Honest Feedback From A Real Customer

[Gem Lover]

The problem is those that bid just for fun and jack up the bids to insane prices will nt use auto pay because these people have no intention on buying the item to begin with so those people will still continue to play the games and they get away with it because shoplc does not enforce making them buy the items. Shop LC said some of these people had not payment method stored so there is no way to even charge them.

[Purrkitty]

Exactly!
Free shipping is rewarding people who bid fairly, and pay fairly.

There are lots of people who still won't, and that sucks for the rest of us.
Hopefully Autopay will be enough incentive to stop this behavior at least a little bit.

[josey]

I don't like it at all, because I bid on and buy higher priced things, and I think i SHOULD have theoption to change my mind. And now, when I buy something, on top of a high tax, I have to pay another $3 for shipping? Crummy. After doing this auction for over 10 years, I feel like I shouldn't have to pay shipping and a high tax. Just less than 2 years ago, there was no tax, AND free shipping over 50 also! I am not happy with this change, but won't use it. I'll have to win an auction at a lower price to make up for the shipping and tax rate. I guess it's good for all the people who buy lower priced stuff, and the 3$ for each really adds up. That used to be me, but I am mostly only bidding on gold now.

[Amy]

Yes, I’m a real customer & was so excited about the autopay. However I’ve max bid on 4 items & lost them all. I wish I knew the secret to winning once in awhile on RA. Sign me disappointed in Ohio. 😔😔😔

[Joybear]

When I first started doing ra auctions my cat unbeknownst to me bid on an item .I was astonished when I called customer service and they said don't worry just don't pay for the item and let it expire..I thought huh? An auction where you can bid on items and then not pay after you won?where else on the planet does this happen?to me it is dishonest to bid on an item you have no intention of paying for. Or tobid on and win the same item several times and only pay for the lowest price one.where I come from if you bid on an item at any auction you must purchase the item and if you don't you will not be allowed to participate in further auctions!I have inadvertently bid when scrolling the auction page and mistakenly lost out on items that expired but it was not intentional.most places you have to pay within 24 hours when you register and bid on items.shop lc truly does deliver joy to me I love everything I've gotten all quality beautiful items if not for shop lc I could only dream of owning .I don't understand people whining they dont want to pay for an item they bid on won and then"changed my mind" and shop lc is supposed to just place it back up for auction which costs them time and money and manpower. Personally I think these people should be barred from bidding that constantly abuse the auctions .whatever happened to doing what's right?

[josey]

Joybear, I respectfully disagree. I have been doing the LC auctions for over 10 years and that is how they have always run them. It is the "secret" to their success. I am not an overbidder and i hate when those idiots out there ruin auctions for the rest of us. But it is really refreshing to have an auction site that is DIFFERENT than the others, with the ability to change your mind after you win. I personally would not be bidding so much if I had to pay for everything I win. And i am sure that goes for thousands of others. Again, it is why the LC auctions succeed. They get people to bid and use the site! There was a time I was totally addicted to it. And, with higher priced items like gold, I should have the option to change my mind once in a while after I "win" it.

[Tothemoon]

Somebody makes an outrageously high bid on an item so people who also want the item don’t buy it because the price is too high. Somebody else outbids you with a reasonable bid and it drives up your price if you want the item. If you don’t outbid this reasonable bid you don’t get the item. Than that person decides they don’t want it anyway. The other option is to make a higher bid and pay more for the item. Whether you are making outrageous bids or making reasonable bids but then changing your mind and not buying the item it drives up the price for other bidders. I just don’t get it. Shop LC’s written rule from their Auction and Bidding Help page is:

Can I retract or cancel my bid?
You can't retract, remove, or cancel a bid. When you place a bid, you agree to pay for the item if you're the winning bidder.

If this isn’t the case than I feel I’ve paid more for items than I should have over the years.

[Purrkitty]

Yes, I’m a real customer & was so excited about the autopay. However I’ve max bid on 4 items & lost them all. I wish I knew the secret to winning once in awhile on RA. Sign me disappointed in Ohio.

Honestly, the secret is patience, luck, and some strategy. Also frequent visits to the auctions. I just scored an absolutely gorgeous ring I've been wanting that usually goes for 15-20 for 7 bucks!! I did autobid for $12 about a minute before the auction ended. I was just lucky that no one else who was looking at auctions at that time wanted the ring.
I've been watching and waiting to bid on it.

Items will come up frequently, so a little patience goes a long way.
If an item has been around for awhile, the going price tends to go down.
Alternatively, if you see an amazing product for the first time and the bids are low, get it! Chances are other people haven't seen the item yet, and so the bids will go higher once people are watching it.
The personal favorites is a very cool feature they have. You can see things you have bid on in the past, but may not have won. Keep an eye on personal favorites.

Whether or not you use autobid or bid at the last second is also a skill you learn over time.
If an item you know people want (like bedsheets), and the bids are low in the last minute, it's possible that people are going to bid at the last second. I just bid low, or autobid at the last second, and cross my fingers no one else is watching it. When the clock hits zero, and I win a set of bedsheets for 12, it is the best feeling in the world!


There is an algorithm to it as well.
At midnight, not as many people are on looking at auctions. (but the number of auctions slow down, which totally makes sense)
I find Sunday morning/afternoon to be a good time because lots of people are in church.
Rush hour/dinner times.

You CAN win beautiful, quality items for a great price....it just takes some effort.

[Kat]

Before they changed it where you could put an auto bid in and it would bid up for you, was the best. I would be on there between 12 - 3 a.m. and win most of my items and yes I would buy all them. Because I would get them dirt cheap. Too bad it wasn't like that now.

[Purrkitty]

There is still autobid!