Frequently Asked Questions

PennyAuction is a unique auction concept in Malaysia. The fundamental idea is to offer brand new products for auction and to give users an oppportunity to buy them at very attractive prices.

How does PennyAuction work?

1.All auctions start at RM0.00 and items on auction are brand new

2.You can place bids in 2 ways

A) Using your PennyAuction account and clicking on Bid now

B) By text message with your mobile phone

3.Every bid placed will increase the price of the item RM0.01 at a time

4.There is a countdown timer for each auction (30 sec – 2 minutes, depending on the auction), which resets every time a new bid has been made.

5. If the countdown timer reaches zero (i.e. no new bids are made during the last countdown), the last bidder wins the right to buy the product at the current price.

Pre-bids for each auction can already be made before each auction start. The current price of the item will be visible on the website under each auction during all times even before the auction start. That means that if pre-bids have been placed for an auction and as a result the price of the item has increased, then that amount will be visible to all visitors and users at all times. Pre-bid gives you the change to be the leader when auction starts.

The opening times of different auction may vary. Usually, all auctions are open from 10am to 12am but some special auctions can be open for 24 hours. The opening time for each auction is specified on our website. All auctions that are still running at 12am, will be automatically stopped and will automatically continue the next day at 10am.

What does 50% price guarantee mean?

We GUARANTEE that the current price at each auction end will never go higher than 50% of retail price. In case Current price will be higher, PennyAuction will compensate the balance. This not include money spent on bids.

How can I start using PennyAuction?

You need to register as a user at pennyauction.com.my. It will take you 1 minute. After a successful completion you can buy bids on our site and participate in any auctions you wish. Alternatively you do not need to register and can make bids via text message with your mobile phone.

**Note. You must be at least 18 years old to use PennyAuction.

How do I participate in the auction?

In order to participate you need to submit a bid in an ongoing auction. You can either place a bid by sending a text message from your mobile phone or by bidding through a PennyAuction online account. Creating a PennyAuction account is easy, simply click on „Register“ and follow the instructions. Once registered, you can upload bids on your account through all channels (e.g. e-banking) that are available. To bid using a text message, simply send a message with the code of that specific auction to 32088. Your bid will be registered within a few seconds. You can see some digits of your mobile number as a confirmation of your bid.

There is an auction that ended today and now I see it re-listed. Why?

True, there is a possibility that it might happen. This is when the auction winner turns out to be a fraud – for example someone who has registered multiple accounts in our system without entering any personal data and automatically received free bids for each username created. All bids by such fraud users will be considered void and the auction will be re-listed from the same point when it ended so that real users can have a possibility to win it.

Our support team is doing its best on a daily basis to identify and delete such false users.

Is there any limit to how many bids I can make via text messages?

Yes, there is. Our text messages service provider has a monthly limit of max 100 messages from one number. This is implemented in our customers benefit in case their mobile phone is lost or gets stolen. It limits excess misuse and extra expenses. If you do reach the monthly limit, we advice you to either use another mobile number or register free as an online user on our webpage and buy bids electronically via major credit cards, e-banking or your PayPal account..

Why does the countdown timer length vary for some auctions?

For every new auction, the countdown timer (during which users can place a new bid) starts at 2 minutes and usually stays so until the auction ends. In some cases, however, there are auctions of very high user interest and many bids are placed by users within a short interval, always resetting the timer at 2 minutes. Our auction system is built to analyse such user behaviour and in these cases we will shorten the countdown timer length so that our users have a chance to win the item faster. It is not in ours nor our customers’ interest to keep the same auction running for a long time. On the contrary, we want to have more winners and more variety within our auction list so that we can best service the needs of our different customer profiles.

Are the products being sold all new?

Yes. All products sold are brand new and come from respected manufacturers. All products come with relevant warranties whereever applicable

Is it possible to bid with a foreign mobile number?

Unfortunately not, one can only participate with a Malaysian mobile phone number, either pre-paid and post-paid.

How much does it cost for me to place a bid?

The cost of placing a bid depends on whether you are using text message or a PennyAuction online account. Sending a text message = 1 bid and costs RM3 (plus your operator fee, e.g. RM0.15). To submit a bid through a PennyAuction Account costs between RM1.50 - RM2.00, depending on how many bids you have bought at a time (the more you buy the cheaper the cost per bid). You can select a package of your choice each time you buy new bids.

