Frequently Asked Questions

Why use Classic-Model-Auctions.com over sites like ebay?
Registration
Membership Area
Selling / Starting Auctions
Buying / Bidding on Auctions
After the Auction
Fees
Preventing fraud

Why use Classic-Model-Auctions.com over sites like ebay?

For buyers we are the easy one-stop shop for your hobby and we can connect you with like minded collectors, shops and dealers. Due to our lower listing fees for sellers many great items are available that will never make their way onto sites like ebay.

We also have special promotional items available periodically and regular articles for collectors.

For sellers we can put you in touch with a community of collectors with similar interests gving you a stronger opportunity to sell at a fair price and we offers rates with a saving of up to 400% on standard ebay listing fees.

Click here to view all auction charges.

Registeration

How do I register an account?

You can browse the auctions at any time without registering, but to bid or post an auction, you must first register.

To register, simply click on the Register link. Choose a user name which you can easily remember, and fill in the other required fields. Your password will automatically be generated and emailed to you. You can change your password at any time by choosing the Change Your Password link.

You only need to register once, as you can change your user information at any time by choosing Account / Edit My Registration link.

Notes: There may only be one account per email address. The system will not let you create more than one account with the same email address.

Why haven’t I received my password?

Please allow reasonable time for the automatic password confirmation to arrive at the email address provided. Please also ensure the email address is accurate and your email account active.

Why do you have to e-mail me my password?

To authenticate your registration and email address, we send you a password that we select to ensure you can receive e-mail at the address you provide to us. Ensuring your email address is valid avoids communication problems.

Also, this security measure is a step towards avoiding people registering other people without their knowledge and placing bids on their behalf.

I want to choose my own password

Once you have signed in using your assigned password, you can change your user information at any time by choosing Account / Edit My Registration link.

Do I have to give you my personal details?

Yes. We require accurate personal details. If you fail to provide valid details we will suspend your account. Therefore, please take care when entering your personal details.

How do you assure the privacy of my information?

Classic-model-auctions.com is committed to protecting your privacy.

Information that you supply is held securely and strict security procedures are followed to prevent unauthorised access. We will not sell, trade or rent your personal information to others.

We may occasionally use the information we collect to notify you of important changes to our website, new services or offers that we think you will find valuable.

We will not email you in the future unless you give us your explicit consent and will give you the chance to refuse any marketing email from us.

Do I need to give you a credit card?

No. Buyers can pay with credit card through PayPal without needing to register or share any credit card details with classic-model-auctions.com. All sellers need to have an active PayPal account.Click here for further information.

Do I need to validate my account?

Your account is activated when you first log on using the password supplied.

Why is my account been suspended?

We manually suspend suspicious accounts. If your account is being held and you require further information, please contact us.

Is it free to join www.classic-model-auctions.com?

Registration is free, but essential if you wish to buy or sell at www.classic-model-auctions.com. Click here to register. Once registered you can start bidding or place an item for auction immediately. All sellers need to have an active PayPal account. Click here for further information.

How do I unregister?

If you choose to unregister from model-auctions.com and close your account, it cannot be reopened

We hope you will contact us to address any issues that may have prompted you to close your model-auctions.com account.

To close your account permanently, please submit an Account Closure Request. To do so, go to the Contact Us form, select Account Query, complete the relevant fields and simply state “UNREGISTER” in the Query box.

If you've listed or bid on an item recently, we require a waiting period of 60 days before closing your account. During the waiting period, you won't be able to bid, make purchases, list items, or change your contact information - but you'll still have access to your account information.
When the waiting period is over, you'll receive an email confirming that your account has been closed.
Before closing your account, be sure that the balance in your seller's account is paid in full.
The feedback you've left for other users will not be deleted when you close your account.

Are there any age restrictions?

If you are under the age of 18, you can use www.classic-model-auctions.com only in conjunction with, and under the supervision of your parents or guardians, as the www.classic-model-auctions.comwebsite is available only to individuals who can form legally binding contracts.

