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I'm ready to sell an item. What do I do?
First of all, welcome aboard! We here at Auction Fire wish you the best of luck and much prosperity whether you just plan on auctioning off one item or whether you are a professional auctioneer or large retailer. We are here to serve you and welcome any comments or suggestions you may have to enable you to list auctions more efficiently and profitably.
Now, in order to sell you must become a registered member. Registration is free: Click here to join!
We charge no listing fees. Go ahead and list your item(s) for sale with no up-front costs. We will charge a 2.5% commission for successful sales (excludes shipping & handling) but we make it easy to receive a credit should your buyer fail to make payment.
The sell an item form should be simple and straight forward. Just follow the steps in order and your auction will be added to our database immediately. If you upload a photo (step 1) your auction will automatically be featured in the appropriate category at no extra charge!
If you find that our site keeps saying you are not logged in, then you need to enable cookies on your web browser. You can do this in the settings menu. Set it for accept all cookies. This way you do not have to repeatedly enter your password and user name every time you list an item. You can clear all cookies out of your system at anytime by simply clicking on the logout link
which appears in the upper left hand corner of the navigation bar.
If you need additional help please check out the help discussion board or go ahead and contact us.
Why should I become verified?
By verifying your identity you establish trust in our marketplace. There is more risk purchasing products (or services) online
than face-to-face for obvious reasons. How does the buyer know you will deliver the product once you have been paid? Most buyers are weary of auction fraud. Even though auction fraud is on the decline and is often exaggerated by the media, it is a legitimate concern so it is extremely important to establish yourself as a reputable seller to maximize your chances of success here at Auction Fire.
We have seen sellers with zero feedback struggle trying to make their first sale while sellers who are verified often start off quickly and with successful transactions add positive comments to their feedback card futher improving their marketplace reputation. Since we reimburse you the cost of becoming verified by crediting your account it is most definitely worth your while.
The verified seller icon  will appear next your name on all your auction ads, promoting trust.
Basic verification is just $3.00 and importing feedback from another site is $6.00. Click here to become verified.
How are bid increments determined?
Bid increments are controlled by our auction software automatically. For low priced items the bid increments will be .25 (25 cents). As the price goes higher the increments get higher as well. The incremental amounts are based on logic and convenience.
How do I improve the appearance of my auction ad?
You may enter HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) in your auction description. HTML gives you the ability to add font color, bold, italics, font size, add images (if hosted remotely), add tables and much more.
This means you can either hand code your ad, use an HTML editor, or use a program that designs html auction ads for you. In the latter two cases you would paste the html code
into the auction description box. For a list of HTML tags click here.
If you don't want to bother with HTML maybe you should look into Auction Ad Creation Software. We recommend Auction Lizard. Click the button below to visit their website.
How can I display a picture with my auction?
When you create an auction, you are given the option of uploading a photo from your hard drive or entering a URL for your image.
Acceptable formats for your photos are *.GIF and *.JPG
Only uploaded photos will be featured at Auction Fire (free of charge).
Remotely hosted images at a free hosting sites all too often do not allow other sites to link to image files and your image will appear as a broken icon. Examples of this are Geocities and Angelfire.
If you need extra photo/graphics hosting be sure to check out our fantastic Seller's Ad-Vantage package.
How may I view all auctions that I am currently running?
To check your own auctions use the My Auctions link which appears at the upper right side of the navigation bar at the top of all pages.
You can view any seller's complete list of auctions by selecting the 'username' radio button under the search field (at the top of every page), entering the seller's name, and then clicking the 'search' button.
May I end my auction before the assigned time?
If no bids have been placed you may delete or revise your auction ad. Go to your auction ad and scroll down. Below the description is a section entitled "Seller's Section Only". This is where you can login to edit/delete your listing.
If bids have already been placed we will not terminate the auction. You may add a comment to your auction when bids have been placed. If you cannot or do not want to sell your item even though you have winning bids you must notify your winning bidder and explain the reason for this.
They have the option of leaving a negative feedback for you in this situation. In other words make sure to remove your auction before bids have been placed if you do not want to sell it.
What if my reserve price is not reached?
If your reserve price is not met, neither the high bidder nor seller is responsible for completing the transaction. The transaction is nullified. If you wish, you may repost your item.
Remember, if the highest bidder's final bid meets or exceeds the reserve, the seller is obligated to follow through with the transaction.
How long will my auction run?
The length of your auction is entirely up to you. You may choose from one day up to thirty. You may also specify if you want the auction to re-list automatically and how many times you would like to automatically re-list. You will receive an email notification every time your item re-lists in case you need to delete or edit the auction before bids have been placed.
You may specify whether or not to re-list if there was an auction winner. In other words if you have multiple quantities of the same item you would want the item to automatically re-list even though there was a winning bidder. If you only have one of the item you don't want the item to re-list when there is a winning bidder.
Where do I look to view an auction that has already ended?
Auctions that have ended will be stored in the Completed Auctions directory for approximately 3 weeks after the auction has ended.
You may view your ended auctions at any time by using the "Completed Auctions" link at the bottom of any page or the "My Auctions" link at the upper right of every page.
The date and time the auction ended will be displayed next to the number of bids which were placed on the item in question.
Where do I find the buyer's email address and contact information?
This information will be emailed to you as soon as an auction ends.
You may also visit the Completed Auctions page to view details of auctions in which you were the seller or winning bidder. You will find addresses, email addresses, names, bid amounts and everything else related to the item.
What if I cannot contact the buyer?
You may sell to the next highest bidder (if applicable to the situation) or re-list your auction. You are also encouraged to leave feedback on the user's account regarding their lack of response. (In this case, we would suggest leaving it as a neutral comment, to avoid effecting the user's ranking -- there are always cases where the person had a power outage, lost email, or was otherwise reasonably unable to access their email or receive your communication).
What should I do if the winning bidder refuses payment or backs out?
In the event that the winning bidder backs out of the auction or refuses payment, you may move on to the next highest bidder or repost the auction. Be sure to also leave feedback for the bidder so others may be aware before entering transactions with the user.
Tips For Sellers
When placing an item up for auction, be as detailed as possible regarding its condition. Provide a photograph if you have one available. Include the shipping and handling information in the description of the item. Let your bidders know what method of shipping you will use and what the cost will be, including any special charges for overnight, insurance, escrow services or otherwise.
Include acceptable payment methods (money orders, checks, paypal, etc.)
Do not bid on your own item. It helps neither the bidders or yourself.
Contact the highest bidder immediately after the auction ends. You will find their contact information both in your email and by clicking the Closed Auctions link.
Be polite and business-like: this is a business transaction afterall. Would you want to send payment to someone who was either rude or couldn't spell and/or used bad grammar?
After the transaction has been completed, be sure to leave feedback on the buyer. And remember that they'll be doing the same for you. As with the buyers, be accountable!
If your item does not sell, you can choose the Closed Auctions link, select the item you were selling, and click "Repost Auction" to place the item up for bid once again.
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