BBBBarbertonBidding Battles

Auction Rules

Read and understand these rules before bidding or listing.

For Bidders

  1. All bids are legally binding. Placing a bid is a commitment to purchase if you win.
  2. The minimum bid increment is R50 unless the seller has set a different increment on the listing.
  3. Bids placed in the final 5 minutes automatically extend the auction by 5 minutes (anti-snipe rule).
  4. You cannot bid on your own listing.
  5. If you are outbid, you will be notified via the platform.
  6. Winning bidders must collect within the number of days stated on the listing (default is 3 days after the auction ends).
  7. Failure to pay or collect within the deadline results in a strike. Three strikes result in a permanent ban.
  8. Certain listings may require identity verification before a bid is accepted — this is set by the seller and shown on the listing page.
  9. Buy Now purchases are final, immediately reserve the item, and redirect you to payment. The auction closes for all other bidders at that point.
  10. If you cancel a Buy Now before completing payment, the listing is returned to active status for other bidders.

For Sellers

  1. All listings are submitted for admin review before going live. You will be notified once your listing is approved or rejected.
  2. You must be the lawful owner of the item and declare this when submitting your listing.
  3. Accurate photos, descriptions, and disclosure of all known defects are mandatory. Misleading listings will be removed.
  4. Reserve prices must be set before the auction starts and cannot be changed once a listing is live.
  5. Sellers may not bid on their own listings under any circumstances.
  6. If the reserve price is not met when the auction ends, you are not obligated to sell.
  7. At collection, you must enter the buyer's unique collection code into your seller dashboard to confirm the handover.
  8. Attempting to enter a collection code without the buyer physically present is fraud and will result in an immediate permanent ban.
  9. Payouts are processed after the seller confirms the collection code. Disputes may delay payout.
  10. A 9% platform fee is deducted from the final sale amount before payout. No fee is charged if the item does not sell.
  11. Listings may be removed by admins at any time if they violate platform policies, without refund of any fees.
  12. Sellers are responsible for being available for collection within the time window stated on their listing.

Collection Process

1Buyer pays

After winning or using Buy Now, the buyer completes payment via PayFast. Funds are held securely in escrow.

2Code issued

Once payment is confirmed, the buyer receives a unique BBB-XXXXXXXX collection code and QR code in their dashboard.

3Seller verifies

At pickup, the buyer presents their code or QR. The seller enters it into their seller dashboard to confirm the handover.

4Funds released

Once the seller confirms the code, escrow is released and the seller receives their payout (minus the 9% platform fee).

Anti-Fraud Policy

  • Shill bidding (bidding on your own listing via another account) will result in a permanent ban on all associated accounts.
  • Creating multiple accounts to circumvent bans is a violation of these rules and may be reported to SAPS.
  • BBB monitors accounts for suspicious bid patterns and reserves the right to cancel bids or suspend accounts under investigation.
  • Any attempt to manipulate auction prices or extort other users will result in an immediate permanent ban.
  • Listing stolen goods is a criminal offence under South African law. All such listings will be reported to SAPS and relevant identity information provided to authorities.
  • Off-platform deal arrangements (attempting to transact outside BBB to avoid fees or protections) are a breach of these rules and void buyer protection.