Bidding on Trading Post can be a fun and convenient way to pick up a bargain or something specific you’re looking for.
Before you bid
Before you place your bid, be sure you’re happy with the item and that you’re comfortable with the amount you’re bidding.
Remember to check:
- Item details and specifications – Has the seller provided adequate information?
- Payment and delivery options – Are these your preferred options? Are there additional costs?
- Seller’s feedback – Are you confident you’d like to buy from this seller?
When you bid, you are obligated to:
- purchase the item at the final price if you are the winning bidder
- pay for and receive the item using the payment and delivery options accepted by the seller.
Read our
before you buy or bid checklist as a guide to help ensure you’re happy with your purchase.
Placing a bid
- First ensure that you understand the seller’s Payment & Delivery options.
Note: You can ask the seller if they will accept alternative payment or delivery options before you place your bid.
- From the ad, simply type in your bid amount and click Place bid.
Tip: Offer the maximum amount you are willing to pay.
Auto-bidding makes incremental bids on your behalf that are just enough to beat the maximum bid placed by other bidders up to your maximum bid.
- The Review and confirm bid page displays your maximum bid.
- Check the amount carefully to ensure this is the amount you want to bid
- Tick to acknowledge that you understand you are entering into a legally binding contract to buy the item from the seller, if you are the winning bidder.
- Click Confirm Bid to place your bid.
A message confirms whether or not you are the current highest bidder.
- If you are the current highest bidder, auto-bidding will place bids on your behalf up to your maximum bid amount.
If you aren’t the highest bidder, this means another bidder has placed a bid higher than yours.
You need to place a bid higher than their maximum bid to become the current highest bidder.
See auto-bidding to find out how this works.
Increasing your bid
You can increase the amount of your bid at any time, by simply placing another bid. You might like to do this if you:
- have been outbid,
- are bidding on an Auction for which the reserve has not yet been met, or
- think placing a higher maximum bid will help you win the Auction.
Being outbid
Bids can be made at any time up to the end of the Auction. If you have been outbid but still want the item, just have another go!
To avoid the disappointment of being outbid, consider bidding your maximum amount and let Trading Post’s auto-bidding system take care of the bidding for you.
In addition to saving a heap of time, you may end up paying less than you expect!
