay for your item.

1. Logon to your account
2. Click on "Profile" at the top of the page
3. Click on the "Won Auctions" tab on the left
4. Click where it says "Click Here" in the accept/deny column for that item (this will bring up a new browser window.
5. Select Either "Accepted" or "Denied" from the drop-down box
6. Click the "Submit" button (this will close the pop-up window and return you to the previous page as well as update the item in your "Won Auction" Listings.
7. Click the "Make Payment" button
8. Log into your Paypal account and make the payment


Once you have completed these steps we will be notified that you have paid for the item and we will ship the item to you within the next 7-10 business days. Once the item is shipped we will e-mail you a tracking number for the item.

****NOTE****
You are only given one chance to Accept or Deny an item you have Won. If you hit the wrong button by mistake we will not be able to honor the auction as the item will be returned to inventory and relisted.

What if I dont want the item!

We realize that some people are just here for fun and dont want to purchase anything. We also realize that some people decide after the auction that they don't want what they have won. In that case follow the steps below.

1. Logon to your account.
2. Click on the "Profile" Tab at the top of the page.
3. Click on the "Won Auctions" Tab on the left.
4. Click the "Click Here" link in the accept/deny column for that item (this will bring up a pop-up window.
5. Select "Denied" from the drop-down box.
6. Click the "Submit" button (this will return you to the previous screen and update the item as "Denied").

****NOTE****
Once an item has been denied it will not be honored or available for purchase. The item will be returned to our inventory and re-listed.

What do I do if my Item arrives Defective or Broken?

If the item arrives and the packaging is damaged DO NOT ACCEPT THE ITEM. Tell the carrier that you wish to refuse it and they will return it to us. Once we receive the item back we will be gladly ship you a new on.

In the event that you have already accepted the item and later found it to be defective (within 15 days) here is our procedure.

1. Contact us by phone or e-mail and let us know the item is defective. We will issue you an RMA number as well as e-mail you a shipping label for the item.
2. Repackage the item in its original packaging and make sure that all original items including paperwork are included. (sorry but this is the only way returns are accepted)
3. Seal package and apply the shipping label we provided to the package.
4. Give the item to an authorized shipping agent or driver of the carrier that the label has been provided for.

Once we receive your return we will either send you another new one (SAME ITEM ONLY) or if one is not available we will refund the amount you paid for the item (INCLUDING BIDS).

****NOTE****
If you have had the item for more than 15 days you will need to contact the manufacturer of the item for repairs or service. All items come with manufacturers warranty unless otherwise specified in the auction listing.

Its not broken or defective I just dont want it!

If you did purchase the item and had it shipped but have decided you dont want the item here are the guidelines for a return.

1. Item must not have been USED.
2. Item must be in original packaging with ALL contents included.
3. You must have had the item for LESS than 15 days.

If all of the above criteria have been met then please contact us for a return. We will issue you an RMA number and you can ship the item back to us.

***HOWEVER***
1. There is a 15% restocking fee on non-defective return items.
2. You also will not receive a refund of any bids placed on that item.
3. Shipping for the return is at your expense.

I paid for the auction, but does not show it!

Depending on how you paid -

Paypal - There are several reasons that may have occurred. If you have a different email address in your PayPal account you have on our site. In any case, please contact us and we will look further into this matter.

Does Bargainsandfun.com Have Win Limits?

Yes,

 In the interest of being fair to all users and improve your chances of winning we do have win limits.  Limits are system wide and you will have a Daily(24 hours) Weekly (168 Hours) and Monthly (720 Hours) Limit.  All limits are for a rolling period and the oldest win will fall off first.

I have not won today but it says I have exceeded my Daily limit?

Unlike some of our competitors who base their limits on date our win limits are based on a period of time. The following example will help you understand.

Bob bids on and wins an auction that puts him at his win limit. This auction ended at 10:59:28 PM on Monday and recorded the victory. Bob would not be able to bid on any item again until Tuesday, 10:59:29 otherwise he would exceed his win limits. (this would be based on a limit of 1 per day - since the oldest win will drop off first Bob could bid sooner if the limit is higher than 1 per day)

- The daily limits are a 24 hour period

- Weekly Limits are a period of 168 hours

- Monthly Limits are a period of 720 hours

How are win limits enforced?

Due to some needed changes in our system we have also changed the way win limits will be enforced. 

We have removed Category Win limits from our system - This was done because there was allot of confusion as to what people could bid on.  So we removed the category limits and lowered the system limits. 

