Building Trust and Safety on bidorbuy

At bidorbuy, we believe that our users should transact in an absolutely safe, secure and transparent environment. We have put a few processes in place to ensure that you trade without any worries and with complete peace of mind.

• The Ratings System
• Money Back Guarantee
• Community Watch
• Buyer Protection Programme
• Seller Monitoring

Ratings - Users' Comments Are Valued

bidorbuy encourages its users to 'rate' each other. A 'Rating' is a comment that users leave on the site about other users. These comments are a reflection of the actual experiences people have had while buying and selling on bidorbuy. There are three types of ratings: 'Positive', 'Negative' and 'Neutral'.

The rating score for a user, shown next to the user's bidorbuy username is calculated by adding the positive and negative ratings together. For example, if a user has a rating of 46 positive, 3 neutral and 1 negative, then the overall rating is +46 -1 = 45. A visual interpretation of the rating score is also indicated by a number of stars (icons) together with a percentage indicating either the total percentage of positive ratings or the recent percentage of positive ratings that user has received (depending on how active the user is).

Before buying and selling, you can view the 'Ratings' of other users, and make an informed decision about certain users. This way, bidorbuy guards against buyers and Sellers who have a bad transaction history. By providing an open platform such as 'Ratings', bidorbuy promotes the basic value of honesty.

Money Back Guarantee and Warranty - the Buyers' Chance to Get a Refund or Replacement

Many products sold on bidorbuy come with a 'Money Back Guarantee'. Simply put, a 'Money Back Guarantee' ensures that in the event that you are not satisfied with the item you receive, you can return it to the Seller and receive a refund.

The seller may deduct certain amounts, such as the cost incurred in shipping the item to you, and refund the remaining amount of your payment. All you need to do is contact the Seller and claim a refund within the time frame specified by him/her, and also ensure that the item is in its original condition and packaging.

Sellers can offer warranties such as ‘Replacement warranty’, ‘Dealer warranty’ and a ‘Manufacturer’s warranty’ which means that if you purchase a faulty item, you could return it to the Seller who will have it repaired or replaced under the warranty.

'Community Watch' - Users Can Alert bidorbuy About Suspicious Activity

bidorbuy's 'Community Watch' programme enables members to alert bidorbuy about potentially suspicious behaviour from either Buyers or Sellers.

Registered members can alert the bidorbuy team about suspicious Buyers, Sellers or item related problems via the "Report a Problem" link located at the top right hand corner of the Description Box on the Item Page. Once the 'Alert Form' is submitted, bidorbuy reviews the item and takes the necessary, appropriate action. Alternatively you can contact our Security Team directly via email communitywatch@bidorbuy.co.za or call us on 0861 88 0861.

The 'Buyer Protection Programme' - bidorbuy Compensates Buyers

The 'bidorbuy Buyer Protection Programme' is a service designed to improve security and protect the buyer against the unlikely event of a transaction not running according to the sale's 'Terms and Conditions'. This is a service offered free of charge, and covers all 'Auctions' and 'Buy Now' sales made by our 'Verified Users'. Even though the vast majority of bidorbuy transactions are trouble-free, if fraud is committed, this service provides an additional measure of safety to our users.

bidorbuy Defines Fraud As:

Paying for an item that is not received; or
Receiving an item that has a significantly lower value if compared to what was initially described in the 'Item Listing'. An example of this is winning a travel package in a 5-star hotel and receiving a 3-star package instead; or
Receiving an item that is materially different to what was initially described in the 'Item Listing'. An example of this is when a gold necklace is advertised, but the Buyer receives a bronze one.

Therefore, the 'bidorbuy Protection Programme' covers Buyers who have paid money to 'Verified Users' - who have advertised their goods as an 'Auction' or a 'Buy Now' sale - and not received the goods, or have received goods that are significantly different to what was initially listed. Please note the following conditions:

The Maximum Amount Per Buyer's Claim Is As Follows:

Up to a maximum of R500 (five hundred Rand) protection when buying from a Seller that is a 'Verified User' with a rating score* of at least 0.
Up to a maximum of R2 000 (two thousand Rand) protection is offered when buying from a Seller that is a 'Verified User' with a rating score* of at least +10.
Up to a maximum of R3 000 (three thousand Rand) protection is offered when buying from a Seller that is a 'Verified User' with a rating score* of at least +50.

All claims carry a 5% excess charge, which is deductible from the claim amount. The 'bidorbuy Buyer Protection Programme' only covers the final bid price. Other costs, such as shipping, duties and escrow fees, are not covered.

*The rating score for a user is calculated by adding the positive and negative ratings together. For example, if a user has a rating of 46 positive, 3 neutral and 1 negative, then the overall rating is +46 -1 = 45.

Seller Monitoring - Guarding Against Fraudulent Sellers

To try protect our buyers from fraudulent Sellers, all Sellers have to go through a basic verification process. Please note - even though we do our best to verify the Seller, we cannot provide any guarantees that they will be legitimate or will conclude the deal. Seller accounts can be temporarily suspended until they have verified all their details with us, thus limiting their ability to sell. Besides random checks, suspicious Sellers can be reported directly to us so that we can investigate and confirm their details.