New User FAQs
I am new to Nonprofit Bidding. Where do I start?
Everyone is invited to browse or Search through our item listings on Nonprofit Bidding. If you see something you would like to bid on, you must first register. Don't worry! Registration is free and easy! The Registration page will ask you to enter a Login Name, which is the user name you will be known by within the Nonprofit Bidding community, as well as a password and valid contact information. You will only need to register once on Nonprofit Bidding. Your user name is visible to others on the site when you place a bid.
If you require additional assistance, please e-mail Customer Service at auctions@nonprofitbidding.org.
What is your Privacy Policy?
Nonprofit Bidding is fully committed to protecting your right to privacy while using our Auction platform. Nonprofit Bidding expects all members to respect and protect the privacy of others. The release of any member's personal information for reasons other than those specifically connected with Nonprofit Bidding is prohibited. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with our Privacy Policy.
Why do I need to register with Nonprofit Bidding?
By registering with Nonprofit Bidding, you are agreeing to engage with the site and the organizations running auctions on the site in an honest and professional manner. You must provide us with valid contact information so that we can communicate with you about the items you are winning as well as those for which you have been outbid.
What does it cost to register?
Registration on Nonprofit Bidding is Free and Easy! There is no cost bid on items, and there is no obligation to maintain your account over time. Once you have submitted your registration, you will receive a confirmation e-mail message from Nonprofit Bidding and you will have instant access to bid on all the items listed on Nonprofit Bidding.
Do I need a credit card to register?
No. You will only be asked to provide valid contact information and a valid e-mail address. You will, however, need to provide a valid credit card prior to placing a bid on an auction item.
Do I have to bid on something after I register?
No. You are not obligated to bid on anything when you register. You are welcome to drop by any time and look around. If you see something you would like to bid on you can do so quickly as a registered user.
Can I register under more than one account?
No. Nonprofit Bidding will not allow members to register under more than one account per participant. If at any time you forget your password, please don't create a new account in an attempt to remedy the situation. Instead, click on the "Forgot Password?" link on the Login page and you will be asked to enter the user name and e-mail address you registered with so that Nonprofit Bidding can send you an email with a link to “Reset password”. If you do not receive your e-mail message, please e-mail auctions@nonprofitbidding.org for further assistance.
Can I update my registration/personal information?
Yes - at anytime. Nonprofit Bidding members are expected to maintain valid accounts by keeping their contact information (e-mail address, mailing address, phone number and credit card) up-to-date. To update your personal information, please go to the "My Account" page.
What about the privacy of my information?
Your privacy is very important to us. Nonprofit Bidding is fully committed to protecting your right to privacy within our on-line auction community. Please read our Privacy Policy here.
Is there a User Agreement that I need to agree to before using Nonprofit Bidding?
Yes. While completing the Registration form you will need to agree to the User Agreement.
What are the Terms and Conditions for using Nonprofit Bidding?
Auction FAQs
How do I bid on an item I am interested in?
When you have located an item you are interested in, click on the item's title link to see its listing page. On the item listing page, click on the "Bid Now" button to place your bid. If you do not see a Bid button on the listing page, then the listing is either not yet open for bidding or the item has already closed and you will see a message to reflect this.
To place a bid, you must login, or register if you haven't done so already. An opening bid should be either your Smart Bid (the maximum amount you would be willing to pay for the item), or the "Highest Bid" amount plus the bid increment (the "Next Bid" amount) as shown on the item page. If you want to bid higher than the the minimum amount right away and don't want to use the Smart Bid feature, check the box on the bid form that says Bypass Smart Bid.
Once you have the top bid, you will be notified by email if your maximum bid is surpassed by another bidder.
Is there a charge to place bids?
No. Browsing and bidding on items on Nonprofit Bidding is free.
Do I need to use a credit card to bid?
We process auction payments automatically through the site, so you will need to provide a valid credit card prior to bidding. If you are the winning bidder on an item, we will charge the card on file when the auction closes.
If you need to update your credit card information, you can do so anytime from the "My Account" section on Nonprofit Bidding.
Can I ask a question about an item before I place a bid?
Yes. If you require additional information about the item you may contact the organization before placing a bid from the listing page by clicking on the "Ask A Question" link.
What is a Smart Bid?
Smart Bid is a proxy bidding system on Nonprofit Bidding. Each time you place a bid by entering your maximum bid amount (which is the most you are willing to pay for an item), you will be using our Smart Bid bidding system. Smart Bid will then bid automatically on your behalf and at the lowest possible bid increments, until your maximum bid amount is reached.
The goal with Smart Bid is to win an item at the lowest successful price. However, since Nonprofit Bidding is a fundraising tool for nonprofit organizations, we provide the opportunity for each bidder to Bypass Smart Bid if they choose. When you click the Bypass Smart Bid checkbox the current bid will immediately bump up to the value of the amount entered.
To win, you must be the bidder who placed the highest maximum bid at auction close. You will be notified by e-mail if your maximum bid has been surpassed by another bidder. The winner is determined by the highest bid placed at the earliest time.
What is an Open Auction?
