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| Do I need to register to use Collectors Network? |
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Registration is not required to browse Collectors Network. Users must be registered to buy or sell items. Registration is free. To register, fill out the registration form. |
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| Bidders |
| Locating Items |
| If you are looking for a particular item, use the search box located on the side of every exchange page. You can search the entire site, or within a certain category. |
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| Browsing Items |
| You can also located items by browsing a particular category. Start by choosing a category on the side of every exchange page. |
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| What does the number next to a seller's ID represent? |
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The number following usernames on Collectors Network represents the user's feedback total. The feedback total represents a composite score related to comments left by other users. Please see the feedback section for my information. |
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| How do I bid on an item? |
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To bid, you must be a registered member. Enter the maximum amount you are willing to pay and your username and password. Your bid must be at least equal to one bid increment over the current bid (see bid increments for more information). If your bid is greater than the current bidder's maximum amount, you will be new high bidder. If the current high bidder has a higher maximum bid, you will be outbid, and will not be the current highbidder. Collectors Network will bid up to the maximum on your behalf. Your maximum bid will not be revealed to other users, including the seller. Please see proxy bidding for more information. |
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| What is a proxy bid? |
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Collectors Network allows users to enter their maximum bid on an item so they do not have to keep placing bids during the duration of the auction. The system will place your bid at the current minimum bid, and will raise your bid accordingly up to the maximum bid amount when other bidders place subsequent bids on the item. |
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| Can I bid on my friend's, family members items? |
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Generally, you are not allowed to bid on a friend or family member's item. Collectors Network prohibits this practice because many sellers use secondary or other members accounts to artificially raise the final bid price. However, you are allowed to bid on friend's or family members who do not reside in the same location if you have a bona fide intent to purchase the item. |
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| What is a reserve price? |
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In a reserve price auction, the seller is not obligated to sell that item at the ending bid, unless the winning bid reaches the seller's reserve price. If the seller has included a reserve price, the highbidder will only win the item if their bid above the seller's reserve price. The first bid above the seller's reserve price will automatically be jumped to the reserve price, regardless of the current bid. All auctions on Collectors Network are without reserve unless otherwise noted. |
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| What is a buy price? |
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The buy price allows the bidder to end the auction immediately, and purchase the item for the seller's buy price. This option is available until the first bid is placed on the auction, or the reserve price is met. To exercise the buy price option, use the form located at the bottom of the auction page. You will be asked to enter your login information and confirm your purchase. Choosing the buy price option results in a binding contract between the buyer and seller to purchase the item. |
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| What are my obligations to the seller after I place a bid? |
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Your bid becomes a binding contract if your bid is above the minimum bid price, or reserve price (if applicable) when the auction ends. You are obligated to complete the transaction with the seller. |
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| Does Collectors Network collect payment from the buyer? |
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No. The seller is responsible for collecting payment from the buyer. |
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| Are there any buyers fees for purchasing an auction item? |
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No. Collectors Network does not charge buyers a fee for bidding or purchasing auction items. Sellers are charged a final value fee on the winning auction price. |
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| How do I pay my winning auction bid? |
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Buyers are required to pay in the payment forms specified in the auction description or terms. Please contact the seller for more information. |
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| How long should I wait for the seller to contact me? |
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Typically, the seller should contact the buyer within three business days. If you are unable to contact the seller within in reasonable time, the deal is voidable at the buyer's option. |
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| Can I retract my bid? |
Bidders are only allowed to retract a bid under certain conditions. If you are the highbidder when the auction closes, your are expected to honor your bid. A winning bid is a valid and binding contract. Valid reasons include:
nbsp;nbsp;- Family emergency.
nbsp;nbsp;- Bidder is unable to contact the seller. This means you are unable to contact the seller via phone or email address because of invalid contact information.
nbsp;nbsp;- Seller has changed the description or terms after the bid was placed.
nbsp;nbsp;- Buyer entered an obvious incorrect amount (i.e bidding $100.00 instead of $1.00). If you retract your bid for this reason, you are expected to immediately rebid the correct amount. Failure to do so is a violation of the bid retraction policy.
