TECHNICAL SUPPORT

For assistance and technical support during normal business hours, or when Proxibid’s support center is closed, please try our FAQ's area below. If you are unable to find the solution to your problem please contact our customer support department.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

About Proxibid Services

Create Bidder Account

System Requirements

Before The Auction

During The Auction

After The Auction

About Proxibid Services

What is a Live Online Auction?

Live online bidding allows a consumer to attend an auction virtually, simply by using a computer with an Internet connection and Web browser. Bidders can now participate in any live auction with the same advantages they would have if they were sitting in the auction room.

What is Live Real-Time Bidding?

Live real-time bidding allows online bidders to send their bids to the auction floor via the Internet, as if the bidder were at the auction in person. An auctioneers’ assistant is onsite to accept your bid and to relay your high bid amount to the auctioneer.

What is a proxy bid?

A proxy bid is a sealed bid left with an auctioneer or third party indicating the maximum amount that you are willing to bid on a particular lot or item.

What is Auto-Bidding?

The Proxibid™ system allows a user to place a "proxy bid" by entering the maximum amount they are willing to bid. The system bids on behalf of the bidder until they win the lot, or when the indicated maximum bid amount is reached. When using the auto-bidding feature, you may want to bid one increment higher to minimize the possibility of a tie bid.

What is the Dynamic Auction System?

Proxibid’s Dynamic Auction System allows interaction between the online bidders and the auction room floor during a live event. Proxibid™ customers can use their computers to participate in an auction from the comfort of their home or office. All bids are relayed in real-time over the Internet, allowing the users to bid with the same confidence as if they were attending the live auction.

Create A Bidder Account

How do I create a Bidder account?

From Proxibid’s home page, click the Create Account button located in the navigation bar at the top of the screen. From there you will be presented with the option to create a bidder or auctioneer account. Click the large BIDDER button to continue through the short three step process. A credit card is not required to create an account, but some auction companies may require that you enter your credit card in order to register for their auction.

Can I watch the sale without registering?

Yes. You may watch a live sale by clicking on the animated BID LIVE - WATCH NOW button located on the auction company listing. You will need to have Java 1.4 installed on you computer before you can watch an auction.

Do I have to provide my credit card information when I create a bidder account?

No. Proxibid™ does not require a credit card in order to create a bidder account. However, some auction companies may require that you submit a valid credit card or driver's license in order to be approved for bidding.

Will my credit card be charged if I use it to register for an auction?

Your credit card will not be charged for purchases following an auction unless it is specifically stated in that particular auction company’s Terms and Conditions of Sale. Most auctioneers require your credit card as a guarantee of payment to participate, but many allow for alternative payment methods to be made upon conclusion of the auction.

How long in advance must I register for an auction?

Auction companies carefully screen their bidders prior to the sale. Allow yourself one to three days for registration approval. If you require immediate assistance, please contact the auction company or Proxibid.

Can I register for the auction the day of sale?

Yes. However, the auction company may not have sufficient time to validate your registration. Please allow yourself one to three days prior to the auction for registration approval. If you have not been approved for bidding the day of the auction, contact the appropriate auction house directly.

System Requirements

Do I need a high-speed Internet connection to bid using the Proxibid™ system?

No. The Proxibid™ Dynamic Auction System requires a 56 Kbps dial-up connection to bid.

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What are the minimum requirements to bid?

Valid Proxibid™ account
Registration approval from the auction company

Minimum Requirements

Before The Auction

How do I get more information about a particular lot being sold?

If you would like more information on a particular lot, please contact the auction company directly. Many of our auctioneers place thousands of lots online each week, leaving little time to describe each item in great detail. Each auction listing will provide you with an INFO link to the auction company website, providing you with the necessary contact information.

What are the Terms and Conditions of Sale for items being auctioned on the Proxibid™ Web site?

Proxibid’s Terms and Conditions can be found by clicking on the Terms and Conditions link at the bottom of each page of the Proxibid™ Web site. In addition to Proxibid’s Terms and Conditions, each auction company will have their own Terms and Conditions of Sale. The auction houses’ Terms and Conditions of Sale can be found by clicking on the INFO button located within each auction company’s event listing.

