Commonly Asked Questions Categories | How to place a bid | Email | Links |

Answers to Common Questions

Q. What does it cost to use the auction? Do you charge for posting or bidding?

A. Guitarauction.com only charges a 5.00 yearly subscription fee to buy or sell. There are no other posting charges unless you choose to have a "Featured Auction" or one of the attention grabber icons.


Q. I thought I won the auction since I was the high bidder, but the seller keeps mentioning something about the reserve not being met. What the heck is a reserve anyway?

A. The seller has the option of placing a reserve price on his auctions. The reserve is the lowest price for which the seller agrees to sell the item. The seller is not obligated to sell his item until the bids meet or exceed the reserve.


Q. I am the high bidder but my bid did not meet the reserve. Am I obligated to purchase the item if the seller still wants to sell?

A.No, you are only obligated to purchase the item if your bid meets or exceeds the reserve. If the auction does not have a reserve than the high bidder is obligated to buy the item.


Q. How do I determine what the reserve price is? It is important to know, because if it's too high, I won't waste my time.

A. You can email the seller and ask about the reserve price. The reserve is usually confidential until the end of the auction, but some sellers will reveal it if asked. Some sellers will offer the item to the highest bidder even if the reserve is not met. Sellers have the choice of using or not using a reserve when they post their auction.


Q. I was bidding on this cool guitar, but the auction closed, and I have no idea who won or what's going on.

A.You can view the results of closed auctions, if you were either a bidder or a seller, by clicking on the link " Repost or View Closed Auctions You've Participated In".


Q. Can you please tell me how to quickly access the auctions I have active bids on without looking through all the auction items to find it?

A. Yes, go to the search engine box, click on the username radio button, type in your username, and then click on the "Search Guitarauction" button.


Q. I currently have a bid on a guitar. The bid before mine was $420 with $20 increments. I placed what I thought was a maximum bid of $475. However, my bid was entered as the full $475, instead of $440 with the rest as a maximum reserve. Why did this happen?

A. As it states in the bidding instructions, "If your bid meets or exceeds the reserve, it will automatically be entered in at the reserve price, and increment from there." In this case, the reserve must have been 475.00 or the previous bidder may have had his maxbid set at 455.00.


Q. My auction is over. There is no winner, so I would like to repost. How do I do it?

A. You would need to go to the link "[Repost or View Closed Auctions]". Type in your username and password, hit the view closed items button, select your auction and then push the "repost" button.


Q. Some creep was the high bidder in my auction, but refuses to honor his bid. What should I do?

A. Let us know his user name so that we can ban him from future use of the auction. Go to the closed auction section (see instructions from the last question), and email the next highest bidder. He may be happy to buy the item from you.


Q. How do I leave feedback for a buyer or seller after their info is no longer on the auction?

A. Go to the link "Repost or View Closed Auctions" and go to the auction item that the buyer or seller participated in. Click on the number following their username and it will link you to the feedback form. If you already know their username then the link "Rate a User" is the easiest way to post feedback. Feedback should only be used if you have had an actual transaction with a buyer or seller.


Q. Can you tell me the best and proper way to ship a guitar? You seem to be experienced at this, and I have never done it. I have a guitar in the auction to be closed out on Fri. Any helpful info would be much appreciated.

A. I ship UPS insured with ground tracking. That way the guitar is insured against damage, and the tracking number lets you know where the guitar is at all times. Pack the guitar as if someone were going to throw it off of a roof onto a concrete sidewalk. You know the box will be damaged upon impact, so be sure the guitar is in a box large enough not to be touched if a side or corner is dented in. Allow at a minimum 4" surrounding all sides of the guitar. Crushed newspaper works great as a packing material. If you need a box see your local music store. They have guitars arriving all the time, and will often be happy to give you the shipping boxes.


Q. How do I email the seller if I want to ask a question?

A. To email the seller, click on the "Sellers Email:" link.


Q. Can you guaranty that items on the auction are as represented or that buyers or sellers will follow through with their obligations?

A. No. Use the auction at your own risk. You should click on the number after a user's username to view comments from others who have had dealings with them.


Q. What if I put something up for auction and want to cancel the auction item before anyone has bid on it? Is that possible ? Thanks in advance.

A.Yes, it is possible and also within auction rules, as long as there are no bids received. Go to your auction site, enter your user name & password, and click on the modify button. Hit the submit button and the next page will allow you to delete the auction.


Q. I placed an auction twice by mistake. How can I close one of them?

A. Go to your auction site, enter your user name & password, and click on the modify button. Hit the submit button and the next page will allow you to delete the auction.


Q. Where can I find a Guitar Auction where I can buy or sell used guitars such as Gibson, Taylor, Fender, Martin and other brands of guitars?

A. Guitarauction.com!