I don’t live in the Malaysia. Can I still participate in PennyAuction auctions?

No, PennyAuction is for Malaysian residents only.

Is the warranty on the goods that I bid for an win in the auctions?

All products come with relevant warranties where applicable. Please read section 5 under our T&C for further details.

What happens if at a new auction only one bid is being submitted and nobody else raises the bid?

The auction closes once the countdown timer reaches 0 (zero) and the product is sold for 0,01RM to that single bidder.

Can I undo already submitted bids?

No. Already submitted bids cannot be undone.

Can I bid for the same product more than once?

Of course. There is no limit to how many bids can be placed on an auction. If you are bidding via text messages then note that there might be limitations on the number of text messages operators allow per month. Please refer to information your mobile operator regarding such limits.

What is Autobidder? How does it work?

One of PennyAuction functionalities is a so-called Autobidder tool. It bids automatically for you when you are unavailable to observe the PennyAuction auctions in person. All registered users can use the Autobidder tool.

Auto-bidder is very simple to use. Just follow these steps:

· Login to your account

· Check that you have enough bids on your account

· Click on the auction you are interested in

· Under the auction you will find the Autobidder section

· Specify the product price range within which the Autobidder will make bids for you

· Specify the maximum number of bids that you are willing to make

· Click Start Autobidder button

The system will now bid for you during this auction and will help you win the product

You can always enter your account and either stop or change Autobidder criteria that you have set

For a coming auction Autobidder can be activated at any time before the auction starts. For a live ongoing auction Autobidder can be activated latest 3 seconds before countdown reaches zero. If you wish to make a bid within the last 3 seconds of the countdown you need to place it manually (i.e. without Autobidder function). *Please be attentive that when you are buying new bids, your Autobidder settings will not change. If you want to extend Autobidder with newly bought bids, you also need to refresh your set Autobidder(s).

Note: Auto-bids cannot be used via TEXT (mobile phone).

Can I bid during the night?

The opening hours of different auction may vary. Usually, all auctions are open from 10am to 12am but some special auctions can be open for 24 hours. The opening time for each auction is specified on the website. All auctions that are still running at 12am, will be automatically stopped and will automatically continue the next day at 10am. Please note that pre-bids can also be made when the auction is closed. This way the bid will be registered as soon as the auction opens the following day. Note that special 24-hour auctions are runnings 24 hours where you can place bids at all times.

How do I know if I am the highest bidder?

Your nickname or some digits from your mobile number will appear in the item auction box.

How do I know if an auction has ended?

The bid button will be replaced with a sold button and the countdown will be replaced with "Ended”.

What happens when I win?

Each auction ends with a winner. Each winner will be contacted by PennyAuction team to arrange for delivery of the won item. The winner needs to pay the end price of the product on auction. Also, the delivery cost will be paid for by the winner.

Note: Product cost refers to the final cost of product at which bidding stopped. It is referred on PennyAuction as „Current price“. It is NOT the retail price of the item.

Why does the auction timer show “Checking data” just before closing or resetting the countdown timer?

It is so to make sure that every auction is closed securely and accurately. As the timer reaches zero, the technical platform, on which PennyAuction runs, sends the server a request to make sure that no other bids have been received (both text messages and online bids). During this time the user sees “Checking data” instead of the auction timer. The duration, for which the user sees “Checking data” on his/her screen, is dependent on the user’s CPU and the internet connection but usually takes just a few seconds.

How can I buy bids on PennyAuction?

At present you can buy bid packages online. Bid packages can be purchased using all e-payment methods that are supported by our electronic payments trading partner NetBuilder.com.my

· Visa

· Mastercard

· Maybank e-banking

· CIMB Bank e-banking

· Public Bank e-banking

· Ambank e-banking

· Hong Leong Bank e-banking

· RHB Bank e-banking

· OCBC Bank e-banking

· Alliance Bank e-banking

· Eon Bank e-banking

· Bank Islam e-banking

· Paypal

· FPX, mobile money, meps cash, web cash

How long are the free bids valid for?

All free bids have no expiry. They are valid as long as the user keeps itself registered in our database.

Please give us time to fill your account with free bids. If it takse longer than a day please send us email

support@pennyauction.com.my

I have bought bids and there is a balance on my account. How long are my bids valid for?

