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| Frequently Asked Questions |
*Please wait for this page to finishing loading before using the hyperlinks*
This question and answer section is broken down into three
categories:
* General
Users * Bidders * Sellers *
If you don't find the answer your looking for, please e-mail your questions through here.
| General Users Questions |
1) Why should I use this
site?
Because this auction site was built for serious die hard fans, collectors, and
dealers of Rock-n-Roll memorabilia. Need we say more? Well ok...eRock (that's
short for "Electric Rock") is a specialized (vertical market) auction site that
has twenty exciting rock-n-roll categories, with fast loading user friendly web
pages, a cool little community chat room, a message board, the daily rock music
news, and hundreds of artist links to some of the greatest rock groups in
history. And if you have a question or comment, we will personally and promptly
respond to your e-mails. Hey we're not talking about a big corporation here,
just lots of fun, rock-n-roll, and great customer service.
2) Why should I
register?
Auction sales, as well as bidding on items in the auction, are only accepted
from registered users. The reason for this is to ensure to some degree the
sincerity of those participating in this auction site. Registration also
simplifies the bidding and item submission process, plus it will allow you to
enjoy current and future benefits from eRock like our monthly
drawings. Registration is free and the
information collected is not used for: Marketing purposes, nor is it
sold or supplied to any third parties.
Occasionally (about once a month) we do circulate a memo to our users, but only
if they opted to receive it, and for general info regarding the auction.
Registration information may be used, if deemed necessary by eRock
administration for:
a. Real-world contact information should a dispute arise between
two parties that cannot be resolved through other
measures.
b. Real-world contact by employees of eRock, should the need
arise involving delinquencies in sellers accounts, etc.
3) How do I register on
eRock?
If you go to the top of this page, or the top of most any page on the auction,
you'll find a registration button. Click on it or click
here and it will take you to a registration
directory page. Simply fill out the appropriate information and click send.
Than go to your e-mail box and check for new e-mail. Once you receive the
welcome e-mail, write down the confirmation code (including the dashes)
contained in the message. Than go back to registration directory here at eRock
as per the instructions and enter your confirmation code. And that's all there
is to it so now go do it!
4) I registered, but I can't
use the site?
Registration on eRock is a two step process. If you don't confirmed your
registration you won't be able to use the site. You must follow the
instructions that were sent to you in a welcome e-mail message when you
completed the first step of your registration. You will need to get those
instructions. The original e-mail message contains a special code that you will
need to enter at the conformation page to prove
that you do in fact control the e-mail address you used to register. If you
lost, deleted, or never received the e-mail with the confirmation code, you can
go to the user Support services page located in the
menu bar on the bottom and top of most pages. Once you get there you'll need to
enter your e-mail address or user ID and password. Then in the option window
select: "Resend your registration confirmation". Next click on the "Go!" button
and you will receive another e-mail welcome message with your confirmation code
and instructions.
5) I forgot my password, now
what?
If you forgot your password and or user ID you can go to the
Remind Yourself page. You will need to enter your
e-mail address and telephone number. Then click on the "Remind Me" button and
you will receive a welcome message with your user ID and password sent to the
e-mail address that you are currently registered under. If that has changed,
then contact us using this form.
6) How do I change my password
or user ID?
First of all, you yourself cannot change your user ID. If you really want to
change your user ID, you may submit a request to eRock Administration. But you
can change your own password by going to the user
Support services page and in the option window
choose "Update your information". Then go and make the necessary changes to
your file. This can also be accessed through eRock's Site
Map under "Registered User Services".
7) How do I update my phone number and addresses?
You will need to go to the user Support services
page and in the option window choose "Update your information", then go and
make the necessary changes to your file. This can also be accessed through
eRock's Site Map under "Registered User Services".
8) What do the numbers and
symbols to the right of a persons user ID mean?
The number in the parenthesis represents the amount of positive feedback given
by other users that this person has done business with here at this auction
site. Everyone at eRock has a feedback rating that is determined by:
a. Adding one point (+1) for each positive feedback.
b. Subtracting one point (-1) for each negative feedback.
c. Awarding zero points (0) for each undecided feedback.
Stars may also appear to the right of a persons email address.
A star is awarded for obtaining a particular amount of feedbacks.
1- Happy face
for new comers with 0+ feedbacks.
1- Silver star
which replaces the happy face for 10+ feedbacks.
