uBidWhere you win at paying less

Frequently Asked Questions

New Users:

How do I contact you if I have a question?

Please see our Contact Us page. If you have registered please be sure to provide the e-mail address associated with your uBid.com account and a listing number if you are inquiring about a specific auction.

I am new to uBid: Where do I start?

Everyone is invited to browse or search through our auction categories and listings for items on UBid.com. If you see something you would like to bid on you must first register by creating an UBid account, if you do not already have one. Don't worry! Account creation is free and easy!

The Login or Register page will ask you to enter an e-mail address, password, and your birth date. Your registration will create your UBid account which can be used to bid on auctions as it will also allow you to access information about your subscriptions, newsletters, and other personalized content.

What is UBid’s Privacy Policy?

uBid is fully committed to protecting your right to privacy within our on-line auction community. uBid expects all members to respect and protect the privacy of others. The release of any members' personal information for reasons other than those specifically provided for within the uBid Privacy Policy is prohibited. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with our Privacy Policy and contact us if you have any concerns or questions about privacy issues that may affect you.

Registration:

May I browse listings without registering a uBid account?

You may browse as much as you'd like without signing up.

How do I create an uBid account?

It takes just a few minutes. To complete the process, you will need to provide us with your name and email address, and create a password.

You can change your user-specific Password at any time by editing your User Information in My Account. You may Register now.

Why did my screen "refresh" after I submitted my registration information?

Your cookies have probably been disabled! Cookies are enabled through menu options in your internet browser. If your cookies are disabled, you may not be able to access some features of this site.

Below are directions on how to enable cookies on the most popular browsers supported by the uBid.com site:

  1. Internet Explorer Version 9
    1. Click on the Tools menu and select Internet Options
    2. In the Privacy tab, the bar on the right slides up or down, setting the cookie level
    3. Configure your browser to accept cookies, at your preferred level
  2. Firefox (PC)
    1. Click on the Tools menu
    2. Select Options
    3. Click the Privacy tab
    4. Check "Accept cookies from sites"
    5. Click OK
  3. Firefox (Mac)
    1. Pull down the Firefox menu and select Preferences
    2. Click the Privacy tab
    3. Check the "Accept cookies from sites" box
  4. Safari (Mac)
    1. Pull down the Safari menu and select Preferences
    2. Select the Security tab
    3. Configure your browser to accept cookies, at your preferred level.
  5. Safari (PC)
    1. Pull down the Edit menu and select Preferences
    2. Select the Security tab
    3. Configure your browser to accept cookies, at your preferred level.
  6. Chrome
    1. Click on the Tools menu and select Options
    2. Choose the Under the Hood tab
    3. Configure your browser to allow cookies, at your preferred level.

DISCLAIMER REGARDING CHANGING YOU COMPUTER'S CONFIGURATION

Any change you make to your configurations is at your own risk. In no event shall uBid.com.com or any other uBid.com entity be responsible or liable for any damage, failure, interruption or error to your computer, software and/or operating system with respect to any changes made based on the above suggested configurations.

Do I have to enter my credit card information when I Register?

The registration process does not require you to enter your credit card information. You will be prompted for this information before you place a bid for an item. You may also go to Account to enter your credit card information at any time.

Why can't I have a PO Box as my Mailing Address?

Auction items cannot be delivered to P.O. Boxes. We require a street delivery address to ensure your items reach you.

What do I do if I have forgotten my password?

If you forget your uBid.com account password, click on the Login button at the top of most uBid site pages. Then click on the Forgot Your Password link. On the following page, enter the email address associated with your UBid Site account for us to send you a new password. Check your email for the password that we have sent you. Use this new password to log in to uBid. After logging in, we recommend changing the password to the one that you would prefer.

Why do I need to register with the uBid?

By registering with uBid, you are letting other members know that you will participate in an honest and professional manner. You must provide us with valid contact information so that we may contact you regarding your uBid.com Site purchases.

What does it cost to register?

There is no cost to register on uBid.

Do I have to buy anything after I register?

No. Registered users are not obligated to buy anything on uBid.

Can I update my registration information?

uBid members are expected to maintain valid accounts by keeping their contact information (e-mail address, mailing address, and phone number) up-to-date. This is a vital aspect of creating an honest and secure trading environment for uBid.com Site members.