All bids have no expiry. They are valid as long as the user keeps itself registered in our database.

Can I get a refund for unused bids?

No. Purchased bids are non refundable and hence users should only buy as many bids as they are comfortable spending on PennyAuction.

How secure are your payment methods?

We use high-security 128-bit encoding (SSL) to protect your payment details when processing the online payment. This service is provided to us by NetBuilder.com.my who have a long term reliable and stable reputation in that field.

Your credit card details will not be entered nor stored into our database and they cannot be seen by any of our staff.

How do I pay for the product that I have won?

You can pay for your item through all e-payment methods that are available on our website and supported by NetBuilder.com.my

· Visa

· Mastercard

· Maybank e-banking

· CIMB Bank e-banking

· Public Bank e-banking

· Ambank e-banking

· Hong Leong Bank e-banking

· RHB Bank e-banking

· OCBC Bank e-banking

· Alliance Bank e-banking

· Eon Bank e-banking

· Bank Islam e-banking

· Paypal

· FPX, mobile money, meps cash, web cash

Is the cost of the item on auction added to my phone bill if I win an auction?

No. Only the costs of the text messages (RM3 each plus your operator fee, e.g. RM0.15) are added to the phone bill (if text messaging is used for bidding). The auction winner will be contacted and the auction end price, seen as „Current bid“ at the end of the auction plus delivery cost will be paid for separately.

Will you store my credit card details?

No. Your credit card details will not be entered nor stored into our database and they cannot be seen by any of our staff. You will enter them only during making a credit card payment using a secure SSL method by NetBuilder.com.my who is not allowed to send us any credit card details whatsoever.

How long does it take until the product is delivered?

Products are usually shipped within 1 week of payment, but can take up to 2 weeks.

I have won an auction using a text message? What happens next?

If you win an auction using a text message, PennyAuction team will contact you to agree on the payment method of the product on auction and the address on where to deliver the product.

What is the cost of delivery?

The winner of the auction pays for all delivery fees of the item. If you are interested in a delivery cost of a specific item then please refer to the specific auction you are interested in. Rates vary between auctions due to the size and weight of the products and destination of delivery. Rates are indicated for all destinantions within Malaysia. We use DHL services,

How long before I get my product?

PennyAuction will always strive to dispatch products as soon as possible. Products are dispatched normally within 1-2 weeks from receipt of payment. Our delivery timeline is not binding. Customers should contact customer service at support@pennyauction.com.my should they not have received the product within 2 weeks of the payment.

I have received a faulty product, what should I do?

Apologies for the inconvenience caused. In rare occasions an item might not work or may get damaged during transport. If such is the case, our aim is to solve the problem as quickly as possible. Please note that in such a case you are obliged to notify our team to support@pennyauction.com.my within 3 days after delivery. It can sometimes be useful to check the manufacturer’s website or call their helpline – many of the most common problems are easily solved without having to return the product. In the event that the product you received is faulty, please contact us at support@pennyauction.com.my and we’ll tell you what to do next. Please let us know the Product ID and the serial number of the product, as these help us to deal with your problem as quickly as possible. We work with a range of different suppliers who are happy to help identify any problems and to replace faulty items if necessary.

Please don’t send the item back to us without contacting us – this could result in a delay between return of your item and a replacement being dispatched. If your product does need replacing, we’ll contact you and let you know when that will be done.

Can I return the product I have won?

Yes you can return the product you won (does not apply to a product that you have bought with „Buy it now“). Please get in touch with our customer service at support@pennyauction.com.my e-mailing them following information:

· Your user ID

· Product ID and product details

· Date on when you won it on auction

· Reason for returning the product

Note: Please note that we will only refund the final price of the item you won and paid for, not on the cost of the bids placed (in that auction), nor on the delivery costs. The product that you return has to be in the same condition to when you received it.

Will I get a refund if I return the product?

We can only offer a refund on the final price of the item, not on the cost of the bids placed on that auction nor the delivery costs.

Where can I read the terms and conditions in more detail?

The terms and conditions can be read under the section „Terms and conditions“ on our website.

If I have additional questions, how do I contact PennyAuction?

If you any additional questions please e-mail our customer service at support@pennyauction.com.my You will receive an answer asap but no later than 48 hours.

How it works?

Create a FREE account

Buy securely some bids

Place your bid & wait for clock.

If no one else bids, you are the winner!

More info