1- Gold star
which replaces the silver star for 50+ feedbacks.
2- Gold stars
for
100+ feedbacks.
3- Gold stars
for
250+ feedbacks.
4- Gold stars
for
1000+ feedbacks.
Tip: You can also contact a fellow auction member by clicking on the number in
the parenthesis, then use the drop down window in the form presented to you.
9) How do I give another user
feedback?
If you'd like to leave some feedback on another user, you can get to the
feedback page in the Buyers service page or in the
Search page. This is where you go to either view or
leave: positive, undecided, and negative feedback on another user. If you are
making a complaint about someone, please try to resolve the issue with that
person directly and or you may want to contact eRock Administration for help in resolving a problem with
another member before using the feedback forum to leave negative feedback on
someone.
10) What is eRock's policy
regarding the use of anonymous free web-based e-mails to
register?
Anonymous e-mail services, which are typically web-based and free to use, allow
customers to sign up and use e-mail without providing verifiable personal
information. Examples of services that are classified as anonymous e-mail
providers are: Hotmail, Yahoo, Mail, and MailExcite, and Juno just to name a
few. A very small number of people use such services as a front to abuse
web-base services such as this auction site. But because the possibility does
exist, these e-mail services require a more formal registration process which
provides more accountability. At eRock, we like to believe people are basically
honest, and we wish to provide a safe and hassle free environment for personal
trade that anybody (at least 18 years of age) can use. We allow users of
anonymous free e-mail to use our site. However, we will require them to provide
additional information such as a valid credit card number or two forms of ID
(such as a copy of a driver's licence and a utility bill), or a good
established feedback rating under the same e-mail address on another auction
site in order to register here at this auction site.
11) What are eRock's operating
policies?
eRock's Terms and Conditions agreement is basically the operating policies of
this company and can be viewed here. It is
required reading by all registered members of this auction site. So if you are
a registered member here, be sure to take the time to read it.
| General Bidder Questions |
12) How are bid increments
determined?
Bid increments increase proportionally with the price of the item.
Current bid = $00 to $4.99 = increments of $.25
Current bid = $5.00 to $24.99 = increments of $.50
Current bid = $25.00 to $99.99 = increments of
$1.00
Current bid = $100.00 to $249.99 = increments of
$2.50
Current bid = $250.00 to 499.00 = increments of
$5.00
Current bid = $500.00 and up = increments of
$10.00
13) Why was I outbid by less
than the bid increment?
Most Internet auctions, including eRock, use what is called a proxy bidding
system. The key to understanding how the bidding system handles new bids is to
remember that the determining factors are the current high bid and the new bid
you are about to submit. For example:
You are the first bidder and the opening bid is $5, so you bid a maximum of
$20. You are now the current high bidder at $5 with your $20 maximum bid being
held in confidence on eRock's server. Now, another bidder comes along and
decides to submit a maximum bid of $6 and discovers he is immediately out bid
by eRock's server bidding on your behalf with you being the current high bidder
at $6.50. So this person bids again, say this time with a $10 bid, and again he
is out bid by .50 with you still being the high bidder at $10.50. The other
bidder now starts to suspect that you have a maximum bid of $20 and so he tests
it by bidding $20.01 and he is now the high bidder at $20.01. Why? Because the
difference between the current high bid of $10.50 (not your maximum reserve)
and the new bid submitted is greater than the minimum bid increment of .50 in
force at this ($) level of bidding.
If the bidder had bid $20, than the bid would have been tied with you as the
current high bidder and the other bidder's next acceptable bid would have been
$20.50. Again, it is the current high bid and not any maximum bids held on
eRock's server that determines the acceptability of any new bids.
14) Can I retract or reduce my
bid once it has been placed?
It is not possible to reduce your bid once it has been submitted. Bidders may
cancel a bid while previewing their bid, but once the bid is placed, it cannot
be canceled. To do so would be unfair to the seller and other bidders in the
auction. Should you make a mistake you should immediately contact the seller of
that auction and try to explain. Sellers are generally forgiving of honest
mistakes and at that point could choose to close the auction or continue the
auction, but there will be no bid retractions.
15) Why is my bid not showing
up?
To place a bid on an item here at eRock involves three basic steps. If these
steps are not completed, your bid will not be recorded
16) What is a reserve price
auction?
