BUYER GUIDE

» Know What You Are Bidding On

Read the description carefully. E-mail the seller with any questions you may have. Your bid is binding, so make sure you really want the thing, as described, before you bid.

» Keeping Track of Auctions

If you're interested in an auction but you're not yet ready to bid, you can use our A-list feature from the Private Eye page. There is an A-list link on every Popula item page. Click on the link to add the item to your A-list. Then, when you access your A-list from Private Eye, you'll be able to track an auction's progress without having to commit to a bid.

Keep your Popula emails in a separate mail folder. You'll be receiving an email for each high bid you make, another if you are outbid, and a final one at the close of each auction in which you are the high bidder. It's a handy way to keep track of seller names, items you've bid on, and bids you've placed. Keep copies of all your Popula-related emails in the same place. Then you'll never lose track of important auction details.

» Bidding Strategy

Using the Maximum Bid method, you will get the lowest price within the amount you are willing to pay, and you only have to bid once. The Maximum Bid is a secret between you and Popula. The system will automatically hike your published bid, but only just enough to beat rival buyers. Your final published bid amount (the amount you'll pay the seller) may turn out to be a lot lower than your Maximum.

You'll always get a message right after you bid, letting you know what the current bid is, and whether or not you're the highest. If you're highest, you'll also receive an email confirmation of your bid. And if anyone bids above your Maximum, you'll receive an Outbid email, letting you know how high the bidding has gone. If you're still interested, you can come back and bid again until the auction ends. Popula auctions don't end at an exact time. They end three minutes after the last bid has been received. That way, no one can sneak in at the last minute and swipe it away from you. Auctions end when the participants have reached the true price between them.

If you happen to make a mistake in your bidding (such as typing in the wrong price), you should email the seller and explain your mistake to him or her. If you don't get a reply, you can try to retract your bid. You'll be asked for a brief explanation of your retraction, which will be posted on the item page. Bids made on Popula are binding, so be careful when you bid.

If you really want the lot, bid early: in case of a tie (in Maximum Bid), the earlier buyer gets precedence.

» Check Out The Seller

Read the seller's Comments and see if anyone else has had any problems with him or her. We try to keep sellers in line, and will kick them off if we get too many complaints, but you might want not to bid if the seller has in the past mis-described his lots or reneged on a sale or had too many returns. Caveat Emptor.

» After The Auction

Email the seller as soon as possible after the auction close. He or she will send you the details on concluding your transaction. To make things easier, include a printable endnote, which you can print out on your printer (some people print two copies: one for you and one to mail to the seller.) That way, you can keep track of the seller's name and email address, together with the details of your transaction.

When the transaction is completed, you can make a Comment on your seller. If things have gone smoothly and you are happy with your purchase, please rate the seller accordingly. Perhaps he or she will eventually attain Sainthood. If there has been a problem and you have tried and failed to resolve it, you can turn the seller into a Rat, warning other buyers to stay away. After three negative comments, a Rat's registration will be revoked