Frequently Asked Questions

about the Auction

Q

Why do I have to register?

We need you to register for the auction, so that we can communicate with about your transactions. It is also a way to try and deter time-wasters. We want the auction to be a fun place to sell and buy goods, not a place to get frustrated by people who have no intention of selling or buying their items. Your details will not knowingly be given to any third parties.

Q

What should I include in my Description?

Make it brief but useful. You should always put the condition the item is in ('excellent condition', 'boxed as new', 'slightly scratched', 'somewhat battered'(!) are just a few) — this saves disappoint later. It is also a good idea to make it clear who is responsible for shipping/collection costs ie. 'Buyer pays p&p', or 'will deliver for free', or 'will deliver for small fee', or 'Buyer to arrange collection', etc. It is stongly advised that you include your e-mail address so that prospective Buyers can ask questions before they bid.

Q

What is the 'Reserve Price'?

The reserve price is the minimum you want the item to sell for. Say you had a computer and you wanted no less than £600 for it. You would put the reserve price as 600.00. Only the Seller knows what the reserve price is! So, you can get Buyers interested by making the minimum bid (or first bid) £400. If you are doing this we would suggest a 'bid increment' of £20 or more.

If you don't put a 'reserve price' on an item and someone bids for it, you are obliged to sell at the winning bidder's price...you have been warned!

Q

What do you mean by 'image url'

You are allowed to place a photo of your item with your auction. In order to do so you must let us know where you image is posted ie. if you have web space of your own, you may point the image url to http://www.yourname.com/yourimage.jpg.

If you haven't got your own web space to upload a picture of your goods, you can upload your picture on to our server. Please make sure it is under 100kb and that the dimensions are no bigger than 200 x 200 pixels. When adding an item to the auction it asks for the 'image url', please enter http://www.uttoxeter.biz/anyDirName/yourimagename.jpg in the appropriate field (of course, changing yourimagename.jpg to the name of the image you uploaded!). The password is: auction

Q

What is a Dutch auction?

This is where you have more than 1 of a particular item to sell. For example, say you had 4 identical candlesticks you could sell these in a Dutch auction, allowing more than one person to win the candlesticks. The first 4 highest bidders will get a candlestick each, or a bidder can bid for 2 of the candlesticks (so that the next 2 highest bidders will get a candlestick each). I hope that explains it.

Q

What if I've made a huge mistake and put the wrong price in my auction?

Well, well, well! Just send us an e-mail and we'll delete the item, you can then re-auction it. Please try to get it right next time, thanks. If you're in a panic you can call us on 0870 432 1889.