Are bids always represented in U.S. Dollars?

Bids will usually be represented in US Dollars (USD) for sales that are held in the United States. If the sale is being held in another country, the bidder applet will display the abbreviated symbol of the currency being used. For example, an auction in France would use French Francs, displayed on the bidder applet as "FF."

How do I find a specific item that interests me?

The search tool located in the top right corner of the Proxibid™ Web site can help you locate an item of interest. The search function on the Proxibid™ homepage allows you to search by keyword for all upcoming auctions. You may directly access the advanced search features by clicking the ADV button. The advanced search parameters will allow you to filter your search by auction company name, date or auction category.

How far in advance of the auction will the catalog become available?

The catalog is generally available for online viewing from 1 day to four weeks before the sale. However, each auction house controls the specific time in which they choose to make their catalog available for online viewing.

How do I preview the catalog before the sale?

You may preview a tabular catalog with thumbnail images by clicking on the CATALOG link located at the bottom of each auction listing. Or you may preview a text-only index of items for sale by clicking the IMAGES: NONE button located on the control panel at the top of their auction catalog.

During The Auction

Will my bid always go through?

When the bidder clicks on the bid button, a message is sent to the Personal Auction Agent sitting at a computer terminal in the auction room. The Personal Auction Agent alerts the auctioneer when a bid has been received by shouting out the bid amount or by raising a paddle. When the auctioneer recognizes the online bid, the Personal Auction Agent clicks the "Accept Bid" button located on the auctioneer applet. A message will then appear on the bidder’s screen, notifying the participant that his/her bid was accepted by the auctioneer.

However, it is possible that many simultaneous bids will occur at a given asking price and the auctioneer will choose to recognize only one of those bids. If another bid is recognized prior to the Internet bid, the system will show that an "On Site" bidder was recognized first at that particular asking price.

Does Proxibid™ use encryption during live Internet bidding?

No. Internet bidding does not use encryption because no sensitive data is transmitted during the Internet bidding process. A small data packet less than one kilobyte in size is transmitted between the Personal Auction Agent and the Internet bidder. Only the username of the bidder is sent over the Internet in addition to their high bid amount. Password information is only transmitted through the bidder login screen, where it is secured with 128 bit encryption. Your password or personal information is never sent over the Internet during the bidding process.

What is a reserve price?

The reserve price is the minimum bid amount required by the consignor or auctioneer. If the reserve price for an item is $100.00, bidding must reach $100.00 before the item will be sold. If reserve prices are entered into the Proxibid™ system, the message "Reserve Met" will appear on the bidder screen when the reserve price has been exceeded. If the reserve is not met, the auctioneer has the right to PASS the lot.

What is the selling currency?

The selling currency is the currency in which the item is being sold at auction. Most often, the selling currency will be in U.S. dollars. However, when working with international auction houses, it will be at the auction company’s discretion to set the selling currency for the auction.

What are "choice lots"?

A method of auction where the successful bidder has the right to pick the item or items he or she wishes to purchase at the bid price per piece. After the high bidder’s selection, the lot is removed from the group and the second round of bidding commences. Generally the lots are grouped in similar lot properties. The choice lots being offered will appear on the left side of the bidder applet. Simply select or "check off" the lots that you want and click the submit button. The items you select will be marked with your username and high bid amount.

What are "combo lots"?

A "combo lot" or "combination lot" is a lot consisting of a group of items or lots that are placed in the selling ring at the same time. There are two widely used versions of the combo lot: The first version is often referred to as "Times the Money", which means the final sale price will be multiplied by the number of items in the lot. For example; if the lot consisted of ten items and the hammer price was five dollars, the buyer would pay fifty dollars. The second version is called "One Money" or "All for One," which means the lot is sold for the actual hammer price without multiplying by the number of items included in the lot.

Can I retract my live bid?

