Frequently Asked Questions
is the preferred method of payment for Mineral-Auction.Com Specimens
1) Can I have all of the
specimens shipped together from different dealers to reduce shipping costs?
No.
This defeats the purpose of this auction. Besides, you would have
to pay for the dealer to ship specimens to me and then again to have me
ship them to you. Keep in mind that you are buying minerals from
your home or office from around the world and not having to incur traveling
and boarding expenses that would run you into the thousands of dollars.
2) How come shipping costs
vary between dealers?
Each
dealer has his own procedure for packaging and shipping specimens to you.
The costs will vary and depending on where the item(s) are coming from
the cost can vary a lot. Sometimes specimens that weigh a lot may
end up costing more to ship than you paid for the specimen.
3) Can I wait over several
auctions to have more than one specimen shipped from the same dealer instead
of paying shipping on a per specimen basis?
This
is something that you will have to work out with each dealer. If
you want to have the dealer hold the specimen it will probably be ok but
you
should be prepared to pay for the specimen now
instead of waiting to pay all at once after a series of auctions has passed.
4) Can I return specimens
I don't like after getting them?
You
can return a specimen to a dealer if the specimen arrives damaged or it
was not as was advertised. This means the description said the specimen
had no damage or the images of the specimen were embellished in terms of
colors. You may not return a specimen just because you don't like
it after you receive it or have buyer's remorse.
5) What happens if there
is a conflict between the dealer and me?
PLEASE
contact me (Luciana Barbosa)
with any issue that you have regarding a dealer. I will intercede
on your behalf to find a resolution to your problem as expeditiously as
is possible.
6) Can I have more than
one registration and username?
Yes.
You can register as many usernames as you would like to. But
you will have to fill out all of the fields in the registration form for
each profile. This is the only way we can tie your shipping information
to you.
7) Will Items shipped
overseas have tracking numbers?
You
can request a tracking number for the specimen shipment if you are willing
to pay extra for this service. If specimens are shipped via UPS or
via FedEx this happens automatically but it is a lot more expensive than
using the Postal Service. It can be done also using Global Express
mail with the US Postal Service but it will cost more. You can read
up on this service at the USPS website located here.
8) Missing shipments to
foreign destinations
From
the USA all items will generally be shipped via air mail. The length
of time varies depending on the country of destination from 5 days to several
weeks. Typically it is 7-10 days for Japanese and European destinations
but can be longer. Sometimes, through no fault of the dealer, an
item shipped air mail is sent by surface (boat) through an error with the
Post Office. This has happened on occasion though rarely. This
can mean up to 8 weeks for delivery. Therefore, if a shipment has
not arrived after 2-3 weeks we will ask that you be patient and wait for
the full 8 weeks to pass. If 8 weeks passes without a shipment arriving
we will refund your payment - assuming you paid to have it insured.
If insurance is not paid for then the loss will be yours.
9) Should I have insurance
for foreign shipments?
We
have been asked repeatedly
by foreign customers to not have the full value of the shipment posted
on the customs forms. Hence, it is not possible to insure a shipment
unless its full value is declared. Without insurance the risk of
loss or damage is assumed by the customer. We will gladly insure
packages but you must
ask for this service to absolve yourself of any risk.
10) What if I need to
update my email and shipping address... ?
On
the auction page with the specimens there is a link, once you have logged
in, in the User's Menu called Edit
Profile. You can change your email address as needed. This
is important as the only way you will be notified if you win a specimen
is via email after the auction closes. You are also responsible for
making sure that your shipping address is correct as this is the address
we will use to send the specimens you win to you.
11)
What triggers a proxy bid and how does it work?
As
an example you (User A) have selected the proxy option and have the highest
maxium bid - a bid of $100 for specimen X.
The
system sets your bid at $1 for specimen X as it is the initial bid. User
B sees the specimen and decides to place a bid on it also. User B enters
a maximum bid of $35 for specimen X. The proxy system alerts User B that
he has been outbid and records User B's bid of $35 in the table and then
enters a $1 higher bid of $36 on User A's behalf. Then User B decides
to bid again and this time enters $75 as the maximun for specimen X.
The proxy system alerts User B that he has been outbid and records User
B's bid of $75 in the table and then enters a $1 higher bid of $76 on User
A's behalf. User B then decides to bid again and enters a Maximum
bid of $100. The proxy system alerts User B that his $100 is identical
to that of User A's and since User A was first the credit for the $100
bid goes to User A. The system records User B's bid of $100 in the
table and then enters a $100 bid on User A's behalf. (Both
$100 bids appear in the table but the User will be awarded the specimen
if there are no other bids for it.) User B decides to bid again and this
time enters in $200. The proxy system lets User B know that he has
the high bid of $101 for specimen X and then sends and email alert to User
A indicating that he has been outbid and that the current bid level is
$101. If no other bids are received for specimen X then User B wins
the specimen for $101 at the end of the auction.
12)
Do I have to use the Proxy system?
No.
You have an option when you bid of having the full amount posted to the
bid table. If your entered non-proxy bid is higher than the maximum proxy
bid entered by other users then you will be told that you are the high
bidder. If your full bid entered is less than the maximun proxy bid
entered by another user the system records your bid in the table and then
enters a proxy bid on the high Users behalf that is equal to your bid plus
$1 and records that to the table.
13)
How come some bids are only one second apart in time of entry?
If
the system enters a proxy bid on a users behalf it will be entered 1 second
after the unsuccessful bidder's entery. It actually happens a lot
faster than that but this is a quick way to know that a proxy system bid
has been entered.
14)
Will I have to pay the full amount of proxy bid if I win the specimen?
Only
if bidding drives the level to your maximum amount. In most cases
the winner will pay an amount less than the maximum amount they were willing
to pay for the specimen.
15)
What if the same bid amount is entered at almost the same time?
Fortunately
for us computers can work on nano seconds. When a bid is entered
it is time stamped and compared to other bids that may be being entered
at nearly the same time. It will place the bids in the order received
and if one is too late will alert that user that he or she was behind someone
else's bid that was higher.
16)
What are dealer ratings?
We
have installed a system that allows you to rate the dealer you have won
a specimen from. The rating system allows you to enter a numerical
value between 0 and 10. Dealer's won't have their rating posted until
they have at least 10 entries from users. What you think matters
to me a great deal! If a dealer's rating slips below 5/10 he or she will
be removed from future selling on this site. You can only rate a
dealer who you have had buying experience with on this auction site.
If you have other questions
or comments please send Luciana
Barbosa a note about them.
Thanks for your interest!
Luciana Barbosa
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