Frequently asked questions
Short answers about what AuctionHub is and how buying, selling and deals work. The guides go into detail.
What is AuctionHub?
AuctionHub is an online auction marketplace where private individuals sell their own items to other individuals. A seller chooses a rising-bid auction, a Dutch (falling-price) auction or a fixed price, optionally with a Buy Now price and offers; buyers bid, buy or make offers; after a sale the two parties agree payment and delivery in a private deal room and rate each other.
Is AuctionHub a shop or an auction house?
Neither. AuctionHub is an intermediary only: it provides the listings, the bidding and offer engine, the deal room and the ratings. It does not own, inspect, insure, ship or guarantee any item, is not a party to any sale and does not hold payments. Every contract is made directly between the seller and the buyer.
What does it cost?
Buying is free on every plan and there is no commission on sales. Sellers choose a plan that sets how many listings they can create per calendar month: Free (5 a month, no charge), Basic (15 a month, 9.99 EUR / 11.99 USD per month) and Pro (unlimited, 24.99 EUR / 27.99 USD per month), billed monthly or yearly; a year costs 10 monthly fees. Paid plans are paid off-platform against a reference and switched on by an administrator; see the Pricing page.
Who can bid, buy or sell?
Anyone with an activated account can browse, watch listings and follow categories. Selling, inviting friends and sharing listings open once an administrator has verified the account, and so do bidding, buying and making offers. You see the status under Account.
How does automatic bidding work?
You enter the most you are willing to pay. The platform bids for you only as much as needed to stay in the lead, one increment above the next-highest bidder, up to your maximum. Nobody sees your maximum.
What is the soft close?
A bid placed in the last 120 seconds of an auction extends it so that at least 120 seconds remain. Last-second sniping therefore does not pay; the auction ends when nobody wants to bid any more. A seller may switch the soft close off; such a listing says "sudden death" and ends exactly on time.
What is a hidden reserve?
A minimum price the seller is willing to accept, invisible to bidders. The listing shows whether the reserve has been met; if the auction ends below it, nothing is sold. A seller may lower the reserve while the auction runs.
Can I retract a bid?
Only within 5 minutes of placing or raising it, and never in the last 12 hours of an auction; retracting removes all your bids on that listing. A bid is a binding commitment to buy at that price.
How do offers work?
On listings that accept offers you can propose a price. The seller accepts, declines or counters; an offer waits 48 hours and a counteroffer 24 hours for an answer. You can make up to 3 offers on one listing. An accepted offer is a binding sale.
How does a Dutch auction work?
The price starts high and falls in fixed steps at fixed intervals down to a floor the seller set. The first buyer to accept the current price buys at that price; with several units, the first acceptance fixes the price and the remaining units sell at it.
How do I pay and receive the item?
Payment and delivery are agreed directly between buyer and seller in the deal room that opens after the sale: either side proposes payment and delivery terms and the other accepts or declines. The platform does not process payments.
What if the buyer does not complete the deal?
If the deal is still not completed 3 days after the sale, the seller may cancel it, leave a cancellation record on the buyer's profile and offer the item to the next-highest bidder at that bidder's own maximum, who has 48 hours to accept.
How do ratings work?
After a deal each party may rate the other once, positive or negative with a short comment. Ratings and cancellation records are shown on public profiles so that buyers and sellers can judge whom they deal with.
Why must I confirm my e-mail address?
Registration sends an activation link valid for 48 hours; the account opens when you use it. This proves the address is yours, so a password reset always reaches the right person.
Who sees my phone number and e-mail?
Only a counterpart in a deal, and only if you allow it under Account › Profile › Privacy. Your location can be hidden on your public profile. The platform does not sell data to third parties.
In which time zone are times shown?
In yours. Every time is stored in UTC and shown in the zone you choose under Account › Profile; before you choose one, the platform uses your browser's zone or, failing that, your location.
Not answered here? Write to Bidalley <[email protected]>.