How do I become a PowerLister and what are the benefits?

PowerLister accounts are reserved for heavy users of the site whom can upload multiple auction listings, pay on account, receive 25% discount on all site fees and do not pay base auction fees.

To become a model-auctions.com PowerLister please Contact Us.

Selling / Starting Auctions

How do I start an auction on Classic-Model-Aßuctions.com?

To start an auction, click here and follow the on-screen instructions.

Click Post an Auction.

Once you have chosen the correct category for your item, simply follow all the onscreen instructions to add your item. All options that have an associated charge will note that charge when you choose it. Use the Help links if you are confused by any options.

Once you have entered all the information about your item, you will be presented with a preview screen where you can review all of the information you have entered and options you have chosen. Use the Back button to go back and make any necessary changes.

Do not press the Finish button until you are absolutely sure that all of the information is correct. Once you press the Finish button you will be automatically directed to www.paypal.com to pay your listing fees.

Once your listing fees have been paid, your new auction will be listed immediately and you will be presented with a link to where you can view your auction, and a receipt for what you have been charged for adding the auction. It is highly recommended that you print out this receipt as a record of your transaction.

Can I change my item's description or category?

Your item’s description can be altered, but the title cannot be changed. Go to My Auctions and click Edit next to the auction you wish to amend.Certain elements of an auction cannot be changed once a bid has been placed.

Can I change my item's starting price or quantity?

You can amend your item’s starting price by going to My Auctions and click Edit next to the open auction you wish to amend. Quantities can be amended for Multiple Auctions only.

What is a bid increment?

The bid increment of your auction is the amount (£ and pence) that you wish the minimum bid price to be automatically raised by after each bid is made.

How do I contact the buyer?

You will be automatically sent the contact details of the buyer by email when your auction has closed. You must then make contact with the buyer to arrange delivery and payment.

What if I can't contact the highest bidder?

Please allow a reasonable time for the highest bidder to get back to you (many people do not access email daily).

However, if there are other bidders for your item, you may wish to contact them in the order in which they appear in your item's bidding history.

Bidding history can be accessed by logging in and selecting the relevant auction from “My Auctions – Selling: Closed" section.

How much does it cost to sell?

Click here to view all auction charges.

How can I check on my account?

You can check on your account by logging in and clicking on the "View My Bill" button.

What is a reserve price?

The reserve price of an auction is the minimum price that the seller of the item is willing to sell the item for. This price should be above the minimum bid price. The auction will begin at the minimum bid price and at the stage whereby the bidding reaches the reserve price, the seller is then obliged to sell the item for sale.

What if a reserve isn't met?

If an auction ends and the reserve price has not been met, both the seller and the high bidder are released from any further obligation to complete the transaction.

How can I add a picture to my auction?

During the Post an Auction process you will have the opportunity to upload images to accompany your auction listing. Your first image uploaded is free of charge.

To upload:
1. Click the Browse button to choose a file from your computer.
2. Click the Upload button below.
3. Wait for browser to display upload status message.

Important Note: Thumbnails can only be created for valid JPG, JPEG, or PNG image files.

If you do not have any files to upload, or are finished uploading files, just click the Continue button to proceed.

What is a Multiple Auction?

A Multiple Auction (Dutch Auction) is an auction in which the seller has multiple identical items to sell. When starting a Dutch Auction the seller must enter the quantity, starting bid (reserve price is not used) and bid increments. All winning bidders pay the same price, which is the lowest successful bid.

Bidders must specify both a bid price and the quantity they want to buy. Proxy bidding is not used in Multiple auctions. Again, all winning bidders pay the same price, which is equal to the amount bid for the last item of the collection.

What is a feedback rating?

You should always leave feedback on the seller after completing a transaction. This lets other users know what to expect from the seller, whether that be good or bad.

You can reach the feedback form by clicking on the Add Your Rating link on the item detail page. Please restrain from using foul or obscene language, as other users may be offended. Inappropriate feedback will be deleted.

