IMPORTANT:In order to register and activate your account, YOU MUST have your email configured to receive email from admin@bid4bears.com Activation emails are sent from this address. Failure to set your account to receive our emails will result in you not being able to use this site.
Registration is simple and only takes a matter minutes. To start the signup process, click on the register link at the top of this page. Only users with the age over 18 years are able to register. The next step is to fill in all your information, failure to supply all the required information will result in an error. By clicking on the Register button from the bottom of the page, you will be redirected to a confirmation page. You will be sent an activation email from admin@bid4bears.com to the email address you provided in your registration form. In order to activate your account, you will need to click on the link provided within that email. You will then be directed to a screen that tells you your account has been activated.
If you find that that link does not work in your email, you can copy it into a new browser address bar and click enter. You will then be directed to a screen that tells you your account has been activated.
We also recommend that you configure your email client to also accept email from our alternate address bears135@shaw.ca In the event of server difficulties, emails are sent from this alternate address.
Members area
Once you have successfully logged in using the login forms from the main page or from the login page (click on the login button from the page header), you will be redirected to the members area page.
This page is divided into several:
a. Bidding On this page, you will be able to see the items your currently bidding on, as well as the status of the bids, items you have won, and watched items. By clicking on the Auction Watch link, you will be able to add keywords for auctions your interested in. An email will be sent to your email address every time an auction that will contain the keyword in its name or description will be submitted. By clicking on the View Details link from the Won Items area, you will be able to see the details of the seller, and make contact with him in order to perfect the sale.
b. Selling There are three areas available on this page. The My Opened Auctions area, where you will see details of auctions you currently has open; if no bids were submitted yet on an open auction, you are able to edit the auction. The My Closed Auctions area, where you will see the auctions submitted by yourself, and that were closed. You can choose to edit, delete or re-list a closed auction. On the Sold Items area, you will see the items you have sold, and by clicking on theView Details link, you will be redirected to a page where you will see the details of the buyer. If an end of auction fee is set from the admin area, then the seller will have to pay for the end of auction fee in order for you to see the buyer details. If, after the seller has contacted the bidder, and no sale has been made, you can claim back the end of auction fee. By clicking on the Claim back end of auction fee, a claim back request will be sent to the sites administrator, and will be evaluated for fee refunding.
c. Feedback From this page, you will be able to see the feedbacks you have received, and leave feedbacks to other users.
d. Personal Info You can edit your personal information using this page, except for your username. You can also change the password for the account. If the password and confirm password fields are left empty, and then the password will remain the same.
e. Your Store subscription can also be accessed from this area. Click on the Stores button to edit, enable or disable your store.
How to bid
If you have spotted on item you would like to place a bid on you can do so quickly and easily by following these steps:- (1) Login to your account If you have not registered you can do so within 5 minutes (2) Visit the auction page (3) Towards the bottom of the auction description page you will see a bidding box, you can use the shortcut link to the bidding box if you wish. (4) Enter in your bid, note you must bid above the minimum bid required (5) Click on the place bid button (6) You will then be asked to confirm you bid, once you have done so your bid will be entered, if successful you will receive a confirmation message. If you bid fails to outbid the current high bidder you will be offered the option to place a higher bid. Proxy bidding can aid your chances of winning an auction and help avoid you being outbid at the last moment. To place a proxy bid enter in the maximum price you are willing to pay for the item. If another user places a bid on the same auction automatic bids will be placed on your behalf in accordance with your maximum bid amount. With proxy bidding you will pay the lowest possible price until someone else places a higher bid. There is another way of bidding: Buy it now auctions. Buy it now prices are set by the seller, if you agree with that price, you can click on the Buy Now button which is displayed on the auction details page. After clicking on the button you will be re-directed to a confirmation page. On a standard auction that auction will end instantly as the item has been sold via Buy it now. On a Dutch auction, you can enter the amount of items you wish to buy (depending the quantity available).
