Bid4Africa launches

J

JNG

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I am in the tech/internet world and came across these guys last year: www.bid4africa.com

- Penny auctions
- Bids cost R10 for 100
- You can only buy that amount and only via SMS
- Auctions end when the timer stops, no continuation-type bidding timers

Also write articles for tech websites and wanted feedback - has anyone used this site? What are the impressions?
 
There was another site like this one and i thought it was a bargain until you realise that that product doesnt sell for R1 because you can end up bidding 10 times whioch cost you personally R10
 
This reminds me of the site that claimed to sell a BMW 320 for something ridiculous like R350 on auction. Until you realse that you have to bid using their website currency (think it was cents or something) which cost R5 a cent. Best part, was if you didn't win the auction, you lost all your money anyway.

Think the website was called Scoombie or something like that.
 
You honestly have to be brain dead to be using sites like this.
Im pretty sure its all rigged, and you are bidding against bots
 
@syntax - I thought so too, but they don't have that continuous bidding where the time goes up again by 10 seconds.

@Macethy - yes, that was Smokoo. And they were total $%*$.
 
It's a penny auction site. Not sure if the DTI ever made that ruling, but it was in discussion that penny auction sites are classified as gambling businesses and hence are illegal in SA. Any auction site asking for a non-refundable bid to participate should be approached with caution. I personally consider it gambling and have yet to come across a website of that nature which has done a proper audit (not just financially, but also from an IT perspective - to rule out bots or manual intervention).
 
JNG said:
@syntax - I thought so too, but they don't have that continuous bidding where the time goes up again by 10 seconds.
Click to expand...

OK, so all that means is it has a definitive ending time? So what, doesnt mean that the other bidder who is going to outbid you isnt a bot.
 
JNG said:
@syntax - I thought so too, but they don't have that continuous bidding where the time goes up again by 10 seconds.

@Macethy - yes, that was Smokoo. And they were total $%*$.
Click to expand...

Ah yes Smokoo, that was a scam site from the very beginning. Wonder how many people lost money bidding on that place? The owners must have coined it!
 
@syntax - I thought so too, but they don't have that continuous bidding where the time goes up again by 10 seconds.
Click to expand...
OK, so all that means is it has a definitive ending time? So what, doesnt mean that the other bidder who is going to outbid you isnt a bot.
Click to expand...
@syntax - that is very true.

I wonder how any of these sites can prove that they don't have bots. I suppose there isn't a way.
 
ToxicBunny said:
Its a bullschit scam, and its gambling in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Stumbled across this post and made an account specifically to defend these guys. I've won a bunch of stuff on this site. But to be fair, I've also spent quite a bit to get enough credits in order to win. Regardless, I'm confident it's legit. But even if you don't think it is, it's worth a shot because you can grab yourself some free credits here: http://free.bid4africa.co.za. Judge for yourself, instead of just "blanket-judging".

my 2c, use it, don't use it.
 
modimus said:
Stumbled across this post and made an account specifically to defend these guys. I've won a bunch of stuff on this site. But to be fair, I've also spent quite a bit to get enough credits in order to win. Regardless, I'm confident it's legit. But even if you don't think it is, it's worth a shot because you can grab yourself some free credits here: http://free.bid4africa.co.za. Judge for yourself, instead of just "blanket-judging".

my 2c, use it, don't use it.
Click to expand...

Oh yes we believe you Mr 1 post.
 
modimus said:
Stumbled across this post and made an account specifically to defend these guys. I've won a bunch of stuff on this site. But to be fair, I've also spent quite a bit to get enough credits in order to win. Regardless, I'm confident it's legit. But even if you don't think it is, it's worth a shot because you can grab yourself some free credits here: http://free.bid4africa.co.za. Judge for yourself, instead of just "blanket-judging".

my 2c, use it, don't use it.
Click to expand...

Try again Mr 1 post wonder.

For everyone else, this is a scam, the only people who win are the ones who run the site. Everyone else loses money and bigtime.
 
I want to add my experience here too. Ive tried on several occasions spending a bit on credits, the timer just seems like it never ends, each bid increases timer by 10 to 15 seconds i spent 3 hours the other night waiting bidding and observing the timer. Eventually i gave up. On the other hand my old lady works for a lawyer who has apparently won several things on there including a 40" LED for 300 rands or something. Im definitely not wasting another cent or minute of my timebon this bs.. :)
 
Guys, there is software you can buy that runs the whole site for you.
It has settings on when to "allow" a user to when, it has automatic bots that bid against you. The site's even have settings on whether to allow the same user to win twice, and the gap (in time or amount) between wins.

Sure, you actually can "win" stuff on the site. But the game is insanely loaded against you and in general the sites are a rip off of gullible people.

Please stop supporting this garbage and throwing your money away.
 
What a con... I bid on an item with my free credits, waiting until 8 sec to go. My bid was not registered (funny that) and some dude won the bid, about 2 minutes later I refresh the home page and the same auction suddenly had its time extended by an hour... what a con...
 
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