How live auctions work on Biddurs

Never bought at a live auction before? It takes about a minute to learn. Here's exactly how it works on Biddurs.

1. A seller goes live

A seller starts a show from their phone. No studio, no streaming software. They work through their lots one at a time, holding each item up to the camera. Sellers who use a proper camera and OBS run their show from the live console on a computer.

2. You ask, they answer

A chat runs alongside the video. Want to know if a toy comes with its box, or how big a rug is? Ask, and the seller answers on air before you commit. The seller can pin one message to the top of the chat, like the running order or a note about postage.

3. You bid

You have two ways to bid:

• Bid. One tap bids the next step above the current price. The server sets the exact amount, so if two people tap at once, both bids land at successive prices.
• Set a max. Tell Biddurs the most you'll pay. It then bids for you, one step at a time, up to that cap and never past it.

Every bid is a binding offer to buy, so only bid on what you want.

4. The sudden death clock

Each lot has a countdown. Every new bid tops the clock back up, so an auction only ends when the bidding truly stops. A seller can also call a last call. The clock drops to 5 seconds, and every bid after that resets it to 5 seconds, so nobody gets cut off. When the clock hits zero, the highest bidder wins at their bid price. The server's clock decides the winner, not what any one screen shows.

5. Payment

Payment is taken the moment the hammer falls, from the card saved to your account, processed by Stripe. You need a card on file before you can bid. If a payment is declined, the order is cancelled and the item goes straight back up for sale.

6. Shipping

Everything you win in the same show is combined into one order and ships in one parcel, with one postage charge. Sellers dispatch within 3 working days with tracked postage, and you get the tracking number by email.

If something goes wrong

Wrong item, not as described, damaged in transit or never arrived? Report it in the app and the Biddurs Guarantee puts it right. Every seller on Biddurs is a business, so you also keep your full legal rights, including cancelling within 14 days of the item arriving. The help page has the details.

Giveaways

Some shows run free giveaways. When the draw happens, a reel of tickets, one for each entrant, spins and lands on the winner. The server picks the winner, and everyone in the room sees the same reel. More on the giveaway reel

Safe and fair

Shill bidding and price manipulation are banned, and every bid is logged on the server. You can report a stream, a seller or a chat message from inside the live room. You must be 18 or over to bid.

Ready for your first show? Join the waitlist and we'll email you the day Biddurs opens.