If you purchase less than there are available in total, the auction will remain open with the number of items left available after you have purchased the amount you want.
How to sell
Once you have signed up for an account, you will be able to sell items through the site. In order to do that, you will have to click on the Sell link, and you will be redirected to a page, you can then select the main category of the product or service you want to sell. This feature has been made in order to ease the subcategory choosing process. No items can be sold by choosing only the main category; you will have to choose a subcategory for it. The second step is entering the auction details, settings, payment methods available, and choosing a category. An image that will come with the auction is free of charge, but the admin may charge for adding additional pictures. On the Auction Settings tab, you can choose the type of the auction, the start price, whether to activate buy now or set a reserve price. Also, you will be able to choose what type of bid increment to use, the progressive one implemented into the site (that can be edited from the admin area), or a custom one. If you choose the custom one, you will have to enter an increment value. You will also be able to choose whether to feature the item, and the duration of the auction. After setting the location, shipping and payment and subcategory, and by clicking on the Next Step button, you will be redirected to Step Three, where you can review the auction before submitting. If everything is in order, you can click on the Submit button, and will be redirected to the payment page, or a confirmation page, if no fees have to be paid. The auction is activated once the payment is confirmed by the payment gateway, or instantly, if no fees need to be paid.
Email
Bid 4 Bears Administration is staffed by real people. Although many of the Bid 4 Bears emails are generated automatically by the program itself, a live person answers all email as quickly as possible.
In order to receive these emailsYOU MUST have your email configured to receive email from admin@bid4bears.com All email from Bid 4 Bears is sent from this address. Failure to set your account to receive our emails will result in you not being able to use this site.
We also recommend that you set your email client to receive from our alternate email address bears135@shaw.ca which we use in the event of server difficulties.
If you are not receiving emails, please check your spam and trash folders as well as your blocked email lists. Then, add us to your 'white' 'accept' or 'friends' list (names vary by email client) and resend your email to our attention.
How do I contact a member?
At the bottom of each auction listing, you will see an 'Ask Seller A Question' form. You can either post your question to appear publicly, or it can be sent privately.
At the end of an auction, both the seller and the winning bidder are sent automated emails that contain the contact information needed to complete the transaction. In order to recieve these emails YOU MUST have your email configured to receive email from admin@bid4bears.com We also recommend that you configure your email client to also accept email from our alternate address bears135@shaw.ca.
Failure to set your account to receive our emails will result in you not being able to use this site properly.
To protect our member's privacy and keep fraud to a minimum, these are the only methods provided for contact between members.
How do I complete a transaction?
At the end of an auction, both the seller and the winning bidder are sent automated emails that contain the contact information needed to complete the transaction. In order to recieve these emails YOU MUST have your email configured to receive email from admin@bid4bears.com We also recommend that you configure your email client to also accept email from our alternate address bears135@shaw.ca.
Failure to set your account to receive our emails will result in you not being able to use this site properly or complete the transaction.
Automatic bidding
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.
The Bid 4 Bears program compares your bid to those of the other bidders.
The program then places bids on your behalf, using only as much of your bid as is necessary to maintain your high bid position (or to meet the reserve price). The system will bid up to your maximum amount.
If another bidder has a higher maximum, you'll be outbid. 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.
In Reserve Price Auctions which will include all Swap Listings, if your maximum bid is the first to be greater than the seller's reserve price, theBid 4 Bears program will automatically jump the price up to meet the reserve, and bidding will continue from there. If your maximum bid does not meet the reserve, only as much of your bid as is necessary to maintain your high bid position is used.
Why isn't my bid going up?
This is a result of Automatic bidding.
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. The program then places bids on your behalf, using only as much of your bid as is necessary to maintain your high bid position (or to meet the reserve price). The system will bid up to your maximum amount.
