Integrated Web Service Walkthrough - Uploading
Getting Started
When first starting your Online Auction adventure, the settings and options located within Auction Flex can be intimidating. The tutorial below can be used as a step by step tool to navigate those options and ensure you have the correct settings for your online auction.
PLEASE NOTE - This tutorial is interactive, when the directions ask you to click on a certian section on an image, please do so. It will lead you to the next portion of the tutorial.
**Click the Arrows for the next part of the tutorial**
Quick Links
| General Settings | Registration |
| Bidding | Lot Stagger |
| Soft Close | Post Auction |
| Other Sites |
Uploading - The Easy Navigator
After you have created the auction and the items/images have been entered, you are ready to begin the upload proceedure. The Upload button can be reached from the Easy Navigator.
Uploading - General Settings
The *General* screen will be the first set of options you will see upon clicking the Upload button.
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The first option is to show your auction on both the Auction Flex web site and the HiBid web site. There is no charge for posting an auction to allow your bidders to view. If this option is not checked, the auction will be shown through your private-label HiBid pages only.
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Next is the ability to Show Lot Numbers. If you have completed the catalog and are certain of the lot order, choose this option to show those lot numbers in the uploaded auction. If there is yet work to be done, leave this box unchecked.
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The Currency Abbreviation is the type of currency accepted for this auction (ex. USD, CAD)
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A Short Buyers Premium Explanation can be used to notify bidders of either the presence or lack of Buyers Premium and reason. This can proove helpful when dealing with a sliding scale Buyers Premium or if you opt to waive the Buyers Premium al together.
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The field labeled *Notice* will reflect anything entered onto your auction page in a highly visible section at the top. A good example of a common Notice would be - "Partial Catalog Only, Full Catalog to be Posted on Friday"
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The next step is Registration.
Uploading - Registration
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Internet Registration Type will determine how you allow the bidders to register and bid for your auction. This is extremely important as depending on the option you choose as when using Credit Card Validation, either you or the bidder could incur a small fee.
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Registration NOT Offered will be used when a catalog will be upload without the option for Internet Bidding.
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Registration with Bidder Record Only (for trusting auctioneer) should only be selected if you are not concerned with possible deadbeat bidders or holding bidders accountable for their bids. This will allow anyone to both register and bid during your online auction.
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Registration with Bidder Verification Only (CC info verified but not retained) is the first option which will actually require a bidder to validate a credit card before being allowed to bid. There is a $1 fe applied to the bidders card for this service, but this comes with some peace of mind knowing the bidder has a valid credit card to use.
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The fourth option is Registration with Authenticated Credit Card info (cc info retained for you). This option is very similar to the previous one as it requires the bidder to validate a credit card. However, with this setting, you have access to the credit card information (Number, Exp Date, etc). Because of this feature, the $1 fee is then charged to you (The Auction Company) instead of the bidder.
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The last option for this screen will automatically set a maximum total bidding amount Upon Successful Registration. This means with a $1,000 amount entered, a bidder will only be able to bid a grand total of $1,000 across all lots. This can be changed to reflect any amount you wish.
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A Successful Registration Email can be automatically sent to your bidders. Simply fill in the *Body* field below with what you would like to send to successfully registered customers. Click Credit Card Registration Settings for the next step.
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The Credit Card Registration Settings tab will allow you to set a length of time before requiring a credit card to be validated again. This tab also contains check boxes for choosing which credit cards you will be accepting.
Uploading - Bidding
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Making sure the setting on the Bidding screen may be the most important steps to take before uploading. Take care when selecting filling in these fields and making changes.
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The Internet Bidding Type drop down menu contains three options for online bidding.
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The first will be No Internet Bidding. This is used for uploading catalogs only where online bidding will not take place.
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Option two is for Absentee Bidding (bids brought to live auction). This option will be used when you have a live auction coming up and you would like to allow for internet bidders to *leave* bids with you to put against the floor bidders on auction day.
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The third option is for an Internet Only Auction. Select this route when you have an auction that will be posted online only for internet bidders only.
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All internet bids can be downloaded and automatically clerked from the Advanced section of Check-In Customers.
