QuiBids Review: Legit Penny Auction or a Scam? The Truth…

Let’s take a look at how the site works and whether or not you should start using it.

Let’s take a look at how the site works and whether or not you should start using it.

What Happened to Quibids: Update!

It seems like the Quibids company and website shut down in late 2023!

I couldn’t find any information about why they closed down. But if I had to guess, I’d say it was because they weren’t making enough money.

By the way, their domain name, quibids.com, is for sale now!

What is QuiBids?

QuiBids is an auction website where you can bid on a variety of items, from cameras to purses. It differs from eBay because it’s a penny auction site where you have to pay for bids.

The site is well-established, having been launched in 2009.

You can sign up for the site by going to QuiBids.com.

You can bid on:

• Warehouse products
• Overstock products
• Liquidations

According to the company, you can get up to 98% off retail prices.

How Does QuiBids Work?

The site offers discount and overstock auctions where you can bid on items and get them at low prices.

Here’s how the site works in a little more detail:

Buy Bids

Once you’ve registered on the site (link above), you’ll need to purchase bids if you want to participate in the auctions.

Each bid is worth $0.40.

The site offers bid packs, allowing you to purchase the number of bids that suit you.

Your first bid pack has a set price: you get 150 bids for $60. You’ll need to enter your credit card information during signup, so be aware of that. After your initial purchase, you’ll have five different bid packs to choose from, each in a different size. The company recommends starting with a Beginner Bid Pack to test out the site.

Participate in Auctions

To participate in an auction, visit the homepage and look for the section called “Live Auctions.”

This section displays auctions that are currently running. QuiBids recommends watching a few auctions before you start bidding to familiarize yourself with the pace and dynamics.

You’ll be able to see the number of bids in the upper-right corner of your screen. This number updates each time you place a bid.

The timer counts down continuously until it gets below 20 seconds. After that, the timer will reset to 20 seconds every time a bid is placed, giving other users a chance to bid again.

If the auction continues after a certain number of bids—this number varies across auctions—the timer will reset to 15 seconds after each bid.

If the site feels that the auction has gone on too long, the timer will reset to 10 seconds with each bid. Once the time expires, the auction ends, and the last person to bid wins the right to buy the item at the final price.

Occasionally, the site hosts Speed Auctions where the timer resets to a maximum of 10 seconds. You can identify a Speed Auction by looking for the small red timer icon.

You can bid manually or use the site’s Bid-O-Matic feature to place bids automatically. This feature allows you to set a number of bids, ranging from 3 to 150, and specify the price at which you want to start bidding.

What Can You Bid On?

On QuiBids, there are many different items you can bid on, such as:

• Cameras
• Tablets
• Kitchen mixers
• Tote bags
• Laptops
• Headphones
• Gift cards
• Cookware sets
• TVs
• Knife block sets
• Portable speakers

There are also voucher bid auctions you can enter to win bids. These voucher bids cannot be used toward the Buy Now option and are not eligible for a refund.

Get the Item

If you win the auction, you’ll need to pay the auction’s final price within 3 days of the auction ending. Once the checkout process is complete, you’ll receive emails confirming your purchase and updating you on your shipping status.

Even if you don’t win the auction, you can still buy the item using the Buy Now feature. The site will subtract the cash value of the bids you’ve placed from the item’s price, so you only need to pay the difference. It’s somewhat like buying the item at retail price.

For example, if a product is worth $20 and you use 30 bids but don’t win, you subtract the cost of the bids (30 x $0.40 = $12) from the product’s price, so you’ll pay $8 more for the product. You can use the Buy Now feature to purchase the item at any time during the auction and up to 2 hours after the auction ends. Simply click the “Buy Now” button on the auction page.

Items are always shipped within 48 hours.

QuiBids Pros & Cons

Let’s take a look at some pros and cons.

Pros

Here are the site’s upsides:

All Products Are Brand New

According to the company, all of the products on the site are brand-new and factory-sealed. Unlike sites like eBay, which feature many used items, this is a definite advantage of QuiBids.