In Reserve Price Auctions, which will include All Swap Auctions if they have been listed properly, if your maximum bid is the first to be greater than the seller's reserve price, theBid 4 Bears program will automatically jump the price up to meet the reserve, and bidding will continue from there. If your maximum bid does not meet the reserve, only as much of your bid as is necessary to maintain your high bid position is used.
How to swap
Bid 4 Bears offers a unique feature in that it allows users to 'Swap' articles for goods. This feature is primarily used for Artist Trading cards, but can be used with other goods such as bears, dolls or supplies.
To list your auction as a Swap:
Set the minimum start price to .01 cents. By doing this you will avoid Set up and selling fees if your item is swapped.
Next, set your Reserve Price for the minimum you are willing to sell your item for. For example, if you are selling a card, this may be $5.00. If you are listing a bear this may be $100.00 or even more. There is NO FEE for reserve auctions.
Please note that you should always set a reserve for items that offer a Swap option as the starting price will always be set at .01 cents.
Check the 'Accept Swap Offers' box on your listing. When your listing launches, others will see the 'Make a Swap Offer box.' Please note:You will not see it on your own listing, as you cannot bid or place swap offers on your own auctions.
When someone makes a 'Swap Offer' you can choose to accept or decline the offer in your private Member's area under the 'Selling' tab. If you accept the offer, the listing will close. If you decline, it will go on. If the listing is ended you will receive an email with the winners contact details.
Bids on your listing can continue even as swap offers are being made. In this way you always have the option of selling your item rather than swapping it. If the item SELLS, you will be charged an end of auction fee based on the final selling value. If you Swap your item no fees are incurrred.
Listing extras, such as BOLD, Featured Item or Second Category, will incur fees regardless of whether the listing is Sold or Swapped.
What if someone wants to swap a card that they have listed on B4B with you? Well, then they will make you a swap offer and you can choose to accept of decline it as written above. If you accept, YOUR listing will end. THEIRS will NOT. You must now go to their listing on B4B and offer a swap offer, indicating that you agreed to trade your card for theirs. They must then Log in, go to their member's area and accept your swap offer under the selling tab. Unless both parties complete swap offers and accept these offers, no completed swap can occur.
IMPORTANT: When you offer a swap, be sure to include all the details regarding your swap offer. Include card info, or the listing number of your swap offer if it is also listed on B4B. Be sure you include your EMAIL address so that the seller can contact you if more info is needed. Please advise the seller of your name in the message rather than using just your nickname or seller ID.
Adding photos to your listings
There are two ways in which you can add a photo to your auction description.
1. You can upload a photo directly from your computer using our custom upload fields which are located in the Sellers listing form. Upload up to 6 photos for your auction. Some size restrictions do apply, so we recommend that the maximum size of your photo is 400 X 600 pixels in size at 72 dpi. We also recommend that your photos be in the .jpg format for quick download and viewing.
When adding photos using our upload fields, the photos will be displayed as thumbnails in your auction. When a visitor clicks on the thumbnail, the photo will be enlarged.
2. You can embed photos directly into the auction listing between lines of text by using the 'insert image' tool in the word processing tool panel of the auction description panel. Type the text you want in your auction and then click on the 'insert image' icon. A box will appear that will allow you to link to photos already stored on the internet. NOTE: to use this feature, your photos MUST previously be uploaded to a location on the internet such as a web site or photo storage space. This feature will not work for photos stored on your hard drive.
When the pop up box appears, simply type in the path to your photo. It will begin with http:// and should look something like this: http://www.yoursite.com/mypicture.jpg
Click OK and you will see your photo appear in the auction description. To Center the photo click on the 'center text' tool in your word processing tool bar. You can also have the picture aligned to the left of the right of the screen. P
Preview your auction by clicking onthe Preview Tool. This is the little magnifying glass, which is the second tool from the left in the word processing tool bar.