A reserve price is the lowest amount a seller is willing to except for his or
her item up for auction. A reserve price auction, therefore, is an auction in
which the seller has specified a reserve price that is higher than the minimum
bid. The auction starts at the minimum bid amount. If the auction is a reserve
price auction, a (Reserve) tag will be displayed beside the current bid
price to alert you to this fact. If the bidder's maximum bid becomes greater
than the reserve price, the item's current price is raised to the reserve price
amount. Once the reserve price has been met, the (Sellers reserve) tag
in the high bidder's location will disappear and the auction will proceed in a
standard auction format.
17) What if the reserve price
is not met by us bidders?
If an auction ends and the reserve price has not been met, both the seller and
the high bidder are released from any further obligation to complete the
transaction. The reserve price is the lowest price at which a seller is willing
to sell an item. The buyer must realize that if they did not meet the reserve
price, then as stated, the seller will not be willing to sell the item.
18) Message keeps stating I've
been outbid...what's going on?
Being immediately outbid means that an earlier bidder submitted a higher
maximum bid then the maximum bid that you submitted, or that the seller's
reserve price wasn't met. When you confirmed your bid, eRock's server
immediately placed a bid on the other person's behalf, just enough to outbid
your maximum and to ensure his or her position as high bidder. When you place a
bid with a maximum high enough to outbid the current high bidder, eRock's
server will protect your position in the same way.
19) Can I increase my maximum
bid after I've already placed a bid?
Yes, you can submit a new bid with a higher maximum amount. Except for some
special cases, it won't raise your current high bid amount, so there is no need
to worry.
In Dutch auctions new bids must have a higher value than previous bids. The
value of the bid is determined by multiplying the amount bid by the number of
items bid for. Reducing this total value in subsequent bids is not permitted,
and your new bid will be rejected.
20) I bid against myself , and
yet the bid increased?
Normally when you bid against yourself to raise your maximum bid the current
bid amount won't increase, but there are two cases where this will occur:
21) What is a Dutch
auction?
Dutch auctions are where a seller has multiple, identical items he or she
wishes to sell. The seller specifies the minimum price (the starting bid) and
the number of items available. Bidders bid at or above that minimum for the
quantity they are interested in purchasing. At the close of the auction, the
highest bidders purchase the items at the lowest successful bid.
For example, imagine there are 10 original Elvis hats being sold at $100 each.
25 people bid $100 for one Elvis hat each. In this case, only the first 10
people will be the successful bidders, since the bid amounts are the same, and
earlier bids take precedence.
Now, say that one of those people bid $150 for one Elvis hat. Since his bid is
higher than all the others, he will certainly be one of the successful bidders.
The other 9 Elvis hats will be claimed by the earliest bidders who bid $100,
and the final price for each hat will be $100.
If enough people bid above the minimum bid, the final price of the item will
increase as well. On the other hand, if less than 10 people bid in our example,
then only that number of Elvis hats will be sold at the opening price of $100.
For the selling price to increase past the opening price specified by the
seller, there must be an equal or higher level of demand than the supply
indicated. In our example, the selling price would only increase if 11 or more
hats were bid upon, no matter what the amount of each bid.
In the case of multiple quantities bid for by a bidder, the lowest bidder may
not earn the right to purchase the complete quantity, since there may only be
one left by the time the higher bidders have been processed. In other words, if
the lowest bidder requested a quantity of 3 Elvis hats, he might only be
entitled to one hat, since 9 other hats could be allocated to higher bidders.
The only way around this problem is to ensure that you are not the lowest
bidder.
In Dutch auctions, the current standings are always displayed before the item
description, and the complete bidding history (including unsuccessful bids) is
available as well.
22) Why is my Dutch auction
bid not being accepted?
In a Dutch auction new bids must have a higher value than previous bids. The
value of the bid is determined by multiplying the amount bid by the number of
items bid for. Reducing this total value in subsequent bids is not permitted,
and your new bid will be rejected. This protects the sellers from unscrupulous
bidders who bid for the entire quantity, thereby discouraging other bidders
from participating, and then reduce their quantity at the last minute.
23) How do I see what bids I
placed on what items?
To see your bidding history/winner list for auctions you bid on, simply visit
the Buyer Services page. Enter your user ID and
password, select "Auctions You Have Participated In", than click on the
"Submit" button. From here you'll be able to view any and all auctions you have
bid on, and for up to 30 days after they close.