Effective Monday September 6th 2010 - Win limit enforcement will begin when you bid.  In the past we allowed you to bid on as many auctions as you wanted until you hit your win limit.  This gave you the best chance of winning an auction but also created other issues with bidder intimidation, and bidders bidding on multiple auctions at the same time and costing other users bids.  This change will record your bid on any live auction as a potential win and keep you from bidding on more auctions that would put you over your win limit until an auction you have bid on closes.

For example - Based on a weekly win limit of 6 - If you have 5 wins for the week and bid on an auction you will be prevented from bidding on any other auctions until that auction has closed (or one of your previous wins falls out).  This means that if you come on the site and bid on 2 auctions (provided you have 2 wins available for the day) you will not be able to bid on other auctions until one of them closes.

Can someone win more than 1 Beginners Auction?

Yes,

Because we wish to give you every opportunity to win available we do not block your bidding on any auction until you have won.  This means that if you bid on multiple beginners auctions prior to your first win and noone outbids you on those auctions.  YOU WIN!

What Forms Of Payment do you accept?

We Currently Accept The Following Forms Of Payment On Our Site!

• Paypal

What are your auction types and descriptions?

Bargainsandfun.com has several Auction Types. Below is a list of all auction types, how each one is different from a standard auction, and who can or can not bid on each type. We are always adding new types so check this page often.

Beginners Auctions: These auctions are for households that have never won anything on our site before. You can only bid on these auctions if you are a beginner and no one in your household has won anything on our site before. You can see if you have beginner status on your win limits page!

Blind Auctions: These Auctions operate as any other auction.  The difference is that you can not see who you are bidding against because everyone is assigned a RANDOM number.  Random Numbers are changed after the auction closes so that the next Blind auction will have different numbers.  After the auction closes the usernames will be displayed and if you have bid on the auction you will be able to see the history of all bidders and bids placed.  Depending on the other auction types included there may be other restrictions as well.

Charity Auctions (coming soon): These auctions benefit specific charities. The charity will be listed in the auction and ALL proceeds from these auctions will go to that charity. Bid value and final price will be sent to the charity in your name. Anyone may bid on these auctions!

Fixed Price Auctions: These auctions run as a standard auction. The difference is that when the auction is over the winner pays the fixed price for the auction instead of the bid amount. Higher or lower you still pay the fixed price. Your Price is Locked in and unless other restrictions are set anyone may bid on these auctions.

Inner-Loop Auction: Any auction can become an Inner-Loop auction at any time. To bid on Inner-Loop auctions you must have previously placed a single manual bid on that auction BEFORE it became an Inner-Loop auction. All other restrictions will still apply but after becoming Inner-Loop only those who have bid on the auction will be able to bid.

Inner-Loop2 Auction: Any auction can become an Inner-Loop2 auction at any time. To bid on Inner-Loop2 auctions you must have placed a single bid on that auction within the last 200 bids placed.

Inner-Loop3 Auction: Any auction can become an Inner-Loop3 auction at any time. To bid on Inner-Loop3 auctions you must have placed a single bid on that auction within the last 100 bids placed.

Inner-Loop4 Auction: Any auction can become an Inner-Loop4 auction at any time. To bid on Inner-Loop4 auctions you must have placed a single bid on that auction within the last 50 bids placed.

Naked Auctions: These auctions run as a standard auction. Regardless of how much the bidding goes up to the winner does not pay for the auction. Even the shipping charge is removed because we "take it all off". Anyone may bid on these auctions unless there are other restrictions set.

No Bid Butlers: These auctions do not allow the use of the Bid Buddy. However you can still use the Power Bidder! Other restrictions may apply for bidding in these auctions.

No Power Bidders: These auctions do not allow the use of the Power Bidder. However you can still use the Bid Buddy! Other restrictions may apply for bidding in these auctions.

Open Auction: These auctions are open to everyone and your win limits are not taken into account. Even if you have already hit your daily, weekly, or monthly limit you can still bid. They will, however, count against you on your win limits for future auctions.

Penny Pincher Auction: These auctions have an increase of 1 cent per bid. The normal bid increase is 10 cents. When you want to "pinch the penny" this is the auction you want! These auctions are open to everyone unless other restrictions have been set.