Paying your fees
An invoice is automatically generated to people with a balance owing. If the value of the amount owing is over 10 cents, a PayPal link will appear in your member's area under DETAILS. If the balance is below 10 cents, no invoice will appear and the balance will be carried to the following month.
To pay your fees, log into your member's area and click DETAILS. Pay using the link provided. If a balance of more than $100.00 is reached, your account will be automatically suspended. Payment of the balance reinstates your account.
At this time, Paypal is the only method of payment accepted. If you do not already have a paypal account, you can create one easily at www.paypal.com
If you are a stores subscriber, the monthly fee will be added to your account each and every month whether you use the service or not. Please do not ask for refunds for stores that are not used. It is up to YOU to cancel your stores subscription in your member's area should you no longer wish to use it. We will not cancel subscriptions for you.
How to edit your listing
To edit your listing, log into the Members Area. Click on the 'Selling' Icon and a list of your current auctions will appear. To the right of your listings you will see the option "Modify your Listing." Click on this and you will be able to edit the text of your auction, or add photos using the word processing tool bar. (See Adding Photos in the Help Section.)
How do I end a listing?
There is currently no prevision for registered users to end their own listings. This must be done by site administration. Bid 4 Bears frowns upon the early ending of listings, and in the best interest of all users has decided to keep this as an administrative function. However, on occassion mistakes are made and auctions must be closed early. To do this, email the administration by using the 'Contact' link on the bottom of the Home page. Tell us why your auction needs to be ended, and be sure to provide us with the auction ID number. We will cancel auctions when necessary. All bids on those auctions will also be cancelled.
Stores subscriptions
To enable your store, log into your members area and click on Stores. Check the enable button to open your store. Store fees are billed on a recurring monthly basis. Billing continues regardless of whether the store is being used or not until such time as you disable it in your member's area. Bid 4 Bears Admin will not cancel Stores for you.
To enable or disable your store, you must log into your members area and click the appropriate tab.
If you are a stores subscriber, the monthly fee will be added to your account each and every month whether you use the service or not. Please do not ask for refunds for stores that are enabled but not being used. It is up to you to cancel your store subscription in your member's area should you no longer wish to use it.
Feedback system
Once a sale has been processed, both the seller and the buyer will be able to leave feedbacks for each other. The feedback rating is from one star to five stars, and a feedback comment can also be left. The feedback can be left from the Feedback tab from the Members Area. The feedback can only be left once, and it cannot be edited afterwards. The site admin will reserve its right to delete malicious or untrue feedbacks.
Dutch auctions
On a Dutch Auction, the auctioneer has more items of the same product for sale. The bidder will enter a maximum bid he is willing to pay for an item, and the number of items he wants to purchase. The highest bidder(s) will receive the number of items they have bid on, and the remaining bidders will receive the number of items still available. Buyers are able to bid more than once for the same item.
Wanted ads
Wanted ads are a new and increasingly popular feature. As an advertiser you can list adverts for items you want and sellers can submit offers for items they are selling. Its a quick, simple and hassle free way of sellers being able to meet buyers demands.
Advertiser (Buyer)
List a new wanted ad and wait for sellers to contact you with offers. If you receive an offer your happy with you can bid on the item!
Sellers
Browse the wanted ads and if you see one that matches an item your selling make an offer and tell the buyer you have just what they are looking for!
Auction watch
The auction watch features notifies you of newly listed auctions which contain keywords you have chosen. For example if you are looking for a Playstation 2 you could enter in those keywords from within your members area. Each time a new auction is listed containing the term Playstation 2 you will be notified via this web-site. You can enter in as many keywords as you like.
Item watching
The item watch features lets you keep a close eye on any auction without having to place a bid on it. This feature means you can be kept up to date on how an auction is doing and prepares you to place a winning last minute bid. You can watch any auction by clicking on the Watch this item link on any auction page.
Artist trading cards
This site was designed to feature ATC's and to create an area where they could easily be traded, or sold.
