Guide to Online Auctions Welcome to MNBid.com and the online auction community! As you might have heard bidding and purchasing online is the fastest growing consumer activity. This means that people are finding great deals and you are about to tap into that market. There are some things to remember when purchasing online. You are purchasing from a single person not a company or corporation. So this means it is buyer beware. You should do your research before you bid. The rating system is only as good as the people who use it. MNBid.com does watch what is happening on its site but cannot protect you from some problems. You may what to use companies like Pay Pal or i-Escrow to send and receive payments. They are for e-commerce sites and could make your purchase simpler. MNBid.com is a Minnesota auction community it does not exclude people from outside Minnesota but it likes to bring the comfort of Minnesota being ranked in the top 5 most livable places to live. Having the person that you are purchasing an item from within hours, not days, increases the chance that you will be satisfied with your product. The following is some of what the Federal Trade Commission suggests you follow when buying online: If you're looking for a hot collectible or simply a good deal, online auctions may appeal to you. But before you place a cyber-bid, consider how online auction houses work. Like a traditional "live" auction, the highest bidder "wins." That's where the similarity ends. Because an online auction house doesn't have the merchandise, the highest bidder deals directly with the seller to complete the sale. If you're the highest bidder, the seller typically will contact you by e-mail to arrange for payment and delivery. Most sellers accept credit cards or use a third-party escrow agent to collect your payment. Follow these tips before you bid in an online auction: Try to pay by credit card. If you don't get the merchandise, you can challenge the charges with your credit card issuer. Ask about using an escrow agent or paying by COD. Be aware that most escrow services charge a fee. Once the buyer and seller agree, this service will hold your check in escrow until you confirm receipt of the merchandise. If the merchandise never arrives, your check is returned. Verify the seller's identity. If you can't, consider this a red flag and avoid doing business with the seller. Some sellers may use a forged e-mail header, making it impossible to contact them if you need to. Ask how you'll get follow-up service, if you need it. Many sellers don't have the expertise or facilities to provide service for the goods they sell. Is this important to you? Ask about return policies. Returning merchandise to an online seller may be difficult. Any other questions or comments please e-mail us at support@mnbid.com.