If you would like to bookmark the "Bidding History" page you will have to do it
by using the URL code shown below. First you will have to know how to use the
copy and paste functions of your browser. There are 4 simple steps to follow:
http://www.erock.net/cgi-bin/bid.exe?siteid=erock&lot=+&action=BUYERHISTORY&userid=Your User ID&password=Your
Password
24) How do I know if I won an
auction?
Winning bidders are notified via their registered e-mail address. If you
believe you are one of the successful bidders but did not receive notification,
or simply wish to view the results of a closed auction, you may view it by
going to the Buyers Services page found in the "Menu
Bar" on the top and bottom of most pages.
25) What if the seller
won't sell the item to me?
This happens very rarely here at eRock, but if it does occur, little can be
done by us. Because eRock is merely a listing service, we have no way of
forcing a seller to come through with the item after you have won an auction.
You can and should leave appropriate feedback for the member and explain the
problem you encountered in dealing with that person.
26) What do I do if the seller
doesn't answer my e-mail?
If you can't get a hold of the seller by e-mail right away (within three
business days of the end of an auction), be a little patient. Some people don't
check their e-mail everyday or might be out of town for a couple of days. You
might want to try resending your original e-mail message. If the seller still
does not respond, you can request their contact information. This way, you will
receive their contact information, as well as them receiving yours.
| General Seller Questions |
27) How do I become a
seller?
You must to go to the Registration
Directory to find the correct form. If you are registering for the first
time on eRock, you will need to click on and fill out the "Register as a
Seller" form. If you are already a registered buyer and would like to become a
seller, than click on the "Upgrade to Buyer/Seller status" and fill out the
form.
28) What costs are
associated with selling items on eRock?
There are two charges that apply to a seller when listing items for auction on
eRock. The first one is a listing fee which is on a sliding scale proportional
to the amount of the minimum bid on the item. Except in a reserve price
auction, the reserve price is considered the minimum bid. If the item placed on
auction doesn't sell the first time around, there will be no listing fee
charged to relist that item .The listing fee structure is as follows:
(Currently there are no listing fees)
Minimum bid = $.25 to $9.99 = a $.25
listing fee.
Minimum bid = $10 to $24.99 = a $.50 listing fee.
Minimum bid = $25 to $49.99 = a $.75 listing fee.
Minimum bid = $50 to $99.99 = a $1.00 listing fee.
Minimum bid = $100 and up = a $2.00
listing fee.
The second fee is the commission on the final selling price of the item, and it
is based on a three-tier system.
4% of the amount of the high bid up to $35
2% of that part of the high bid from $35.01 up to $1,000
1% of the balance of the high bid greater than $1,000.01
These charges are calculated when the auction ends and billed on a monthly
basis to account holders, so you won't have to worry about tracking small
charges.
29) How do I put an item up
for auction?
To submit an item for auction, you must first be a Registered Seller. To add an
item, simply go the menu bar found at the top and bottom of most pages and
click on Sellers. Enter you user ID, password, and
select "Add an item to the auction". The necessary form and instructions
will be provided for you on-line.
30) Why doesn't my item show
up right away?
Your auction item page will not immediately show up in the category listing
page. Listing pages are updated by the server about every 30 minutes. Your item
will appear on the first update following the time that your auction was
scheduled start.
31) Can I end my auction
early?
Yes you can end it early, but there are some considerations in doing so. If a
cancelled auction has received at least one successful bid, you will be
obligated to sell the item to that bidder and pay eRock the appropriate listing
fee and commission. An auction can be cancelled by going to the
Seller Services page and choose "Close an auction
early".
32) What happens when my
auction closes?
When an auction closes, the seller is notified by e-mail weather or not the
item sold, and if so, for how much and to whom it sold to. If the item does not
sell, no listing fee will be due. If the item does sell, the appropriate
listing fee and commission will be assessed.
33) What happens if my item
doesn't sell?
We are confident that your item(s) will sell. However, eRock is committed to
your satisfaction as a customer and that is why we will not charge you a
listing fee if your item doesn't sell right away.
You may want to try relisting your item with: a different bid price, maybe a
snappier title, a more detailed description, and if you can...a good picture
works wonders. To relist your item simply go to the Seller Services page and choose "Relist an auction" or
"Relist Multiple Auctions".
34) What if the reserve price
isn't met?
If an auction ends and the reserve price has not been met, both the seller and
the high bidder are released from any further obligation to complete the
transaction. The reserve price is the lowest price at which you are willing to
sell the item. You must realize that if the bidder(s) did not meet your reserve
price, then as stated, you the seller will not be willing to sell the item.