Option to Buy the Product

Even if you don’t win an auction, you can still purchase the item using the “Buy Now” option. This means that if you’ve spent money on bids, you don’t have to lose out completely.

Cons

Here are some cons of the site.

You Have to Pay to Bid

One of the biggest downsides to penny auction sites like QB and DealDash is the fact that you have to pay to bid.

This is problematic because, in some cases, you could end up spending more on bids for an item than what it’s actually worth. For example, if you place 40 bids on an item, that would cost you $16. But if the item is worth only $10, you end up spending more money than the product’s value!

You’re Asked to Enter Credit Card Information on Sign-Up (There’s a Trick to Avoid This, Though)

One of the biggest complaints I found on sites like Sitejabber was that it charged $60 to people’s credit cards. This $60 is for bids. Most people reported that if they didn’t want those bids, the site refunded the money upon request to customer support. However, some claimed they hadn’t received a refund.

When I signed up for the site, after entering my name and email address, I was redirected to a page asking for my credit card details and was also offered a beginner bid pack costing $60.

If you want to explore the site before making any payment, you can exit out of the page that asks for credit card information. Then, go to the QuiBids homepage, click on the “Browse” tab, and then select the “Live Auctions” link.

However, to actually place a bid, you will need to enter your credit card details and pay $60 for 150 bids.

Poor Ratings on BBB and Trustpilot

Despite the company claiming on its homepage that it has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, it does not.

QuiBids has an F rating from the BBB.

That’s not a good rating! Maybe it previously had an A+ rating and just hasn’t removed that misinformation from the site?

Whatever the case, the site certainly isn’t rated well by the BBB.

Aside from the F rating, it also has 1.3 out of 5 from 6 reviews. While that’s not a lot of reviews to form a cohesive opinion on the site, it’s still not great.

There have also been more than 30 complaints filed with the BBB about QuiBids.

On Trustpilot, the site has an average rating of only 2.8 stars. There were only 10 reviews of QuiBids there, so this may not be enough to provide a reliable consensus.

Is QuiBids Legit?

Some people seem to love QuiBids online. The site has a 3.6 rating on Sitejabber. Most of the positive reviews praise the company’s customer service. Others commend the site for its deals and how fun it is.

One user says:

• “QuiBids is fun, exciting, and competitive. I’ve gotten some great deals, but beware of the competitive people… Don’t go broke… LOL”

On the other hand, it has poor ratings across many sites:

• BBB: F rating
• Trustpilot: 2.8 rating
• ConsumerAffairs.com: 2.1 rating

Most people complain about being charged for bids when they sign up and how difficult the auctions are to win.

So, is QuiBids a Scam?

The site doesn’t just take your money without offering something in return.

You do receive bids for your money, but that’s the core issue – QuiBids is a penny auction site.

Penny auction sites come with a built-in problem – you have to pay for bids. This means you’re always going to spend money with these sites. Sometimes, you might end up spending more than the item is worth, which is a common complaint.

One user on Sitejabber says:

• “My first problem is I didn’t know that entering my credit card information would charge me $60. But I decided to go ahead and bid on some items since I had already signed up. I couldn’t bid on anything because bidding isn’t allowed until the auction is about to end! The ‘buy it now’ prices weren’t really deals. I checked Amazon and found the items offered for less, sometimes significantly less. There is a good selection of items; it’s just getting them that’s the problem.”

While it isn’t an outright scam, it still has its issues. If you’re going to use the site, make sure you set a budget for the number of bids you purchase. For any item you plan to bid on, always do a quick search on sites like Amazon to see what price the item is selling for at other stores.

You want to ensure you’re getting the best deals.

I hope my QuiBids review has helped you decide whether or not to sign up for the site! What’s your experience with it? Did you enjoy the site, or did you feel it was a bit of a rip-off? Share your thoughts on QuiBids with us in the comments below.