If your contact or payment card information changes, simply update it from the Account section.

What is my Watch List?

You can use the uBid Watch List feature to keep track of the items you're not yet ready to bid on, but want to monitor closely so you can bid on them when you are ready.

On each auction listing page there is a link called Add to Watch List. Click on that link to add an item of interest to your Watch List.

You can review the full list of items you're Watching at anytime by following the Watch List link from your Account page.

Bidding:

How can I submit a Bid?

After you review the Listing Information for the item that interests you, click on Place Bid and follow the directions to enter and confirm your bid.

We accept bids submitted via our website, whether accessed via a computer or wireless device on the WAP version of the Auction site.

Is there a charge to place bids?

No. Browsing and bidding for merchandise on uBid.com is free. You are not obligated to buy anything on uBid after you have registered. You are welcome to drop by any time and look around. If you see something you would like to bid on you can do so quickly as a registered member.

Where do I checkout for my items?

Go to your Account section and within the Order History portion there is the checkout which is required for all purchases on uBid.com.

Do I need to use a credit card to bid?

No, you no longer need a credit card to bid. However, once you have won an auction you will be required to go through the checkout flow and add your credit card for payment. Your card will no longer be automatically charged upon close of auction. You will be required to checkout every time.

If you need to update your credit card information, you can do so at anytime from the section called Update Credit Card Info within the Account section.

How do I increase my Bid?

To increase your bid, you can do so by simply entering another bid on the auction.

I placed a bid. Why isn't it showing up on the item page?

There are four steps to placing a bid on an auction. You must complete all four steps in order for our system to record and display your bid in a listing's Bid History.

Click the Place Bid button on the listing page of the item you are viewing. You will be asked to Login, if you haven't done so already.

Enter your bid for the item, review your shipping address, confirm that you are 18 years or older, and click the Place Bid button.

Scroll down the Bid Confirmation page, review your bid information, and check it for accuracy. At this point, you will have the opportunity either to go back and modify or correct the desired quantity and Bid amount or you can submit your bid.

To place your confirmed bid click the Confirm my Bid button.

Once submitted, you will see information about your bid indicating the bid amount placed, and if your bid is currently the winning bid. To place additional bids, click the Place Another Bid button, which is located beneath the Bid History on the Summary page. You can then re-enter a new bid amount according to the "Next Bid" amount as currently shown on the listing page.

When reviewing an item's Bid History after having placed a bid, you should reload, or refresh, your browser so that it displays the most current information.

I have confirmed my bid, but it tells me it is invalid. why?
There are two reasons why a bid may be considered invalid:
  1. You have entered an invalid value in the "Bid Amount" field. Make sure that your bid amount contains only numbers and decimal points, i.e. 45.00 Do not enter any dollar signs ($) or commas (,) into the Bid Amount field.
  2. Your bid amount is less than the "Next Bid" value. Make sure that your bid is equal to or greater than the current "Next Bid" value shown on the listing page.
Why doesn't my bid show up online after I bid?

The Bid History should show your bid as soon as it is entered. If it doesn't appear, you may be viewing an old version of the page. Try clicking your browser's "refresh" or "reload" buttons.

The Listing page updates 10-20 seconds after you make your bid to reflect the new Current Bid.

Is my Bid amount visible to others?

Yes.

How will I know if my bid is no longer a winning bid?
We will send you an e-mail when your bid is no longer a winning bid. However, there can be unpredictable delays in e-mail transmission. We suggest that your regularly visit uBid.com to check your "Bid Status" in Account.
Why did a bid from earlier today beat my bid?

If the same bidding amount is entered, the bid placed earlier in time takes priority over all bids at the same price. It can be to your advantage to get an initial bid in as early as possible to ensure time priority at your bid price.

Why does the number of Bids on the listing information page display more Bids in the table than are listed after I click the Bid History link?

If the Number of Bids in the listing info table lists more bids than are listed in the Bid History of the item, it is probably because one or more of the bidders have at one point during the auction increased and initial bid. Every bid made, whether it is an initial bid by a user, or an increase, is recorded in the Number of Bids.