A live bid CANNOT be retracted once placed over the Proxibid™ system. The Proxibid™ live bidding applet is an electronic extension of the physical auction room - the same rules apply to everyone, including Internet bidders. For these reasons, we urge you to be very deliberate and cautious while attempting to bid using either the Proxibid™ system or while attending a live auction.

Can I retract my proxy bid?

It is important to read the participating auction houses’ Terms and Conditions of Sale to find the necessary procedure to retract your proxy bid prior to the start of a sale. Although it is possible to retract your proxy bid, we encourage you to bid only if you are serious about buying a particular item.

How do I place a proxy bid?

Currently, a proxy bid can be placed on an item prior to or during the sale. Once you login to the bidder applet, you can preview and scroll through every item listed in the auction catalog. Next to each lot, you will find the Auto-Bid Box where you can enter your maximum bid. Enter your maximum bid amount into the input field and click the PLACE BID button directly below. A pop-up box will ask you to verify that the amount you have entered is correct. Click the SUBMIT button to place your bid or CANCEL to close the screen.

How do I know if my proxy bid was accepted?

After submitting your maximum auto-bid through the "Place Bid" pop-up window, a confirmation screen will appear indicating the status of your bid. Important note: You must click the REFRESH BIDS button located at the top of the catalog in order to see your bid appear.

What is an On-Site Condition Report?

Many of our participating auctioneers are equipped to provide on-site condition reports for those bidders requiring detailed information on a particular lot. On-site condition reports are usually made available for heavy construction equipment and classic car auctions.
How do I know if I have been out-bid?

The "My Proxibid™" area will display a listing of lots that you have bid on. When another bidder has bid higher than your max-bid amount, their current high bid will be displayed in orange text for that particular lot. The high bid amount is a hyperlink that will return you to the lot to place another bid.

What is the High Bid?

The "High Bid" is simply the current highest recognized bid associated with a buyer on the auction floor or on the Internet. If the hammer drops and the item is sold, the "High Bidder" will win the item for sale.

What is the Asking Price?

The "Asking Price" is the next highest bid the auctioneer is seeking to obtain to surpass the current "High Bid", thus allowing a new bidder to take the lead and potentially win the item for sale.

What are Bidding Increments?

The increment is the amount an item increases in price after each new bid. It is the monetary amount used to advance the auction to the next highest bid.

What is the Lot Selector?

The "Lot Selector" is a tool built into the Proxibid™ Dynamic Auction System that allows the live Internet bidder to quickly select the specific lot(s) he/she is interested in purchasing if he/she is the winner of a "Choice Lot." A choice lot winner will need to make their selection(s) on the Lot Selector panel before the 20-second timer expires. Failure to make a selection within the allotted time limit forfeits their winning status, forcing the auctioneer to send the remaining lots back into the ring to be sold again.

What is the Hammer Price?

The hammer price is the amount of the successful bid that the auctioneer acknowledges at the fall of the hammer or gavel.

After The Auction

Am I responsible for shipping and insurance costs?

The winning bidder is responsible for contacting the auction house within 24 hours from the close of the sale to arrange shipping. Many auction houses have shipping departments. If the auction house does not have a shipping department, it is the responsibility of the buyer to arrange shipping and insurance.

When is payment due?

All matters referring to payment period and method of payment can be found in each auction company’s Terms of Sale. The Terms of Sale can be viewed before entering any live Internet auction posted on the Proxibid™ Web site by clicking on the INFO button located on the auction listing.

Who do I pay?

All transactions are settled between the individual bidder and the auction house. All appropriate contact information for both the auctioneer and the bidder are exchanged between both parties at the conclusion of an auction. You can view payment instructions for each company by clicking on the INFO button found on their auction listing.

What is the Buyer’s Premium?

The "Buyer’s Premium" is the fee charged by an auctioneer to the bidder who wins a lot. The buyer’s premium is usually a percentage of the overall gross amount of the selling price.

Are there additional costs to the final Hammer Price?

Some auction companies will include a buyer’s premium in addition to the standard hammer price. Please refer to the auction company’s Terms and Conditions for more information. The auction company’s Terms and Conditions can be viewed by clicking the INFO button found on their auction listing.