Frequently Asked Questions
What is ReliaBid?
ReliaBid is the first and only service designed to eliminate non-paying bidders from your online auction transactions. Every auction page you post will automatically display the ReliaBid seal that warns non-paying bidders of the consequences of non-payment, and signals your commitment to completing the transaction. This seal has reduced incidences of non-payment by over 99 percent for our members. In short, ReliaBid is a cost-effective safety net that dramatically reduces non-payment and bidder fraud, allowing you to increase your sales and focus on growing your business.
How does the ReliaBid™ seal work?
The ReliaBid seal is the cornerstone of the ReliaBid program. Our state-of-the-art system inserts a customized seal into every one of your auctions, driving away non-paying bidders from your auctions, while assuring honest buyers of your commitment to the transaction. With the ReliaBid seal in your auctions, you can feel assured that you are fully protected against non-paying bidders every time.
Click here to learn more about the ReliaBid™ Seal
How does the collection process work?
Using the ReliaBid seal means that you almost never need to start a collection. However, if you are faced with a non-paying bidder, the collections process is easy and only takes a minute. You just need to log into your ReliaBid account, select the offending, eligible auction and you are on your way to resolution. You will simply be asked to enter whatever information you have on the non-paying bidder (our system will automatically populate most fields from your auction details), and a participating debt collection agency will immediately get to work to get you your money.
Click here to learn more about the collections process
What is the Restocking Fee?
The restocking fee is a fee that is assessed against a non-paying bidder in the event that they have failed to complete payment for an auction 30 days following the initiation of a collection. This fee is designed to help bring closure to the transaction on the part of the seller, thus allowing them to re-list their item and find a new, honest buyer. In the meantime, the collection agency will collect this restocking fee on behalf of the seller, to help compensate for any holding or transaction fees they have incurred as a result of the non-payment on the part of the delinquent bidder.
The bidder will receive a letter that alerts him/her of the assessment of the restocking fee, and the procedure they must follow to relieve themselves of this debt.
How is the Restocking Fee determined?
The restocking fee is $10 + 20% of the winning bid price, and is capped at $300.
Which auctions are eligible for credit reporting if the collections process does not result in payment?
Outstanding debts for auctions are eligible for credit reporting if the restocking fee is greater than or equal to $50 in value and if sufficient information is available for the debt collection agency to take action. Please review the agreement you make with the debt collection agency for more information on this, or contact them directly.
For additional information on how the restocking fee/bidder default fee is determined, please
click
here.
When can I re-list an item for auction or sell it to someone else if it has
not paid for?
You can re-list an item for auction at any time if you choose to terminate the ongoing collection in relation to that item. This can be done by logging into your ReliaBid account and clicking "Review My Collections". This will take you to the debt collection agency's website, where you can directly instruct them to discontinue the collection.
Your other option is to wait until the restocking fee has been assessed by the collections agency (30 days into the collection). This allows you to re-list the item AND ensures that the collection agency will continue to collect this fee on your behalf as compensation for the direct and indirect costs you have incurred due to the bidder's delinquency.
You can review your collections status to find out if restocking fee has been assessed by logging in to your ReliaBid account and clicking "Review My Collections".
What do I do if I receive payment directly from the bidder at any point in
the collections process?
If you receive payment from the bidder prior to the assessment of the restocking fee, you must update this information in your Review My Collections view to ensure that the debt is considered settled. Failure to do so could result in you being held liable for any further collection-related actions/credit reporting activity which is undertaken in regards to that specific auction.
This is very important: It is your responsibility to end a collection if the debt is paid to you. You may be committing a crime if you knowingly collect on a debt that has been settled or is not valid. Please be responsible and proactive.
If you receive payment from the bidder following the assessment of the restocking fee/bidder default fee, you must inform General Outsourcing Services, Inc. immediately through the ReliaBid system. Once again, failure to do so could result in you being held liable for any further collection-related actions/credit reporting activity which is undertaken in regards to that specific auction.
Is ReliaBid a debt collection agency?
ReliaBid is NOT a debt collection agency. ReliaBid users have access to participating debt collection agencies; provided that the ReliaBid seal and its accompanying text are inserted in their auctions.
What do I do if I have received a collections notice?
If you have received a collections notice, we suggest you follow the instructions in the notice. ReliaBid is not a collection agency and did not send you the letter.
What online auction services does ReliaBid currently work with?
ReliaBid currently supports auctions that are carried out via eBay. We are working with a number of additional auctions service sites to expand our service in the future.
Can I use ReliaBid for eBay auctions outside of the United States?
ReliaBid's service is available to both domestic and international customers. However, due to differences in debt collection and credit reporting laws in other countries, ReliaBid's debt collection partner currently only offers collections on non-paying bidders who reside in the United States.
Are there any other ways I can reduce my risk to online auction fraud?
There are a number of steps that you can take to reduce your risk to online auction fraud, although ReliaBid remains the number one solution to ensuring that your receive payment for your auctions quickly and consistently. For a comprehensive list of steps you can take to reduce your risk to online auction fraud, please
click here.
What do I need to sign-up to ReliaBid?
To sign up to ReliaBid, you must be at least 18 years of age with a registered eBay account and a major credit card. Sign-up Now!
How does ReliaBid bill me?
ReliaBid offers a low-cost pricing structure that is designed to ensure that you obtain the maximum value from the use of our service. The ReliaBid Signature Program includes the automatic insertion of the ReliaBid Seal in each of your auctions at a rate of 0.25 percent of each ReliaBid Protected transaction. That’s unlimited use of the most powerful solution and deterrent against non-paying bidders for less than 1 percent! You also get three FREE collections a year.
Following your 30-day free trial, your credit card will be billed on a monthly-basis and an invoice will be sent to you via e-mail. We measure a month of service as 30 days:
How does ReliaBid contribute to my bottom line?
At ReliaBid, we have developed a great tool to help you estimate how much non-paying bidders are costing your business, and how much you can save by using our service. This way, you can figure out whether or not our service will help your grow business and increase your sales.
All you need to do is fill-in the values on the calculator below, and we'll let you know what your estimated monthly savings and costs are!
If I refer someone to ReliaBid, when do I receive my $5 referral fee?
ReliaBid will pay you $5 for each referral that leads to enrollment of a ReliaBid member. Your referral must stay a member for 90 days or more, and you must be a ReliaBid member to receive the referral fee. After your referral has remained a ReliaBid member for 90 days, your $5 check will be mailed to you. Please allow 2 weeks for delivery.
What is ReliaBid's refund policy?
ReliaBid offers all new members a 30-day free trial. We feel this is a great and fair way for you to get to know this new and unique service. Because we offer all new members the option to try the service before entering our normal "pay for what you use" program, we do not issue refunds unless a billing error was made. Of course, we take all customer inquiries on a case-by-case basis, and will consider all reasonable concerns.
Is ReliaBid available in every state?
The ReliaBid Seal Program is available in every state. However, ReliaBid is currently unable to support access to a participating debt collection agency for users in North Carolina. We hope to be able to expand our access to North Carolina shortly.
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