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How does the public use the
auction website?
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| • | How do bidders find and view items on the website? |
Every page in your
auction website includes a list of item categories -- things like
'Boats', 'Jewelry', 'Sporting Goods', etc. When a bidder clicks
on one of those category names, a list of all the items in that
category appears. Clicking on the name of a particular item displays
a photo of the item, together with the item's description and pricing.
The area for placing a bid on the item appears on the same page.
Here's an example: |
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| • | How does someone become a bidder? |
Becoming a bidder is a simple matter of filling in a form with basic name and address information. The bidder chooses a username and password. The system sends the new bidder a confirmation email message, which includes a unique id code. This id code will appear in the status listing of items for which the person is the high bidder. This enables the bidder to check the status of items bid on, without revealing their identity to other people visiting the auction website. The system also sends an email message to the
auction administrator at the newspaper every time a new bidder
signs up, so that you have a real-time indication of activity and
interest in your auction. |
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| • | How do I ensure that winning bidders will really pay for their items? |
The website includes
wording indicating that by placing a bid on an item a bidder is
entering into a legally binding contract to purchase that item,
should they become the winning bidder. Also, the bidder registration
form collects identification information -- either a driver's license
number or a credit card number -- as a way of ensuring that only
serious bidders register. |
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| • | What if a bidder has a question about using the auction site? |
Your auction website includes a
'contact-us' page. When a visitor to your site fills in that form,
you (and any number of people you designate) receive an email telling
you that there is a new request waiting for a reply. The software
keeps track of all contact requests, giving you a report that shows
the text of each request, when the request was made, when it was
replied to, who made the reply, and the text of the reply. |
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As
soon as you are ready for people to start browsing through the
items in your auction -- usually a week or so before the start
of the auction, people in your community can start registering
as auction bidders.