How are bids displayed within the Bid History list?

The Bid History list only displays the current winning bid amount and losing bids manually entered by bidders.

Do all auctions close at exactly the scheduled closing time?

No. uBid's Overtime feature works together with "Maximum Bid" to ensure that bidders will always have a chance to challenge bids placed in the final minutes of an auction. When indicated on a listing page by the "Or Later" link, if a bid is placed during the last 5 minutes of an Open or Reserve Price auction, the auction will be automatically extended for an additional 5 minutes from the time of the latest bid. You will have to refresh the listing page to get the most updated bid information for each individual listing. The auction will close once all bidding activity has stopped for a period of 5 minutes.

Can I retract a confirmed Bid?

Confirmed bids may only be retracted under special circumstances and require that you submit a formal request to retract, as described below.

Once you have submitted your confirmed bid, it can only be retracted under the following circumstances.

  • You made a typographical error when placing a bid amount.
  • New item information added by the seller changed your understanding of the item for which your bid was placed.

To make a formal request to retract a confirmed bid, you must contact Customer Service. Please include the item listing number and the reason for the retraction. No bid retraction requests received less than 24 hours before an auction closes will not be processed regardless of the explanation. All bid retraction requests received without a valid explanation will be denied. Bidders who retract their bids may not place new bids on that item unless you made a typographical error when placing a Bid amount. All bid retraction requests will be accepted or rejected at uBid's sole discretion.

What is a Dutch Auction?

A Dutch Auction occurs automatically when a seller has multiple, identical items offered for sale. The seller specifies the minimum price (the Opening Value) and the number of items for sale. Bidders can then bid at or above the minimum price for the quantity of items they would like to purchase. At the close of the auction, all winning bidders purchase the items at the same price, which is the lowest successful Bid.

How are winning bids determined in multi-item listings?

In some auctions, a number of identical items are offered for sale at the same time. When the listing closes, the highest Bidders win the available inventory. Bids are sorted in order with priority given to price, the quantity bid for, and then finally to time a bid was placed. The time of a bid is determined by uBid’s records. If bids are tied for price, the Buyer who has bid in the greater quantity wins. If there are two bids at the same price for the same quantity, the early bid wins.

Why did a bid for more items at the same price beat mine even though I transmitted my bid first?

Bids are given priority based on the following characteristics: price, quantity, and finally time placed. As an example, if you bid $50.00 on 50 units and someone else then bids $50.00 on 100 units at a later time, the second bidder will be winning for all 100 units. If you then raise your bid to $60.00 for 50 items, you will be winning for 50 units (at $60.00) because your price is higher. The second bidder will then be winning for only 50 units at $50.00.

It appears as if someone is intentionally overbidding himself. Why is this happening?

In some cases, it might appear that a single bidder is bidding against himself. For instance, the same bidder A might bid $10, $12, $14, $16, and so on. Nothing fraudulent is going on! Most likely, you or bidder A is causing this effect by bidding against bidder B's "Maximum Bid". Bidder A is trying to find the point where his/her Bid will outbid the maximum bid being increased by proxy on each bid. At the time the maximum bid price of the bidder B is exceeded, the new bidder A will have a winning bid.

I appear to have been overbid by an amount smaller than the bid increment. How has this occurred?

When a bidder places a "Maximum Bid", that bidder may have entered a maximum bid that is higher than your bid, but at a smaller bid increment because at the time the maximum bid was placed, it was in an amount far greater than the required increment. In this case, the bidder using proxy bid will be winning at exactly their maximum bid.

Example: An item has a bid increment of $2.00. The current winning bid is at $30.00. You bid $49.00 (Maximum Bid) and Bidder B bids $49.01 (also a Maximum Bid). In this case Bidder B will be winning at exactly $49.01 even though it appears to not meet the minimum increment. It was more than the bid increment when he placed the bid. The bid was only at $30.00 so a bid of $49.01 is a $19.01 bid increment.

What is a Fixed Price auction?

Fixed Price Sale listings or "Buy it Now" auctions have a fixed price set by the seller. Buyers simply choose to buy the item at that price. Fixed Price listings will remain active until all items have been sold or the close date and time set by the seller has been reached.

What is an Open auction?