Bids cannot be withdrawn in the last 24 hours of an auction. Users are required to state a reason when retracting a bid. All bid retractions are recorded in your feedback profile. Users found to be frequently retracting bids may be subject to account suspension or termination. If you are unable to retract a bid because the auction has less than 24 hours remaining, please contact the seller with your situation and ask that the bid be canceled. The seller is not required to cancel your bid. |
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| Can a seller prohibit bidders from participating in an auction? |
Sellers are permitted to exclude any buyers from bidding in an auction listing or purchasing or making an offer on an exchange item. Collectors Network allows sellers to maintain a list of bidders prohibited from bidding on the seller's items.
In addition, bidders who do not meet the terms of the listing are prohibited from placing any bids on the item. Buyers cannot place bids on items with the purpose of disrupting the listing. Failure to meet the seller's terms includes:
nbsp;nbsp;- Buyer is located in a country outside the seller's stated shipping area.
nbsp;nbsp;- Buyers states users with a negative feedback total cannot bid on the item.
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| What if the seller refuses to complete the transaction? |
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Upon receipt of a successful purchase offer or winning bid, sellers are expected to accept payment and deliver the item to the buyer. However, there are some cases where sellers are no longer able to complete the transaction. Sellers should contact tthe buyer and explain the situation. If a seller refuses to complete the transaction, please report the situation to webmaster@collectors-network.com. Sellers repeatedly refusing to complete a transaction may be subject to account suspension or termination. |
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| Sellers |
| How do I list a new auction? |
To add a new item to, follow the add Item link on any exchange page. Your auction will last for the chosen duration. Auctions can be set to automatically renew for the chosen duration.
The following fields are available when listing a new item.
Title (required): Select a descriptive title that will immediately attract buyers to your list. The title should accurately describe the listed item. Avoid using words such as "Wow", "rare","hard to find" that may not actually describe the item listed.
Category (required): Select the appropriate category for your listing.
Secondary category (optional): Select a second appropriate category for your listing.
Duration (required): Select the duration of your auction. Auctions can last from 1 to 10 days.
Start Price (required): The starting auction price. This will be the lowest price you are willing to accept, unless a reserve price is included in your auction. All prices are in US dollars. Please do not include any currency symbols.
Reserve Price (optional): The lowest price you are willng to accept for your item. This does not need to be the same as your starting price. All bids are non-binding until the current price reaches the reserve price. Do not use this option if your reserve price and start price are the same.
Buy Price (optional): Allow the first bidder to automatically purchase the item at the set buy price. This option will disappear once the reserve price is met, or the first bid is placed on a non-reserve price auction.
Quantity (required): The quantity of the item you are offering for sale. The default setting is one.
Description (required): The description should fully and accurately the item(s) listed, and can include html or images. The description may include the terms and conditions of sale.
Location (required): The location where the item is located.
Image URL (optional): Include a hosted image in your listing.
Payment types (required): Your listing must contain at least one valid payment types. Select all valid payment types you accept on the listing. Collectors Network prohibits sellers charging any surcharges for accepting any of the following payment types, except for C.O.D. or escrow services.
- Checks
- Cashiers Checks/Money Orders
- Visa/Mastercard
- American Express
- Discover Card
- Other Online Payments
- PayPal
- C.O.D.
- See description
Shipping (optional): The shipping and insurance charges for the item listing.
Additional shipping (optional): Additional shipping charges when combining shipping on other auctions.
International (optional): Check this box if you accept international purchases.
Combine Shipping (optional): Check this box if you combine shipping on multiple item purchases. This option can be further described in the terms and conditions.
Sales Tax (optional): Include applicable sales tax charges in your listing. This should include the state where such taxes are applicable.
Expiration Email (optional): Check this option if you would like to receive emails when your listing expires or is automatically renewed. This option is available on each seperate listing.
Auto renew listing (optional): Check this option to automatically renew your listing for the chosen duration.
Save settings (optional): Check to save fields marked with a (*) for later use.
