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?
Proxibids 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 Proxibids 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 companys 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.
Test your connection speed
CNET bandwidth meter
What are the minimum requirements to bid?
Valid Proxibid account
Registration approval from the auction company
Minimum Requirements
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PC Users:
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Mac Users:
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Windows 2000, XP, Vista
Pentium III 500 MHz or faster
512 MB RAM
150 MB free disk space
56K Modem or faster
Java 2 (Runtime Environment 5.0 or greater)
Internet Explorer 6.0, 7.0 or 8.0
Firefox 2.0 or greater
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OS X 10.3 and newer
Power PC G4 500 MHz or faster
256 MB RAM
150 MB free disk space
56k modem or faster
Java 2 (Runtime Environment 5.0 or greater)
Safari 4 or
Firefox 2.0 or greater
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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?
Proxibids 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 Proxibids 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 companys
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 bidders
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 companys
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 bidders
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 companys
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 Buyers Premium?
The "Buyers Premium" is the
fee charged by an auctioneer to the bidder who wins a lot.
The buyers 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 buyers
premium in addition to the standard hammer price. Please refer
to the auction companys Terms and Conditions for more
information. The auction companys Terms and Conditions
can be viewed by clicking the INFO button found on their auction
listing.
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