In an Open Auction, buyers bid until the auction ends. The item is then sold to the highest bidder at the end of the auction period. There is no reserve price in an Open auction. The seller must sell the item to the highest bidder. Bidding can start as low as the Opening Value (minimum price or starting amount) of the auction.

Once the auction closes, email notification providing contact information is sent to the buyer and seller automatically so that arrangements for payment and shipment of the item can be determined.

What is a Reserve Auction?

In a Reserve Auction, the seller sets the Reserve Price, which is higher than the Opening Value. A reserve price allows the seller to initiate bidder interest and determine the fair market value of an item. If the seller has set a Reserve Price you will see either a "Reserve NOT MET" or "RESERVE MET" message on the listing page depending on whether the current bid is below, or at or above the reserve.

RESERVE NOT MET- The current amount of the highest bid is below the reserve price and the item will not sell at auction close.

RESERVE MET - The current amount of the highest bid is equal to, or greater than the reserve price and the item will be sold.

If the highest bid at the auction close does not meet the seller's Reserve Price, the seller is not required to sell the item unless the seller chooses to do so. In this case, the seller will have a period after the auction close in which to contact the highest bidder whose offer was below the reserve price. Bidders who are contacted under these circumstances, however, are under no obligation to purchase the item.

Why does a seller use a Reserve Price?

In a Reserve Price auction, the seller starts the auction at a value below the lowest price at which she/he is willing to sell (the Reserve Price) to capture the bidder interest. This way, the bidders are not forced to bid at fair market value from the start of the auction. Also, many sellers prefer Reserve Price auctions when they are not sure of the market value of an item, and want to find an audience by enticing multiple bidders' interest.

Why is my Bid not winning when it is the Current Highest Bid?

If you have bid on a Reserve Auction, your bid may be below the Reserve Price. Even if you are the highest bidder in a Reserve Auction, you may still be losing if your bid does not match or exceed the Reserve Price. At the close of the auction, you will see either a "Reserve NOT MET" or "RESERVE MET" message on the listing page depending on whether the current bid is below, at, or above the reserve price.

How can I view all bids I've submitted?

Go to Account and select Bid Status. From here you can view all live auctions (winning or losing) in which a bid has been placed, as well as closed auctions that you have won.

Where can I monitor my bidding activity?

You can monitor all of your bidding activity from within the Bid Status section of your Account.

Why did Real Time Bid Refresh automatically deactivate?

Real Time Bid Refresh is set to automatically deactivate after 12 minutes of inactivity on a page that presents auction data such as Auction Time Remaining, Bid Count, and Current Bid Amount. This is to ensure that, in case an active browser session is forgotten and left open, users do not have fresh data constantly feeding into their active browser session and unnecessarily using up network data. When presented with the message “Real Time Bid Refresh is no long active on the site”, users can choose to click the “Reactivate” button, which will cause the system to resume pushing up-to-date auction data into the active browser session, or users can click “Cancel”, which will prevent Real Time Bid Refresh from reactivating on the current page. Note: if a user chooses to click “Cancel” when presented with this message, they will NOT be shown the most up-to-date auction data, or any new bid activity placed on the listing by other customers. However, manually refreshing the browser window OR clicking through to a new auction page will cause Real Time Bid Refresh to reactivate automatically.

What is Real Time Bid Refresh?

The Real Time Bid Refresh feature is in place in order to deliver the best possible online auction experience by presenting the most up-to-date auction information, including Auction Time Remaining, Bid Count, and Current Bid Amount. When a new bid is placed or an auction goes in to Bid Extend, the most recent auction information will automatically be presented on the screen without the need to manually refresh the current browser page.

What about Group Buy? How does that work?

A pre-determined number of units of the Group Buy item are available. Act fast to activate and spread the word to family and friends: If the number of people that activate the deal matches the quantity of the item available everyone that activated the deal gets the item! It's important to understand that the same moment that the deal is activated it also closes and no more offers are accepted. That means if we have only 150 Blu-ray players available in a Group Buy, no more than 150 Blu-ray players can be bought.

In the event that an insufficient number of participants agree to buy a Group Buy item at the advertised price within time that the offer is appearing on the website, the offer shall be withdrawn and no items shall be attributed.

