How Does Bidding work?

1. When you place a bid, you enter the maximum amount you're willing to pay for the item. Other bidders won't know your maximum bid amount.
2. Our system places bids on your behalf starting with the next bid increment for the auction. We'll bid as much as necessary to make sure that you remain the high bidder and we'll keep bidding for you until bidding reaches your maximum amount.
3. If another bidder has placed the same bid before you or a higher maximum bid, we'll let you know that you've been outbid so that you can place another bid. However, if no other bidder has a higher maximum bid at the end of the auction, you win the item even if your bid doesn't go as high as your maximum bid. You could pay significantly less than your maximum price. This means you don't have to keep coming back to re-bid every time another bid is placed.

Here's an example:

There is this great Knoll Mid-Century couch which started its bidding at $50 and now the current bid for the couch is displayed as $100.00. iloveHW is the high bidder. (iloveHW has placed a maximum bid of $150.00 on this item, but his maximum bid is kept secret, shhh!)

BornToShop views this item and decides to place a maximum bid of $200.00. BornToShop becomes the high bidder because her bid is greater than iloveHW's bid.

A bid increment of $5.00 (10% of the starting ) is added to iloveHW’s maximum bid of $150.00. That means that BornToShop’s current bid is now $155.00. iloveHW is sent an email that he has been outbid.

What are the bidding increments?

The bidding increment is always 10% of the item's opening bid. Your bid must be at least one increment higher than the previous high bid to win the item.

How do I retract my bid?

When you are the winning bidder, you are obligated to pay the high-bid price for the item. As a rule, retracting bids is not allowed on Shop Housing Works.

What's does all this stuff come from?

Items on our website, just like the items in our stores, come from people just like you. We depend on your donations to keep us going. Learn more about donating to Housing Works Thrift Shops

Where does all the $$ go?

All of the proceeds from our online sales goes to help us provide housing, health care, and supportive services to homeless New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. Learn more about Housing Works on its website.

How do I pay for my items?

Auction items can be paid for in person at the location listed on the item page or online after the auction closed. Items you've won will show up under 'Awaiting payment' in your account. Follow the on screen instructions to add the items to your shopping cart.

Buy it now items can be added to your shopping cart right away.

Once you have all the items you want in your shopping cart, click on the Google Checkout logo

All online payments must be made through Google Checkout and only Google Checkout. No Paypal, no checks, no credit cards over the phone.

Auction items must be paid for within 48 hours of the end of auction.

After 48 hours we reserve the right to offer the item to someone else.

How do I get my items?

As you make your way through the payment process you will get the option of picking up the item in the store, or having it delivered to you.

Smaller items can be shipped nationwide through FedEx while larger items are deliverable through a NYC only moving company.

Items must be picked up within 48 hours of the end of auction.

After 48 hours we reserve the right to sell the item to someone else without a refund.

Where can i get help with Google Checkout?

Google has a help site devoted to Google Checkout. Always check there first for your Google Checkout related questions.