Frequently Asked Questions by K-BID Independent Affiliates

This section will address some of the most frequent questions we receive from affiliates.  

How is a disabled bidder bidding on my auction?  

• You may see a bidder that has been disabled that is still participating in your auction.  This would mean that they have placed a bid prior to being disabled for another unpaid invoice (or other reason).  Many times the bidder will complete the previous purchase to regain their ability to bid.  We do watch for these and try to siphon any excess bids that a disabled bidder may have outstanding to reduce any extra unpaid invoices.  You can always contact us if you want us to look into a disabled bidder by emailing [e-mail] 

What does suspect activity mean? 

• When a new bidder is participating in a lot of auctions and has no previous payment history, we will temporarily disable their account until we can confirm a few things with them.  They are alerted on their dashboard that they will have to contact support.  Many times, the buyer will be reinstated and will follow through with their purchase.  This is to prevent fraudulent bidding and we do not disclose how many items they are allowed to bid on prior to hitting this status.  

How/When does a disabled bidder get their bidding ability back? 

• Disabled bidders may go through a reinstatement process with K-BID.  They can request reinstatement through the contact page on K-BID.com.  Based on their history, we may give them the ability to pay a 20% penalty fee plus a $25 administration fee to be allowed to bid again.  The 20% fee is credited to the affiliate who was "No-Showed" and you will see that on a future BP invoice as a credit.  Bidders are not allowed to abuse the reinstatement policy and multiple offenders may not get their bidding privilege's back.  

If I adjust an invoice or add a fee, is the buyer notified?  

• Not automatically.  You will have to notify the buyer of the change.  If the invoice was already paid prior to the change, there is not an option in the system to send a secondary invoice. You will have to collect through other methods.

What is a PPF Invoice? 

• A PPF invoice mean "Paid Penalty Fee" and the bidder has been reinstated after paying the 20% penalty plus $25 administration fee.  You should see a credit for this fee on a future BP invoice as your auction was affected. 

How do I refund a buyer? 

• The K-BID system does not accommodate refunds.  You will have to issue a refund through your credit card provider for the amount due or issue them a check.  Should an item need to be removed from an invoice due to a refund, please let us know by emailing [e-mail].  TIP:  Have the customer sign or acknowledge the refund in writing.  

What if I sell an item outside of the auction?  

• If a buyer is brought to the item through K-BID, it's expected that the invoice to be processed through the system.  A new invoice can be generated that will allow the sold item to be included on your settlement report, sales tax reports, etc. 

Can I contact a backup bidder for an unpaid item?  

• Yes, you will need to get contact information for backup bidders from K-BID.  This can be a tough sell, specifically if there were only 2 bidders participating towards the end of the auction. 

How do I request backup bidder information?  

• Send an email to [e-mail] and provide the auction ID and lot number for the item you need the backup bidder information for.  If successful and you come to an agreement with the backup bidder, respond to the initial ticket to request a new invoice be created.  Please provide the new winning bidder ID, Auction ID and lot numbers and the new invoice will be generated for you.  

Can I sell an item if the reserve is not met?

•  Yes, you can either lower the reserve to current bid price on the edit item page to generate an invoice or contact K-BID to make the invoice adjustment for you.  

How long do I have to hold items after the auction has closed?

• This should be addressed in your auction terms and is something you should be thinking about.  Unless discussed prior, affiliates are only expected to hold items until the end of the removal period.   If possible, being flexible with buyers who've made an attempt will be appreciated, or you can have the non-paying bidder go through the reinstatement process if the items are no longer available.  
  

How do I search for closed items?

• Searching closed auctions/items is a great way to discover auction value.  We've created a tool that will allow you to easily search for closed items and compare prices.  Closed Lot Search/Appraiser Tool

What do I need to do if I need to pull/halt an item on an active auction? 

• Halting an item is a last resort, but we understand that sometimes things happen that are outside of your control.  Email us immediately at [e-mail] and we will determine the best course of action to remove/halt an active item. 

I have a bidder that is bidding on a bunch of my items, how do I see who it is?

• Keeping an eye on your auction is always a good idea.  If you see a bidder who is participating on a lot of items or a few very high value items, it may be wise to look into that account.  Email us for this bidder information.  We encourage affiliates to call these bidders to ensure they understand the auction process/terms and answer any questions they may have.  

How do I share a draft auction with a client/seller? 

• Draft auctions can be shared prior to going active.  Simply grab the URL of the auction and send it via email/text.  Example:  www.K-BID.com/auction/39000  
• Tip:  This is useful to send to your seller prior to launch to get final approval.   

Can I (spouse/employee) bid on my own auction?  

• We do not allow affiliates or their agents/sellers to bid on their own auctions.  We strive to maintain the integrity of the auction process and prevent any bidding without the intent to purchase.  You may bid on other affiliate auctions but must adhere to the auction terms.  (One exception may be family members bidding on items for an auction conducted on behalf of the estate, assuming that they are bidding with the full intention to purchase.)  

When is the best date/time to close an auction?  

• Historically, Sunday-Thursday have been our heaviest traffic nights on K-BID.com.  We are seeing more auctions closing on Friday and Saturday that are seeing success as well.  Many buyers are bidding from their phone, which means they are not restricted by events or being away from a computer.   Most buyers seek out the auction/items they are interested in and will make the time to be available during the auction close.  6-10PM CST are typically when most auctions will close on K-BID, but we've had many successful auctions close during the day.  

What kind of communications do bidders receive when bidding? 

As long as the bidder has opted-in (found on the account page), bidder will receive the following communications:

Outbid notifications (email)

Winning bid notifications (email)

Reserve lowered notifications (email)

No-Show notifications x2 (email) 

Item closing soon that they are watching (text)  

Password reset (email)  

We can only control the sending of email.  If a buyer has opted-out, marked us as spam or their email provider is not accepting the email, they may not receive the email.  We encourage buyers to check their invoices section of their dashboard after bidding to confirm if they won.