After The Auction:

How do I find out if an auction has ended?

You can locate an auction you have bid on in 'Bid Status' under the Account section, or by entering the listing number, if known, from the Search page.

How will I know if I win?

We will notify you by email if you win; although you are responsible for determining if you have won by visiting the site and checking the status of your bid in My Account.

What happens if I win an auction?

If you are the winning bidder when an auction closes, uBid will send you email notification telling you that you have won the item(s).

You are responsible for returning to the uBid website to verify that you have won the auction. If you do not receive notice and believe you are the successful bidder, you must verify the auction status from the Bid Status in the Account section of the website. As a winning bidder, the primary payment card you have on file will be automatically charged the amount of your winning Bid plus any shipping, handling, and applicable taxes.

I won an auction but my item has not been delivered within the designated shipping window, what do I do?

Please send an email to Customer Service with the item listing number and any additional information you have regarding the order and request the shipping status.

Below are some common reasons for auction items not being delivered or shipped on time:

Invalid Credit Card. Please verify your credit card information by visiting your Auction Account. If your card number is no longer valid or the expiration date has passed please login to your uBid account and re-enter your credit card information by following the instructions below:

  • Select "Account" on the uBid home page
  • Scroll down and select "Payments"
  • Select "Checkout" and re-enter your credit card/billing information
  • Confirm Payment

Please Note: In order to successfully checkout for your auction items, the billing address for your credit card must match the billing address entered for your uBid account. If the billing addresses do not match, the transaction may fail at the close of the auction and the order will go unpaid. We cannot guarantee item availability if your card failed to clear after the auction close date.

If you have designated a P.O. Box in your shipping preferences this could be the reason for the delay as most carriers used by uBid and its partners do not deliver to P.O. Boxes.

What happened to my old account?

Unfortunately, we were not able to import old data when creating the new site so you must create a new account on the new uBid site. If you have any questions about your order history, please contact support@ubid.desk-mail.com

uBid.com Return Policies and Procedures

uBid.com Return Policy and Procedure

By placing an order on this website, you indicate that you have read and agreed to the following return policies and conditions. This return policy supersedes all other return restrictions listed on any auction page or listing.

Returns must meet one of the following Applicable Criteria:

  1. Reasons for Return:
    1. Broken/Damaged item
    2. Not as advertised
    3. Wrong item
    4. Missing items
    5. Buyer’s remorse*
    6. Broken/Damaged during shipment**

    * Some restrictions may apply and are subject to a 15% restocking fee.

    ** Contact Customer Care if package/product is damaged. A claim will have to be filed with shipment carrier.

  2. Must be submitted within 15 days calendar days from the day you receive the product
  3. RMA (Returned Merchandise Authorization) MUST be submitted to uBid’s customer service by emailing: support@ubid.desk-mail.com

Once RMA is submitted, the RMA will go through an approval process through our Customer Care Team to deem that the Reason for Return & detailed reason fit into our criteria. If necessary, they will reach out to you to get further information.

You will receive an email from Customer Care informing you the status of your RMA:

  1. If approved you will be given a prepaid FedEx label to return the product. In addition, you will be informed of the credit amount that will be returned to your credit card after the item has successfully been shipped back and received by the 3rd party vendor.
  2. If not approved, you will be informed by the Customer Care team with the reason that the RMA was declined.

Next steps

  • All items must be returned in the original condition and packaging. Specifically: packaging materials, CDs, warranty cards, parts and accessories, promotional items, manuals, and all other documentation provided.
  • Copyright items such as DVDs, pre-recorded videos, video games, etc. must be unopened. If defective, you may exchange these items for the same title. If we are unable to replace the item, your account will be credited.
  • There are no returns on travel packages.
  • Products must be returned with all standard certification labels intact and legible (UPC code, barcode labels, etc).
  • Serial number on returned product must match serial number on record with uBid.
  • Products must be returned to uBid in original manufacturer’s packaging with a qualified external shipping container to eliminate possibility of shipping damage during the return transport.

Once the product is accepted by the vendor, our system will issue a credit to your card.

Do you ship outside the U.S.?

No, at this time uBid only ships to U.S. addresses.