BidOnBuy — Terms and Conditions

1.1BidOnBuy is an online marketplace and technology intermediary. Independent third parties ("Sellers") list products for auction-style bidding, and independent third parties ("Buyers" or "Bidders") bid on those listings within a defined local area. BidOnBuy does not sell, resell, make, inspect, store, ship or take ownership of any product.

1.2BidOnBuy is not a party to any sale between a Buyer and a Seller. The agreement to buy and sell a product, including its price, payment and handover, is strictly between them.

1.3BidOnBuy does not receive, hold, transfer, process or guarantee any payment for a product. It offers no escrow, wallet, payment protection, refund or chargeback service for products (see Section 6). The only payments made through the Platform are payments for credits.

1.4Nothing on the Platform is an endorsement or guarantee of any product's quality, authenticity, legality, safety or condition, or of any User's identity, intentions or conduct.

1.5If any page, email, notification or marketing material on the Platform describes the service differently from these Terms (for example, by saying payments are protected, or that the Seller may pick any bidder), these Terms prevail and we will correct that material.

1.6Where a listing is marked as a BidOnBuy Listing (Section 3.10), the Company, or a partner named on the listing, is the Seller of that product. Sections 1.2, 1.3 and 6 then apply only to deals between Users. Payment and handover for BidOnBuy Listings follow the terms shown on the listing, and the Company is responsible as a seller to the extent the law requires.

2.1You must be at least 18 and capable of entering into a binding contract under the Indian Contract Act, 1872.

2.2You must give accurate, current and complete information and keep your login details confidential. You are responsible for everything done through your account. To the extent the law allows, we are not responsible for loss caused by unauthorised access where you failed to keep your credentials secure.

2.3We may require identity verification (including through DigiLocker) before you can bid or list, and may refuse or revoke access under Section 24.

2.4You must keep your registered email address and phone number current and reachable. Notices we send there, or through in-app notifications, are treated as received (see Section 5.9).

Sellers are solely responsible for the accuracy of the title, description, photos, condition, price and claims in a listing. BidOnBuy does not verify or inspect listed products.

The Seller sets the auction by a time slot or a target price, as offered on the Platform. Before bidding opens, the listing must show (a) the closing time or target, and (b) whether the Seller has set a Reserve Price. The Reserve Price amount may stay hidden, but the fact that one exists must be visible to every bidder before they bid.

When the auction timer reaches zero, the highest Valid Bid is the Winning Bid and its bidder is the Top Bidder. This rule applies on every page, notification and screen of the Platform, except that BidOnBuy Listings also need the Participation Threshold in Section 3.10.

• A Valid Bid is a bid placed through the Platform by a verified, eligible, non-suspended account, in line with these Terms, and not voided under Section 12.
• If two bids are equal, the one placed first ranks higher.
• Each Bidder ranks once, at their highest Valid Bid.
• All Valid Bids are ranked from highest to lowest. This ranking is the Queue used in Section 5.

The Seller cannot choose a lower bidder over a higher one, or skip the Queue, except on the grounds listed in Section 5.4. After the auction closes, the Seller deals with Bidders in Queue order only.

If the highest Valid Bid is below the Reserve Price when the timer reaches zero, the auction ends with no winner and "Reserve not met" is shown. The Seller may not sell through the Platform to any Bidder from that auction, and may relist the item. Credits used on that auction are treated under Section 4.4.

A bid is a good-faith commitment to buy the product at the bid amount if you reach the front of the Queue and the product is as described. It is not a completed sale. The sale is complete only when Buyer and Seller both press "Confirm Deal" in the chat (Section 5.3). BidOnBuy cannot force either side to complete a sale, but a Bidder or Seller who walks away without a valid ground under Section 5 is marked ineligible.

A Seller may edit or cancel a listing freely until the first bid is placed. After that, the Seller may cancel only if the product is lost, damaged, sold elsewhere or cannot lawfully be sold, and must tell us the reason. Cancelling or deleting a listing after bids without such a ground counts as a violation under Section 5.6. Bidders' credits are restored under Section 4.5 in either case.

We may delay, suspend or cancel an auction for suspected fraud, technical failure, a prohibited item or a policy breach. Where we cancel, or a Seller cancels under 3.7, credits used on that auction are restored under Section 4.5.

We use real-time bidding infrastructure but cannot promise uninterrupted or error-free service. To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for a bid that is delayed, lost or fails to register because of network, device, server or other causes outside our reasonable control. Credits for a bid that failed to register because of a fault on the Platform are restored under Section 4.5.

Some listing sections are run by BidOnBuy and may include products listed by BidOnBuy itself ("BidOnBuy Listings"). For a BidOnBuy Listing, a winner is selected only if the minimum level of bidder activity set by BidOnBuy (the "Participation Threshold") has been reached by the time the timer reaches zero. BidOnBuy sets and may change the Threshold through its admin tools, by listing or category. It may be shown to you as a number or progress bar, or not shown, but every BidOnBuy Listing carries a notice that a Participation Threshold applies. If the Threshold is met, Sections 3.3 to 3.6 and 5 apply as normal. If it is not met, the bidding still ends as scheduled and no winner is selected, so the product may end with no winner at all. This is not a cancellation, and no credits are restored. Credits are restored only if BidOnBuy itself cancels the auction (Section 4.5).