Although, you may relist the item at: the original reserve price, a smaller
reserve price, or no reserve price. But you may not contact the bidder(s) to
offer it to them directly. However, you can let them know that you've relisted
the item with a smaller or no reserve...that would be ok.
35) What do I do if the buyer
doesn't respond to my e-mail?
If you can't get a hold of the buyer by e-mail right away (within three
business days of the end of an auction), be a little patient. Some people don't
check their e-mail everyday or might be out of town for a couple of days. You
might want to try resending your original e-mail message with a note attached
reminding them of their agreement and obligations as a registered user on
eRock. If the buyer still does not respond, you may request their contact
information. This way, you will receive their contact information, as well as
them receiving yours. And if all else fails you could offer it to the second
highest bidder or request a credit on your account for the listing fee and
commission. Don't forget to leave appropriate feedback on the people you have
(or have attempted) to do business with.
36) What if the high bidder
won't buy?
This happens very rarely here at eRock, but if it does occur, little can be
done by us. Because eRock is merely a listing service, we have no way of
"forcing" a buyer to come through with purchasing the item won in an auction.
You can and should leave appropriate feedback for the member and explain the
problem you encountered in dealing with that person. You could also offer it to
the second highest bidder or request a listing fee and commission credit.
37) How do I pay
eRock?
Payment for listing fees and commissions are e-mailed to you in an invoice at
the end of each month. You may pay by check, money order, or credit card. If
you wish to have your payments automatically made, you may setup an account
using a major credit card. All charges are made at the end of the month with a
statement e-mailed to you.
38) How do I liven up my
listing with colored lettering?
You can add color to or modify the lettering in your item description using
what are called HTML tags. Html (Hyper Text Markup
Language) is the "language" that your browser reads to show web pages on
your computer screen. It is simply a series of "tags" that surround the text in
a document. For instance, if you wanted to make a sentence, or a word within a
sentence appear in italics, you would use the following tags:
<i>and</i>. So, if you wanted to put the words "Mint Condition"
into italics, you would do the following:
<i>Mint Condition</i>
Which would look like this: Mint condition in your listing. Here are
some other tags you could use in your item descriptions:
| Tags to Use | Example | As Viewed in Browser |
| <B></B> | <B>Elvis</B> | Elvis |
| <U></U> | <U>Beatles</U> | Beatles |
| <font color="red"></font> | <font color="red">Kiss</font> | Kiss |
| <font color="blue"></font> | <font color="blue">Ringo</font> | Ringo |
| <font color="green"></font> | <font color="green">Stones</font> | Stones |
| <font size="5"></font> | <font size="5">Good</font> | Good |
| <font size="6"></font> | <font size="6">Near Mint</font> | Near Mint |
| <font size="7"></font> | <font size="7">Mint!</font> | Mint! |
Without getting into hexadecimal values, here are 14 colors you can easily use, and they are: red, yellow, lime, aqua, blue, fuchsia, gray, silver, olive, green, teal, navy, and purple. For the complete set of colors click here.
Now those are some cool colors and tools to play with...make sure you use
the preview button when listing a new item to check out your HTML codes. If you
find something that didn't turn out the way you wanted it to, use the back
button on your browser, make the corrections, than review it again.
To learn
more about using HTML, go to a search engine and do a search on HTML, and
you will be presented with a list of links to go check out. Believe me when I
say it's well worth the effort.
39) How do I put pictures in
my auction listings?
We are currently working on this very involved subject which will sometime in
the near future be posted here. Please feel free to e-mail us through
this page for individual support and
assistance with putting pictures in your auction listings. For general
information on putting pictures in your listings and eRock's free image hosting
service, click here.
40 How do I bookmark my
auction listings?
First of all, to see your past and present auction listings, simply visit the
Seller Services page. Enter your user ID and
password, select "List your current auctions", than click on the "Submit"
button. From here you'll be able to view any and all auctions you have listed
for up to 30 days after they close. If you would like to bookmark your current
auctions page, you have to do it by using the URL code shown below. First you
have to know how to use the copy and paste functions of your browser. Than
there are four simple steps to follow:
http://www.erock.net/cgi-bin/Users.exe?SiteId=EROCK&USERID=YOUR USER ID&LOT=+&Action=sellerauctions
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