Featured listing (optional): Your listing will be featured on the Exchange home page, and on the top of the relevant category listings. Featured ads are a seperate $2.95 charge.
All listing must comply with the listing policy and auction rules. |
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| Are there any restrictions on what items I can sell? |
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Yes. Please view the listing policy prior to selling at Collectors Network.
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| What is a featured auction? |
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Sellers can use the optional feature to have their auction featured on the main home page randomly, and above the relevant category listings. This is an optional $2.95 featured, and the featured charge is non-refundable. |
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| Can I provide bonuses or prizes in my auction? |
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Sellers can provide bonus item to buyers in their listing, as long as the seller states the exact price at which the bonus will apply. In multiple item listings, the seller must offer the exact same bonus item to all buyers. |
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| When will my item be available in the category listings and search function? |
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Auctions are immediately available in the category and search listings. |
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| How do I edit my auction? |
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You can edit information in the item description or details from My Account. If the changes in the terms or description of the auction are significant, bidders are entitled to withdraw their bids. |
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| Can I bid on my own item? |
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No. Bidding on your own item is considered shill bidding. This is prohibited because it unfairly raises the price for other bidders. |
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| Can a seller prohibit bidders from participating in my auction? |
Sellers are permitted to exclude any buyers from bidding in an auction listing or purchasing or making an offer on an exchange item. Collectors Network allows sellers to maintain a list of bidders prohibited from bidding in the seller's items. You can manage your prohibited bidders list under My Account.
In addition, bidders who do not meet the terms of the listing are prohibited from placing any bids on the item. Buyers cannot place bids on items with the purpose of disrupting the listing. Failure to meet the seller's terms includes:
- Buyer is located in a country outside the seller's stated shipping area.
- Seller states users with a negative feedback total cannot bid on the item. |
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| How do I block a bidder from participating in my auction? |
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You can review and make changes to your blocked bidders list under My Account.
Please see My Account for more information. |
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| What if a buyer inappropriately retracted a bid? |
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If you believe a buyer has inappropriately retracted a bid on your item, please contact webmaster@collectors-network.com regrading the situation. Inappropriate bid retractions can result in suspension or terminaiton of the user's account. |
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| Can I cancel a bid on my auction? |
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Sellers can cancel any bids prior to the end of the auction. Use this form to cancel a bid. |
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| Can I end an auction early? |
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Sellers can always end an auction early. Use this form to end an auction early. Keep in mind that most bidders place bids in the final 24 hours. If you do not intend to sell the item to the highbidder, be sure to cancel all bids prior to ending the auction early. |
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| How do I report buyers that have failed to pay? |
Non-paying buyers should be reported to Collectors Network. Prior to filing a complaint, please attempt to work out the situation with the buyer. If you are unable to contact the buyer, start by sending a payment reminder. After seven days, you can file a request for a final value fee credit.
Requesting a Final Value Fee credit
1. The seller must wait at least seven days to allow the buyer to contact you or send payment.
2. Fill out the Final Value Fee credit form. This must be done within 45 days after purchase date or end of the auction.
3. A credit will be applied to your account immediately. All credit requests are reviewable by Collectors Network and may be subject to reversal.
- Sellers may file a payment reminder prior to requesting a final value fee credit.
- Credit requests are recorded against both the buyer and seller's account. The information provided in your request will be used to indentify problem bidders.
- Try to work out any problems with the buyer prior to requesting a final value fee.
- Collectors Network will contact you if there are any questions regarding your request, or if the buyer chooses to appeal the credit request.
- Buyers refusing to complete a transaction is a violation of Collectors Network policy. Multiple violations can result in the suspension of the buyer's account.