In an Open Auction, there is only one quantity of the item that multiple people may bid on. There is only one winner in an Open auction and that is the person who has the highest bid.
What is a Dutch Auction?
A Dutch Auction occurs on Nonprofit Bidding if there are multiple, identical items offered for sale that are not listed separately. The item appears as one listing but shows that there are multiple identical items within this one listing. Bidders can bid at or above the minimum price for the quantity of items they wish to purchase. At the close of the auction, all winning bidders purchase the items at the same price, which is the lowest successful bid. All Dutch Auction items are identified as such on the item listing page with a pop up explanation.
Bypassing Smart Bid is not an option with Dutch auction items.
What is a "Maximum Bid" Amount?
Your Maximum Bid amount is the highest price you are willing to pay for an item.
You should determine beforehand the most you are really willing to pay for an item and then enter a single bid at that amount in the Bid Amount field. An early bid supported by a high maximum bid amount can make you a winner!
Can I increase my maximum bid after I've place a bid?
Yes. If your maximum bid amount has been outbid, you can place another maximum amount and choose to use Smart Bid or bypass it.
Note: you can only increase, not decrease, your maximum bid amount. Also, bidders are not allowed to reduce the quantity of items bid on without also changing their maximum bid.
I placed a bid. Why isn't it showing up?
There are 3 steps to placing a bid on an auction. You must complete all 3 steps in order for our system to record and display your bid in a listing's Bid History.
- Click on the Bid button on the listing page of the item you are viewing. You will be asked to Login, if you haven't done so already. In the “Maximum Bid Amount” field enter your Smart Bid (maximum bid amount per unit). If you want to Bypass Smart Bid and bump the current bid immediately to the value that you entered, check the Bypass Smart Bid box.
- Click on the "Bid Now" button.
- A pop-up message will ask you one final time to confirm.
Once submitted, you will see a confirmation page with information about your bid indicating the bid amount placed, and if your bid is currently the winning bid.
When reviewing an item's Bid History after having placed a bid, you should reload, or refresh, your browser so that it displays the most current information.
I keep bidding on an item and then it says I have been outbid. Why?
When this happens, it means that an earlier bidder has placed a maximum bid amount, which is higher than the amount of your maximum bid.
When you placed your bid, the Smart Bid system immediately placed another bid on the earlier bidder's behalf, for an amount just high enough (i.e. plus the bid increment) to outbid your maximum bid amount, insuring their position as high bidder.
If the maximum bid that you place is high enough to outbid any other bidders, then Smart Bid will do the same for you and maintain your position as the current winning bidder.
I have confirmed my bid, but it tells me it is invalid. Why?
There are 2 reasons why a confirmed bid can be considered invalid:
- You have entered an invalid value in the "Bid Amount" field. Make sure that your bid amount contains only numbers and decimal points (i.e. 45.00). Do not enter any dollar signs ($) or commas (,) into the bid amount field.
- Your bid amount is less than the next valid bid amount. Make sure that your bid is equal to or greater than the "Current Bid" plus the "Increment" value shown on the listing page.
Can I retract a confirmed bid?
Yes - but your confirmed bid can only be retracted under special circumstances should you choose to submit a formal bid retraction request.
A confirmed bid can only be retracted under the following circumstances:
- You made a typographical error when placing a bid amount.
- New item information was added that changed your understanding of the item for which your bid was placed.
You cannot retract a bid if:
- You have placed bids on a similar item.
- You have placed a bid on a Dutch Auction.
- You have changed your mind.
- You state that you cannot pay for the item.
- You submit a bid retraction request less than 24 hours before auction close.
To retract a confirmed bid, you must contact Customer Service at auctions@nonprofitbidding.org with your request. Include the item listing number and the reason for the retraction. All bid retraction requests received by Nonprofit Bidding less than 24 hours before auction close will not be processed regardless of the explanation. All bid retraction requests received by Nonprofit Bidding without a valid explanation will not be processed. Bidders who retract their bids may not place new bids on that item.
Where can I monitor my bidding activity?
You can monitor all your bidding activity from within your "My Account" page, by clicking on the "Your watchlist and bid history" link.
Why does it say "or later" beside the End Date on the item listing?
If a bid is placed during the last 5 minute(s) of an auction, the auction will be automatically extended for an additional 5 minute(s) from the time of the latest bid. We call this feature Auto Extend. The item will close automatically once all bidding activity has stopped for a period of 5 minute(s).
NOTE: Current Bid Amount and Countdown Timer are not "live." Click Refresh to update them or to see if the auction has been automatically extended by a last minute bid.
How do I find out if an auction has ended?
You can locate an auction you have bid on from within your "My Account" area, or by entering the listing number from the Search box at the top of the page.
What do I do if I win an auction?
If you are the winning bidder when an auction closes, Nonprofit Bidding will send you an e-mail notification telling you that you have won the item. The notification will also confirm whether payment has been charged or if you still need to arrange payment with the organization hosting the auction.
A PDF certificate will then be available in your "My Account" area with applicable pick-up and contact information once payment has been processed.
If you do not receive notice and believe you are the successful bidder, you must verify the auction status from within your "My Account" area.