BC Auction - Frequently asked questions


General

 

How much does it cost to register?
Why are both taxes charged on second hand goods sold to the general public?
How do I pay for an item I have won
Is payment online secure?
I keep placing bids and keep getting outbid immediately, what is going on?
How Does Proxy Bidding work?
What are the bid increments?
Can I change my maximum bid?
What if I change my mind, can I retract a bid?
Can I return a BC Auction item?
Can I pick up my item to save on shipping?
I have paid for my item, now what?

 

 

  1. Q. How much does it cost to register?
    A. Registration is free; anyone with a valid email address can register and bid from any computer. There are no buyers fee’s either, all you pay is your high bid plus shipping and  applicable taxes.

    2.
  2. Q. Why are both taxes charged on second hand goods sold to the general public?
    A. Asset Investment Recovery Branch is subject to the terms and conditions of the "Business Licence By-Law 1985". Any individual or group that holds a business licence is obligated to collect both PST and GST from sales to the General Public. (Business Licence #9198, District of Saanich).

    3.
  3. Q. How do I pay for an item I  have won?
    A. Payment for BC Auction items is by Visa, MasterCard or American Express through our on-line checkout.

    4.
  4. Q. Is payment online secure?
    A. Online payments are handled through a BC Government server and are completely secure.

    5.
  5. Q. I keep placing bids and keep getting outbid immediately, what is going on?
    A.  BC Auction uses a process called "Proxy Bidding". This is the standard for online auctions (eBay, etc.) Proxy bidding is an automatic bidding system to make bidding on auctions more convenient for buyers.
    When you bid on an auction style listing you will be placing bids using this method.

  6. Q. How Does Proxy Bidding work?
    A. When you place a bid, you enter the maximum amount you'd be willing to pay for the item. Your maximum amount is kept confidential from other bidders and the seller until your maximum bid has been exceeded by another bidder.
    -The BC Auction system compares your bid to those of the other bidders.
    -The system places bids on your behalf based on bid increments (see below), using only as much of your bid as is necessary to maintain your high bid position.
    -The system will bid up to your maximum amount. 
    -If another bidder has a higher maximum, you'll be outbid right away. BUT, if no other bidder has a higher maximum, you win the item. And you could pay significantly less than your maximum price! This means you don't have to keep coming back to re-bid every time another bid is placed.

  7. Q. What are the bid increments?
    A. Bid increments increase in conjunction with the value of the current high bid See the following table:

Current Price

Bid Increment

$ 0.00 - $ 24.99

$ 0.50

$ 25.00 - $ 199.99

$ 1.00

$ 200.00 - $ 499.99

$ 5.00

$ 500.00 - $ 999.99

$ 10.00

$ 1000.00 - $ 2499.99

$ 25.00

$ 2500.00 - $ 4999.99

$ 50.00

$ 5000.00 and up

$ 100.00

  1. Q. Can I change my maximum bid?
    A. If you have made an error or change your mind, you can lower your maximum bid by bidding on the item again. The least amount that the maximum bid can be changed to is one bid increment above the current price on the auction.

    2.
  2. Q. What if I change my mind, can I retract a bid?
    A. It is the buyer’s responsibility to determine the suitability of an item. Bidders should ask any questions before placing a bid. Once a bid is placed, it cannot be retracted and the high bidder is obligated to purchase the item at the high bid price. Failure to honour a bid will result in the cancellation of your BC Auction account.

    3.
  3. Q. Can I return a BC Auction item?
    A. As with any auction, there are no returns

    4.
  4. Q. Can I pick up my item to save on shipping?
    A. Yes, just contact us to advise that you will be picking up the item and we will issue the invoice without shipping costs. Payment should still be processed online using a credit card to avoid delays in pick up.

  5. Q. I have paid for my item, now what?
    A. We will ship within 48 hours of receiving payment. Most items are shipped via mail.

 

 

 

 

 

Multiple Item Auctions

 

What is a Multiple Item Auction?
How does a Multiple Item Auction Work?
How do I know how many are available?
May I buy just one?
If I buy more than one, may I have them at a discounted price?
What happens to the remaining items if they are not all purchased?
How is the total calculated for my items?
What if I need to have my items shipped?
Can I pay for my items when I pick them up?
What if I have a question that is not answered here?

 

 

  1. Q. What is a Multiple Item Auction?
    A Multiple Item Auction takes place when you are bidding on one (1) item and there is a quantity of identical items available to the high bidder to purchase once the auction has ended. This decision must be made at the time of checkout and the high bidder must specify the quantity. This optional offer is not available over the phone or in person and must be made at the time of on line checkout.

    2.
  2. Q. How does a Multiple Item Auction Work?
    Bid on the item as you would with a regular auction. When the auction closes, the high bidder will be presented with the option on purchasing an additional quantity of items at the online checkout. BC Auction will then calculate your total based on the number of items you wish to purchase.

    3.
  3. Q. How do I know how many are available?
    The quantity available is clearly stated in the description field for the duration of the auction.

  4. Q. May I buy just one?
    You are only obligated to purchase the one item that you bid on.

    5.
  5. Q. If I buy more than one, may I have them at a discounted price?
    The number of items you select to purchase will be multiplied by the winning bid price; there are no discounts for quantities.

    6.
  6. Q. What happens to the remaining items if they are not all purchased?
    The balance of items will be re-listed on BC Auction and sold.

    7.
  7. Q. How is the total calculated for my items?
    When you are the high bidder on a Multiple Item Auction, and wish to purchase a multiple of the item, simply select the quantity you wish to buy. BC Auction will then multiply your high bid by the number of items you wish to purchase, then add any applicable taxes.

    8.
  8. Q. What if I need to have my items shipped?
    If you choose to purchase more than one item, you will need to select the “Contact Seller” button in the online checkout before you can pay for the item. The auction agent will get back to you with a shipping quote based on the number of items you have selected to purchase.

    9.
  9. Q. Can I pay for my items when I pick them up?
     No, as with any item on BC Auction, Multiple Item Auctions must be paid for by Visa, MasterCard, or American Express using the Online Checkout.

    10.
  10. Q. What if I have a question that is not answered here?
    Please contact us at     bcauction@gov.bc.ca, we will be happy to answer any questions.