 

Reserve Auctions: These auctions have a set price at which they will start to count down.  Once that price is met the auction will become an "Inner-Loop" auction and the timer will start at 30 seconds. Since only those who bid on the auction PRIOR to the timer starting can bid, your chances of winning are greatly increased.  BidBuddies and Power Bidders May be placed in these auctions ONLY after the timer has started and provided they are not turned off for that particular auction. You MAY outbid yourself in these auctions until the timer starts to try and win the item without any competition. Win limits do apply and these auctions will add to your win limits.

Rush Hour Auctions: These auctions run for 1 week from the start of the auction. They run for an hour per day and close on Friday of that week. On Friday they will continue to run until they are done! Anyone can bid on these auctions unless other restrictions are set and listed in the auction.

Seat Auctions 1: These auctions require you to buy a seat to bid.  In Seat auction 1 auctions there is unlimited bidding to anyone who has purchased a seat.  But beware - You have to pay the final price on a Seat 1 auction.  Once the seats have all been filled we will send e-mails out to all who have bought seats and start the auction at 48 hours.  Seat auctions do not cost you bids from your account - just the seat price.  Seat auctions do not count against your win limits, nor do your win limits count against them.

Seat Auctions 2: These auctions require you to buy a seat to bid.  In Seat auction 2 auctions there is a limited number of bids you can use.  If you run out of bids you will be blocked from bidding any further.  With Seat Auctions 2 - there is no final price to pay when the auction is over.  The only bids you will lose for these auctions are for the seat price.  You do not have to buy more bids to bid on them.  Seat auctions of any type do not count against your win limits, nor do your win limits prevent you from bidding on them.

Screwball Auctions: Forget What you know about timers & bid prices with these auctions.  If the current bid price is over .10 the bid price can go up or down (randomly selected between .01 & .10) with each bid placed.  If the timer is above 30 seconds it will also go up or down with each bid placed (a random amount between 5 & 20 seconds).  Bid buddies & Power Buddies will operate as normal with a .01 increase and clock increase.

What are the timer increments?

Bargainsandfun.com has several timer increments and depending on the auction you are bidding on this can vary.  Each auction will have it's timer increment/increase listed in it. The Clock Icon directly next to the clock will tell you exactly what you need to know.

20 Second Auction: The auction timer will increase by 20 seconds after each bid is placed up to a maximum of 1:20.

30 Second Auction: The auction timer will increase by 30 seoncds after each bid is placed up to a maximum of 1:30.

What are BargainBucks?

BargainBucks are a form of currency on this site.  They can be used to pay for bids and won items provided the won item does not have a BargainBucks Value.

You can also send BargainBucks to a friend in a sort of Gift Certificate way!

How do I get BargainBucks

You can get Bargainbucks in a few ways!

1.  You can win them in an auction.  You can not pay for a BargainBucks Auction with BargainBucks though.

2.  You can buy a bidpack.  10% of the bidpack price will be credited to your BargainBucks Account.

3.  You can buy them.  You can purchase BargainBucks from the profile page.  You can enter any amount it does not have to be a whole number!

My Auction Price is Higher than my BargainBucks Amount - What do I do?

Don't worry this is an easy one.  First you need to figure out how much the item totals including shipping.  You can find this on the payment page right where it asks you how you would like to pay.

Now figure out the difference between that price and how much money you have in your BargainBucks Account.  Total - BargainBucks = Needed

Purchase The difference in BargainBucks from the Buy BargainBucks Page.

Complete you transaction with BargainBucks

Why Should I use BargainBucks?

There are several reasons you should use BargainBucks.  One of these reasons is it makes it easier on your Paypal account since you only have to do 1 transaction with us rather than several.  It will make your life and that of our accountant (who is pulling his hair out now) much easier.

At the same time this also saves Bargainsandfun.com money because we don't have to pay a seperate transaction fee for each item purchase.  Its a little step but over time will allow us to bring you allot more new products.

Quicker Transactions - Since all of the transaction details are handled directly on our site it is one click and done.  Items can be paid for or bids purchased much much quicker with this method.

Another reason - While not currently implemented and still in the testing phase - In the near future you will be able to purchase a bidpack using your BargainBucks Directly from the auctions listing page.  This will save you time and energy as well as help to prevent you from losing an auction because you had to go buy more bids.

Keeping a balance - Some people decide they are going to set aside a certain amount of money that they are allowing themselves to use over a certain period of time.  By keeping this balance on our site you know exactly what you have spent and what you have remaining.  Since you can use the money for both bidpacks and item purchases it will make things allot easier for you to track.