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The second drop down menu is to select the Minimum Bid Type and there are two:
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First we have Public Bidding (eBay style). Using this type of minimum bidding will allow your bidders to publically see where the bidding is going on an item they are interested.
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The second option is a Sealed Bid (silent bidding). Bids and bidders are not diaplayed with this setting so your registered bidders and browsing customers will not be able to see any bid information for any lots.
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Bid Amount Type has two options to reflect how online bids are taken.
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Maximum Bidding (up to) is similar to an eBay style format. Your $100 bid is accepted on an item selling for $10. If there are no other bids taken for this item, the winning bid will be $10 (only being raised by additional bidders on the same lot number).
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Fixed/Flat Bidding will take your bid of $100 and automatically increase the selling price of the item to $100 regardless of the current price.
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The first check box will show an immediate bid status (Won/Lots/Winning Amount) to your bidders when the auction has ended on closed lots. This is an Internet Only auction option.
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The next option is for bidding Times the Money. This means, if you have a lot number with more than one quantity. Each bid will be the bid amount times the quantity of items.
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The showing of Reserve Status will not show the Reserve amount. It will only show if the Reserve has been met or not.
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Forcing Bids to the Bid Increment Schedule will take the Increments found in Auction Flex (Miscellaneous -> Maintain Settings & Options -> Bid Incr.). These Increments will override the default with the information and scale that you input.
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The last check box is to include the Buyers Premium (if applicable) on the Bid Confirmation page.
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Setting the correct Bidding Start and Stop time is extremely important. If an incorrect date is entered into these fields, your online auction could be post dated and endup being archived. Please make sure the correct dates and times (Eastern Time) are placed into these fields to ensure your auction links to your Current Auction page.
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Setting an bid amount for Automatic Approval is generally used for an auction with a small amount of high end items mixed in with the other items. You may want to approve the bids for those specific lots but allow bidders to bid up to X amount with having to approve each and every bid.
Uploading - Lot Stagger
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Lot Stagger will affect the close time of the lots in your online auction. This can be done by individual lot, or by the auction as a whole.
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Setting the stagger by Auction will prompt you to enter a value in seconds for the closing time of subsequint lots after Lot 1.
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Using the stagger by lot will alllow you to customize your lot stagger by each individual lot. The quick set option will assist if you are looking for a more standard lot stagger. (Quick set is only usable through Stagger by Lot.
Uploading - Soft Close
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Soft Close is a feature which prevents sniping, a term commonly used in the Online Auction Industry. Sniping is when an online bidder will wait until the last few minutes of an auction and place a bid in the hopes that no one else is either watching or paying attention. Soft Close will add an X number of minutes on to the auction if a bid is placed within the last X number of minutes. For example, an online item has 3 minutes left and your soft close is set to 5 minutes. If a bid is placed, the time for this lot then is extended to 8 minutes.
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Linked Soft Close will allow you to group items of a similar nature together. This way, if one of these items is extended, every item in the group is also extended. To enable Linked Soft Close, simply create a Group Name and place it in the last column next to the items that you would like to group.
Uploading - Other Sites
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During the upload process, we give you the option to simultaneously upload to your AuctionZip account by selecting the first check box on this page.
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Simply enter in your Username and Password for AuctionZip with a Session time (Date/Time of the auction). It is also recommend to select at least one Auction Zip Category before you decide to upload.
Uploading - Post Auction
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You have a few options for Post Auction information by giving the browsing public access to the prices realized for your auction. When this box is checked, a new list of options will be visible.
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The first set of options will allow you to select how Unsold lots will be displayed. You can also choose to not show those Unsold lots.
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The second set will offer similar settings only for Buy Back lots.
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Check the box to Include Buyers Premium with Prices Realized will do exactly that. Depending on your Buyers Premium for the auction, the Prices shown will include that particular percentage.
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Lastly, the option to enter in a Maximum Extended Price would be used for items in your auction which may go over a certain amount that you would not like published. In this event, place the threshold number in the field and it will give a message to contact the auctioneer for the price of that item.
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