Help, Rules & Regulations
As always, there are some rules and regulations to using this service. Breaking any of these could mean a investigation, with Shields Down admins, Shields Up Admins, and possibly penalities and banings in extreme cases.
Most of these are common sense, but it always worth reading them and knowing, rather then not reading them and being shot for it :P
Help
Shields Down Auction is an Auction that uses Shields Up items or services using Shields Up Credits. Shields Down doesn't exchange these goods or credits - this site uses a 'promise to pay' scheme where the highest bidder must purchase the service or the product. Likewise, the Seller must supply this product or service in a reasonable time. Failing to do so will mean loss of creditability, and possible fines through Shields Down.
The Bidder places a bid that they are willing to pay for that auction. If that bidder wins the auction, they must pay that whole amount. If they are outbidded, or the Reserve is not met, then they do not win the auction.
To sell or bid for a Product or a Service, you must have a Shields Down Account (the same account for the Casino, Crafting or for the Tools). Once complete, and you want to sell an auction, fill in the simple form under the 'Add Auction' link. Details of each field follows:
- To Sell: This can be a Product or a Service. A Product is an item within Shields Up - being a Commodity, a Settlement, even ore. Something that can be transferred to another player by any means required. A Service is something that you can do - Crafting (Build a settlement from scratch for instance), anything that you can currently do and then transfer.
- Quantity: The number of Product that you are selling, or the number of Service that you are doing (like 2 x Build settlement from scratch)
- How Long? (Days): The number of whole days that you want the auction to last. Part days are accepted (IE 1.25 days)
- Start Price: A starting price that you want the auction to start at. Can be left blank
- Reserve / Reserve Amount: If you want to place a hidden reserve on an item so it does not sell below that point. Optional
- Terms and Conditions: See below
- Do you own/able: Shields Down Auctions is based on the foundations that you are able to sell or make the product or service.
The Reserve deserves a special mention. In an auction, you have a Start price, and then people bid above that. Some Sellers might only want to let go of a Product when it reaches a certain amount. A good example of this is if you are selling Crystals. If you start low, it gives the auction more popularity (as the cheap bidders enter), and more bidders will become more interested in it. But if you know you can sell the Crystal for 20,000, you don't want it to go less then that, and therefore the Seller should put a Reserve onto the Crystal for 20,000.
Reserves are confusing - and most the time are not needed. If your a Bidder, then you will need to check that in the Details of an item, once you have bided, the Reserve Met field shows a 'YES'. If it shows a no - it means the auction will not be won if it ends. You must bid until it goes 'YES' to have a chance of winning it.
To view all the auctions, you are required to List Auctions in the right navigation. This will show all the Active actions, along with the Seller, Current Bid, Bids, When it Ends, Quantity, and what they are selling. To view more information on the auction, or you want to place a bid, clicking on it will bring up the Details screen.
The detail screen gives all the information from the List Auctions screen, and also the Started Time, if the Reserve has been met, the Bid History, and the Number of Views the auction has had.
If you want to place a bid for an auction, then you can use the box below the Bidding History. Enter the bid you want to place, and press on Bid! A message will appear saying you have to press it again if you agree with the T&C's, so once you close the message, press it again, and it will be placed!
If your the owner of the auction, then you cannot place a bid.
If your interested in an auction, then you can add it to a Watch List. To do this, you are required to Login and goto the List Auctions page. On the right of the list of auctions, there is a Green Plus. Clicking this will add it to your Watch List, where you can view by selecting the 'Watch List' link.
To Remove the auction from the Watch List, go into the Watch List, and click on the Red Minus to remove it.
This brings me onto the Your Auction page.
Your Auctions page is where you can view all the relevant information about you and your Auctions. It shows:
- Owned Auctions: A quick view of the auctions that you own. Clicking on one of them will go straight to the Details page for it.
- Active Bids: All Live Auctions that you have bidded on - winning or losing.
- Won Auctions: Auctions you have won.
- Lost Auctions: Auctions that you have been outbidded on, or ones that did not meet the Reserve Price
- Transactions Required: The number of Sold Auctions that you own, or Won auctions. This is how you can settle transfers of the auction or service. More detail below
Transactions Required
When you win an auction, or an auction you own is sold, you are required to complete it by transferring the goods, but there are always some minor, unplanned parts to all auctions - Where to transfer the goods for instance. This is where the Transaction comes in. When you are first to see the Transaction between you and your 'partner', there is a link called 'Click Here'. This could be under 'Start' or 'Details'. Clicking on this will show the Transaction Screen.
This shows all the relevant information for the Auction, along with a Step by Step guide on who should be doing what. If you want to request a change of location, then you can enter it as a Message - when you do this, both parties get an email stating that a new message has arrived. When you complete a step, you can double click on the step that is active (in a darker-blue), and it will process this to the next stage.
Once complete - the auction is complete, and in 30 days will be removed from the Transaction screen.
If there is any problems with the Auction, then you can contact Shields Down who will look into the matter, and attempt to resolve it as soon as possible. If no resolve is found, then the auction could be cancelled with the offending party being penalised (although this will be a last resort).
If you find any of this guide to be unclear, please let me know and I will tidy it up. Thank you.
Rules & Regulations
1) If you are going to sell an auction, then you Must own the product (if it is a product sell) or Be Able To supply or do the service. The Selling must contain if it is a product or service if it appears unclear.
2) When the Bidder placed a bid, they agree with all of these terms and conditions. On Bidding, they are entering a 'promise to buy' and if the auction is won, must pay up the full amount.
3) No Multi-accounts to boost Auctions. Shields Down as an advanced Account checker, and any suspicious activity will be looked into.
4) Bid if you have the Credits to do so. Failure to do so could mean you loose the auction, and your ratings downgraded.
5) Failure to follow these rules and regulations could lead to a Fine, Penalty, ban from service, or ban from site (although we don't like to do that!). Any offenders will have their names passed to Shields Up for review.
6) Shields Down / Robinb's word is Final. If any dispute is detected, the site owners can come in to play, and take any action deemed to fit.
7) Only use Shields Up Items or Services.
8) Only use Shields Up Credits for bidding. No real cash is allowed.
9) Use you own decisions when placing a bid. Although resources on Shields Down can give an estimated price, it is up to you on how much you feel the Auction is worth.
10) Shields Down has the right to Change Terms and Conditions at any time without notice.
11) Shields Down has the right to Close auctions early if deemed unfit.
12) Shields Down wishes you all a Happy Bidding, and a Good Luck!
