FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
So you want to know how it works, eh? Well, read on, and if there's a question you have that we didn't cover, feel free to send us an email and we'll get right back to you!
WHAT IF I DON'T LIKE WHAT I WON OR THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH IT?
We are pleased to provide a 100% satisfaction guarantee on everything we sell, no questions asked. If for ANY reason you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, simply let us know and we'll refund 100% of the final value fee and credit ALL of the bids you used to win it back to your account - and you don't even have to return the item. That's how confident we are that you'll love shopping and winning with us!
HOW AND WHEN DO I RECEIVE THE ITEMS I WIN?
We'll ship your items out within one business day after you pay the final value fee. Shipment can be via UPS, FedEx, the U.S. Postal Service, or a transportation company in the case of very large items. In some instances your merchandise may be drop-shipped to you directly from the manufacturer or wholesaler we purchase it from. Once your item ships you will receive all the tracking information you need to know when to expect it and who will be bringing it to you.
IS PENNIBIDS.COM FOR REAL? HOW ARE THESE DEALS POSSIBLE?
Of COURSE we're for real! Unlike other penny auction sites you'll find on the web, what we sell is not "overstock" or "liquidation" merchandise. Don't get stuck with last year's model, customer returns, damaged goods, or "shelf pulls" (merchandise placed on store shelves for retail sale and then removed). What you see for sale is sourced from major manufacturers and wholesalers and will NEVER be liquidation or overstock. Everything we sell is brand new, brand name, and 100% guaranteed to make you happy or you get your money back. It's that simple - no muss, no fuss. Just great merchandise at amazing prices!
WHAT DOES IT COST TO REGISTER FOR BIDDING?
Registration for our site is always FREE - but even better, new members receive 10 free bids just for signing up! It's always possible your free bids could win an auction for you, too!
WHAT IF I WIN AN AUCTION AND DECIDE I DON'T REALLY WANT IT?
Believe it or not, this happens more often than you might think! People bid on auctions not necessarily expecting to win, and then they do. So what happens next? Well, we offer an interesting option called the "Resell Store", which allows you to sell your won item to someone else at a price you set. Of course there's no guarantee somebody will buy it, but at least you do have the opportunity to try, right? What's more, you might even MAKE some money reselling it, as long as the total of your bids and final value price is less than what you're able to sell the item for.
WHAT DOES IT COST TO BID ON AN AUCTION ITEM?
Most auction items have bids starting at only ten cents each. There will be some popular items where it will cost more for each bid, but NEVER more than 30 cents.
DO AUCTIONS HAVE RESERVE PRICES?
Most of the time, yes. But unlike some other popular penny auction sites that claim to be honest, we never use fake "bot" bidders to "win" items and keep everyone's money. If an auction ends without meeting its reserve price then we close it and refund 100% of everyone's bids. THAT'S how you run an honest bidding system!
HOW DOES "BUY IT NOW" WORK?
Most of our items have a "buy it now" price. This means that at any time during an auction you can buy that item for the retail price minus the cost of the bids you have already used on it, if any. If only one of the item is available then whoever buys it first receives the item, and the auction ends immediately. In such cases, we will fully refund the bids of everyone who participated in the auction for that item.
HOW OFTEN DOES THE SAME ITEM COME UP FOR AUCTION?
That depends. In some cases an item ay be the only one we have or can obtain for our auctions, which means that's the only time it will be available to bid on or buy. In other cases, an item may be easily restocked, in which case it may show up for auction fairly often. We do try to keep an eye on this so that you'll always have plenty of variety to shop from and bid on.
HOW DO REFUNDS WORK?
Whether it's because an item doesn't meet reserve or (for ANY reason) you aren't 100% satisfied with your item(s), our refund policy is the same. We do not provide cash refunds to your credit card - instead we will give your refund in the form of bid credits for use on future auctions you choose to participate in.
HOW AM I NOTIFIED WHEN I WIN AN AUCTION?
Our system will send you an automated email with the details of your win so that you can come back to the site and settle the final value fees. If for any reason we don't hear back from you within a day or so, one of our friendly customer service representatives will reach out to you by email and/or telephone to make sure you know you've won.
IS MY INFORMATION SAFE WITH pennibids.com?
Absolutely! As you'll notice, we use PayPal, one of the world's most trusted payment processors for online transactions, so we do not receive or store any details of your credit or debit card information. We have extensive systems in place to protect your name and contact information as well, and we will never sell or share that information with anyone unless we have specific permission from you first. Finally, NONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES WILL EVER ASK FOR YOUR PAYMENT INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE OR IN AN EMAIL. If we require additional payment(s) from you for any reason then we will direct you to PayPal to complete the transaction, but we do not (and will not) directly ask for that payment information.
CAN I WIN AN AUCTION WITH FREE BIDS?
YES! Any bid can win, even free ones. We don't limit new bidders to "rookie" auctions, like some sites do. You can use your free bids (as well as any that you choose to purchase) on any auction at any time.
HOW DO I BUY BID CREDITS?
We make it easy to buy bid credits, which are sold in bundles called "bid packs". Each pack has a set price, and prices start as low as $30.00 for 300 bid credits, or you can go big with a $90.00 pack containing 900 bid credits. You can always buy more credits at any time.