Each registered User gets two (2) free bids. They are given per person, not per account. Creating more accounts to get more free bids is prohibited (Section 12). Free bids also expire on the date shown in your account if the Platform sets one.

After your free bids, you bid using credits bought on the Platform. The price of credits, bundle sizes, the number of credits each bid uses and the expiry period are shown on the Platform before you pay. We may change prices at any time; a change does not affect credits you already hold.

Every credit purchase is valid for one (1) year (12 months) from the date of purchase. The expiry date is shown at checkout, on your receipt and in your account. Credits not used by that date expire and cannot be used, restored, extended, transferred or refunded. When you bid, the credits closest to expiry are used first. We may send an expiry reminder, but we are not required to, and a missed reminder does not extend validity.

A credit is used up the moment a bid is placed. No credit is returned and no refund is given if:

• you are outbid or do not win;
• the auction ends with no winner, including where the Reserve Price or a Participation Threshold is not met;
• the Seller deals with, and closes the sale with, another Bidder from the Queue;
• you are marked ineligible under Section 5; or
• you change your mind, delete your account or stop using the Platform.

Once a sale is closed with one Bidder (Section 5.5), no other Bidder from that auction can claim the product, and nothing is owed to them.

Accidental use. Once a credit is used, it cannot be returned to you by any means, even if you used it accidentally, by mistake, or twice. Check before you bid. The only exceptions are the cases listed in Section 4.5.

Credits (not cash) are restored to your account only if (a) BidOnBuy cancels the auction, (b) the Seller deletes or cancels the product while bidding is open, or after bidding has closed but before the deal is Closed under Section 5.5, or (c) the Platform is down or faulty in a way that stopped your bid from registering or the auction from running normally. In each case the credits used on that auction are restored as credits, never as cash. You must report the issue within the 90-day period in Section 4.12. Restored credits keep their original expiry date, or 30 days from restoration, whichever is later.

If you were charged but did not receive credits, were charged twice, or had credits deducted in error, email support@bidonbuy.com within ninety (90) days of the transaction with your registered email address and transaction details. If we confirm the error, we will restore the credits to your account. Requests after 90 days, or not based on an error, will not be processed. A mistake of your own, such as a bid placed by accident, is not an error for this purpose (Section 4.4). Nothing in these Terms limits any refund right you have under law that cannot be excluded.

Credits are a right to use a feature of the Platform. They are not a wallet, deposit or stored-value instrument, and cannot be withdrawn, transferred to another User or exchanged for money. Once bought, credits are never given back as cash, whatever the reason.

Fees for credits are the only fees BidOnBuy currently charges. We take no commission and receive no part of the price agreed between Buyer and Seller. We may add fees in future with prior notice on the Platform. Payments for credits are processed by third-party payment providers; we do not store your card or bank details. GST and other applicable taxes are shown at purchase.

If your account is suspended or banned for fraud, hacking, tampering or another breach of these Terms, unused credits are forfeited without refund to the extent the law allows. If you close your account yourself, unused credits are forfeited.

If we reasonably find that you committed a scam, fraud or unethical act against BidOnBuy, any website or service related to BidOnBuy, or any Bidder or Seller (Section 12), we may, besides the action under Section 12, fine you ten (10) credits for each offence. The fine is deducted from your credit balance. If you do not have enough credits, your balance goes below zero (a negative balance) and you cannot bid or list until it is cleared. Credits you later buy, receive as free bids or earn under Section 4.11 are first used to clear the negative balance, and your bids are adjusted against it. We will tell you the reason by notice, and you may dispute the fine under Section 4.12. A negative balance stays on your record if your account is closed or banned, and we may refuse a new account to the same person.

For every successful listing, the Seller receives one (1) bid credit. A listing is successful when it ends Closed under Section 5.5. The credit is added after the deal is Closed and is valid for one (1) year from the date it is added. It is not given for BidOnBuy Listings, cancelled listings, or deals we find were fake, collusive or between accounts of the same person. Credit given for such a listing may be taken back, and a negative balance applies if it was already used.

To raise any issue about credits, charges, restorations, fines or strikes, email support@bidonbuy.com from your registered email address within ninety (90) days of the event, with details. After 90 days the record stands and no claim is accepted.

When the auction ends with a Winning Bid, the Platform opens a chat between the Seller and the Top Bidder (Queue position 1) and notifies both. Only that Bidder can chat with the Seller at that time.

Each chat has a window of four (4) hours, counted by Platform time from the moment the chat opens. Within the window, both the Seller and the Bidder must take part: each must reply to the other's messages, and the Seller must send a first message or reply to the Bidder's. The purpose is to check that the Bidder is genuine and interested, that the Seller still has the product as listed, and to agree handover.