Artist trading cards, also known as ATCs, are 2 ½ x 3 ½ inch (64 x 89 mm) miniature works of art which artists trade with one another, similar to the way people trade sports cards. They can be any medium: pencil, watercolor, acrylic, oil, collage, scratch board, mixed media - anything the creative mind of the artist can think up. Artist Trading Cards are produced as originals, as limited editions, or as a series. ATCs are a relatively new art form which formally began in September 1996. The concept was created by Swiss artist M. Vänçi Stirnemann.
ATC's are typically made on a base of card stock, although this is not mandatory as tehy can also be created on metal, stiffened fabric, plastic, clay, and many other materials. Various techniques are then applied to the chosen canvas: collage, assemblage, digital art, calligraphy, beadwork, watercolors, rubber stamps, and many others. The back of the card typically includes the artist's signature, the date, and the edition number.
Here at Bid 4 Bears we allow for the buying and selling of ATC's as well as swapping, although swapping is the preferred method of trade in ATC circles. To set up your listing for swap, please refer to our HELP section under:
How to Swap
Reserve Auctions
Automatic Bidding
Why is my bid not going up.
These areas will help you to understand ATC trading on this board and help you to get the most from your experience. To trade your card with one listed by one of our members, you will have to email them a photo. If your swap offer is accepted, the listing can be ended.
At Bid 4 Bears we also have 2 categories of ATC's. Those created digitally and printed on to cards, and those that are 'cut and paste' using a variety of objects and technques.
If you have any questions regarding ATC's that you would like to see listed in our HELP section, please contact the site admin, using the contact button at the bottom of the page.
Why hasn't the admin answered my emails?
Bid 4 Bears Administration is staffed by real people. Although many of the Bid 4 Bears emails are generated automatically by the program itself, a live person answers all email as quickly as possible.
In order to receive these emails YOU MUST have your email configured to receive email from admin@bid4bears.com Activation emails are sent from this address. Failure to set your account to receive our emails will result in you not being able to use this site.
We also recommend that you set your email client to receive from our alternate email address bears135@shaw.ca which we use in the event of server difficulties.
If you are not receiving emails, please check your spam and trash folders as well as your blocked email lists. Then, add us to your 'white' 'accept' or 'friends' list (names vary by email client) and resend your email to our attention.
Why have I been suspended?
Suspensions happen for several reasons.
A user fails to comply with our policies.
A user is engaged in suspected fraudulent activity.
A user has exceeded the $100.00 fee cap on fees.
A user has failed to pay their invoice for a period of 3 month. (These accounts will be sent to collections.)
Email or telephone contact is hostileor offensive in nature. We have a ZERO tolerance at Bid 4 Bears for this type of correspondence.
If you feel that you've been suspended in error, please contact us to discuss the matter.
Why has my auction been suspended?
Current Auctions will be suspended automatically by our Bid 4 Bears program if a user is suspended for any reason.
In addition, current auctions can be suspended for a number of reasons, including, but not limitted to:
Linking to other auction sites within a listing or on the Seller's About Me Page.
Identical auctons being listed simultaneously on other auction sites, when only one item is available.
Suspected fraudulent or other criminal activity.
Violation of any of our policies.
If you feel that your auction has been suspended in error, please contact us to discuss the mattter. Please read our policy regarding contact prior to doing this, in our User Agreement.
How do I use html templates to create a listing?
To use use html or html templates in an auction do the following:
When you begin entering your item's details, you will see an icon at the top of the word processing box that looks like this: <>
Click on these double pointy brackets and a new text entry box will appear. Using the icons provided at the top of this popup, simply paste your entire html template, into the text box.
You can then close the box or use the preview icon to see what your auction will look like. To enter html though, you MUST be using the text entry box that pops up when you click the <> icon.
NOTE:On many systems, this will ONLY work in Internet Explorer. If you are using other browsers, you may experience difficulties. Pop up blockers may also interfere with your ability to use this feature.