Please see the non-paying buyer policy for more information. |
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| When will I be charged for selling an item? |
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Sellers are charged at the end of the auction, unless optional auction features have been used. The auction fee will be charged as a percentage of the final value if a winning bid is placed above the reserve price. Please see fees for more information. |
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| Does Collectors Network offer a bulk uploader for sellers? |
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Yes, please visit this page for more information. |
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| General Questions |
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| Why was one item removed, while other similar items were not removed? |
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Collectors Network removes listing that are prohibited under the terms, conditions and policies of Collectors Network. Most listings are removed because of a user complaint. Similarly listed items will be removed if Collectors Network is notified about them. |
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| How do I report illegal, infringing or fraudulent listings, or other violations of the terms, conditions and policies? |
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If you feel a listing is illegal, infringing or fraudulent, or a user is violating the terms, conditions and policies of Collectors Network, please report the violation to us. |
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| Am I allowed to use auction management software to track my personal transactions? |
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Yes. Members are allowed to use bulk uploading, automatic bidding and auction management software that enable users to track their own buying and selling information. |
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| What is shill bidding? |
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Shill bidding involves placing bids in an auction without the intent to purchase the item, for the purpose of artificially raising the price of an item. Users are prohibited from using secondary User IDs or other members to artificially raise the price of an item. To avoid the appearance of shill bidding, family and friends should avoid bidding on each other's items. Bidders placing bids exclusively for one or two different sellers may not necessarily be shill bidding. Users found placing shill bids may be subject to account suspension or termination. Users are allowed to have multiple accounts for various reasons, including the separation of business and personal accounts. However, users should never interact between their multiple accounts. |
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| What fees can sellers charge for shipping and handling? |
Sellers may charge a reasonable shipping and handling fee to final price of their item, reflecting the seller's reasonable costs for mailing, packaging and handling the item. Shipping and handling fees cannot be listed as a percentage of the final sale price. In cases where the seller has stated a shipping and handling fee upfront, the seller is not required to combine shipping on multiple items unless prior arrangements have been made between the buyer and seller prior to bidding or purchasing the item.
Sellers are encouraged to list the shipping and handling charges in the item listing. Due to current postal regulations, it is sometimes difficult to determine shipping until the buyer's location is known. Buyer should contact the seller before bidding or purchasing an item to clear up any questions not answered in the item listing. If the seller does not list the actual shipping charges in the item listing, than charges should reflect that seller's actual cost to ship the item(s). |
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| Can sellers charge a surcharge for receiving payment? |
Sellers may not charge a buyer additional fees for the use of common forms of payment, including checks, money orders, electrionic transfers or credit cards. These costs should be built into the price of the item. Some forms of payment surcharges, such as credit card surcharges, are illegal under the laws of some states.
Sellers may only add a surcharge to the final price under the following circumstances:
- Sellers may charge a reasonable shipping and handling fee to the final price of their item. This fee should be disclosed in the listing. Shipping and handling fees can cover the seller's reasonable costs for mailing, packaging and handling the item. This can not be listed as a percentage of the final sale price.
- Sellers may charge the costs associated with using third party escrow services, if they buyer chooses to use an escrow service.
- If a sellers accepts payment in a different currency than US dollars, than the seller may pass along to the buyer any costs associated with the currency exchange if the buyer chooses to make payment in the optional payment method. Such costs must be disclosed and agreed to in advance by the buyer. |
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| Can a user contact bidders in an auction? |
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Users are prohibited from interfering with other member's auction transactions. This includes offering to purchase an listed item outside the Collectors Network system or contacting bidders and offering them similar or identical items. |
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| Can I leave feedback for other user's? |
Yes. Collectors Network has an integrated feedback system, where users have a compsite feedback total. The feedback total is based on positive, negative and neutral comments left by other users. Feedback can be left for any transaction on Collectors Network, including trades in our forums. Please see the feedback section for my information.
Feedback is not required at the completion of every transaction, but is strongly recommened. However, feedback can be a valuable tool for determining buyers and sellers reputations at Collectors Network. It is recommended that both parties leave feedback after the transaction is completely finished. By waiting until the buyer receives the package, sellers can avoid leaving positive feedback for a buyers that may later warrant a lesser rating. |
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| What is bid sniping? |
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Bid sniping involves bidders placing their bids very close to the end of the auction, to prevent other users from having time to place a higher bid. Buyers want to avoid bidding wars that may raise the final price of the auction. This practice is not against the policies of Collectors Network, and sellers are required to honor snipe bids. |
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