A deal is made only when both the Seller and the Bidder press "Confirm Deal" in the chat within the window. The agreed price is the Bidder's Winning Bid unless both agree otherwise in the chat. Payment, meeting and handover then follow directly between them under Sections 6 to 10.

The Platform moves the Queue to the next Bidder, who gets a fresh four-hour window, when:

• the window ends without both pressing "Confirm Deal" (a Timeout);
• one side does not respond as required in Section 5.2 (a Non-Response);
• the Seller declines the Bidder on one of these grounds: the Bidder is not genuine or not interested, tries to change the agreed price or terms without the Seller's agreement, refuses a reasonable handover arrangement, or breaks these Terms;
• the Bidder withdraws, giving a valid reason (for example, the product is materially different from the listing); or
• the Bidder is found ineligible or the bid is voided.

The Seller must choose the reason on the Platform. A Seller may not decline a Bidder because a later Bidder offers more off the Platform, or for any reason not listed above.

Once the Seller and a Bidder both press "Confirm Deal", the auction is Closed. No other Bidder can claim the product, the Queue ends, the other Bidders are told the product is sold, and no refund or compensation is owed to them (Section 4.4). A Bidder who has been passed over because of a Timeout, Non-Response, decline or withdrawal cannot return to the Queue or reclaim the product. If a closed deal later falls through, BidOnBuy does not reopen the auction; the Seller may relist the product as a new auction.

A User who causes a Non-Response or Timeout (including the Seller), withdraws without a valid reason, or cancels or declines in breach of this Section is marked ineligible for that auction and the Platform records a strike against the account. Strikes lead to the following steps, and continue to count for 90 days:

• first strike: a warning;
• second strike: bidding and listing are blocked for 7 days;
• third strike: bidding and listing are blocked for 30 days; and
• further strikes: permanent suspension under Section 24.

Where both sides are silent, both receive a strike. We may apply a heavier step for deliberate abuse, such as bidding with no intention to buy (Section 12).

If a Platform outage or notification failure on our side prevented a User from responding, the window is extended by the length of the outage and no strike is applied. To dispute a strike, email support@bidonbuy.com within 90 days with the details (Section 4.12). Our decision after review is final within the Platform.

If every Bidder in the Queue has been moved past without a closed deal, the auction ends with no sale. The Seller may relist the product.

Notices about the chat, the window and strikes are sent by in-app notification and to your registered email or phone. A notice is treated as received when sent. Keep notifications on and check your messages during any auction you have bid on.

BidOnBuy does not guarantee that any deal will be agreed or completed. The Platform controls the Queue and the windows; everything after "Confirm Deal" is between Buyer and Seller.

6.1BidOnBuy is not involved in payment for products. We never receive, hold, transfer, process or guarantee payment between Users. Buyer and Seller pay each other directly, outside the Platform, by a method they choose.

6.2We provide no wallet, escrow, payment protection, refund or chargeback service for transactions between Users. No statement anywhere on the Platform, in any notification or in any marketing material means that funds paid to a Seller are held, protected or insured by BidOnBuy.

6.3To the extent the law allows, BidOnBuy is not responsible for any payment that is delayed, disputed, reversed, misdirected, made in counterfeit currency or not made at all, and we cannot recover, reverse or compel any payment between Users.

Inspect the product before you pay. Do not pay in advance to someone you have not met. Meet in a safe public place. Keep a record of what was agreed in the Platform chat. Pay only after you are satisfied with the product.

9.1By listing, the Seller promises that (a) they own the product or are legally authorised to sell it, (b) it is as described to the best of their knowledge, (c) selling it breaks no law or third-party right, and (d) they can transfer ownership to the Buyer. BidOnBuy does not verify title and relies on this promise.

9.2The Seller must keep the product available during the auction and the Queue, respond within each chat window, and deal with Bidders in Queue order (Sections 3.4 and 5).

10.1Handover (in person, shipping or courier) is arranged only between Buyer and Seller. To the extent the law allows, BidOnBuy is not responsible for delay, loss, theft, damage, wrong delivery, courier problems or shipping charges, and does not insure or guarantee any shipment.

10.2Any in-person meeting is at the Users' own risk. BidOnBuy is not responsible for any injury, theft, harassment or other harm connected with a meeting.

10.3BidOnBuy does not inspect, test or certify any product. If a product is different from, worse than or damaged compared to its listing, that is a dispute between Buyer and Seller. We have no duty to mediate, refund or replace, and there is no Platform-guaranteed return policy. A return or refund is at the Seller's discretion.

26.1We may change these Terms. We will tell you about material changes through the Platform or your registered email or phone, and a change does not affect an auction you have already bid on. If you keep using the Platform after the change takes effect, you accept it.

26.2Creating an account, ticking an acceptance box or using the Platform is your electronic acceptance of these Terms, binding to the same extent as a signed agreement under the Information Technology Act, 2000.

26.3These Terms, the Privacy Policy and any policies referred to in them are the entire agreement between you and BidOnBuy about the Platform.