What is the number next to the model-auctions.com rating?

The number next to a username denotes the number of times that user has been rated by other users.

Can I bulk upload my auctions?

No not as a standard user but we do have PowerLister accounts that are reserved for heavy users of the site whom can upload multiple auction listings, pay on account, receive 25% discount on all site fees and do not pay base auction fees.

To become a model-auctions.com PowerLister please Contact Us.

Can I stop unwanted bidding members from bidding on my auctions?

No. Contact us if you wish to report another user.

How do I find out how my auction ended?

You will be emailed automatically after the auction has closed. Auction results are also available in the Member's Area.

What items are banned on model-auctions.com?

Classic-model-auction.com reserves the right to determine whether content is appropriate.

Prohibited auction listings/items:

Items and services that infringe on another party's copyright, patent, license, trademark or other proprietary right.
Any item that is illegal to sell under any applicable law, statute, ordinance or regulation. Items to which a false or illegal description is applied.
Stolen or illegally imported goods
Firearms, Military weapons, Explosives and ammunition
Fireworks, pyrotechnics, and explosives
Books, Manuals, Software, or literature promoting violence or containing hate literature
Books, Manuals, Software, or literature that provide instructions on how to perform or engage in any form of illegal activity
Recopied media
Recopied and transferred video games

What we deem "offensive" Hornby may remove items and refund listing fees. Hornby reserves the right to determine the appropriateness of listings posted to our site.

Please be careful to post items that are appropriate for our global community.

Buyers and sellers must ensure that the sale complies with all applicable laws and delivery regulations in carrying out the transaction.

What happens if I break the rules?

We will manually suspend accounts that we deem to be inappropriate.

If your account has been suspended and you require further information, please contact us.

Buying / Bidding on Auctions

How do I find something to bid on and then make a bid?

You can search for auctions using the search facility located on every page. You can also browse for auctions using the categories listed below the search box which are also located on every page.

To place a bid, click the "Place Bid" link for the relevant item. Enter your bid amount (and select quantity if it is a Multiple Auction) and click Submit. The result of your bid will appear immediately.

What if the seller doesn't want to sell anymore?

The seller is not obliged to sell, however you can submit negative feedback to the seller’s account.

What is Proxy bidding?

If you cannot follow the auction, but would like to take part in the bidding process, Hornby can bid on your behalf.

If your bid is above the "lowest possible bid" amount, other bidders will not be aware of your maximum bid. If another member places a bid higher than your visible bid, Hornby will bid on your behalf by increasing your bid by the current bid increment up to your maximum.

I get outbid every time I place a bid.

You may be bidding against a Proxy bidder. If you place a bid with a maximum high enough to outbid all other bidders, your Proxy will protect your position in the same way.

Can I reduce or retract my bid once it has been placed?

You cannot retract your bid throughout while the auction is still in progress.

If you finish the auction as the highest bidder and are not going to continue with the transaction, please notify the seller immediately so the seller can in turn contact any underbidders who may still be interested in the purchase of the item.

What happens if the reserve price isn't met?

If an auction ends and the reserve price has not been met, both the seller and the high bidder are released from any further obligation to complete the transaction.

Can I ask the seller a question?

You can contact the seller of an item simply by clicking on ‘Ask question’ next to the ‘Item owner’ for each auction or by sending a message through the Message Base system to the relevant Username.

What is a Multiple auction?

How do I find out how my auction ended?

You will be emailed automatically after the auction has closed. Auction results are also available in the Membership section.

Member's Area

What is the Membership section?

Within the Membership section you can refer back to your previous auction listings, your auction statistics, personal details, feedback and amend your login password information.

You can also view you bills and access your email and messaging settings.

How do I enter the Member's Area?

Click Login and enter your Username and Password.

Once the Auction has ended

What happens when the auction has ended?

The seller and highest bidder will automatically be sent an email confirming the result of the auction. Contact details for the seller will be sent to the highest bidder and vice versa for the highest bidder.

The buyer and seller should then arrange delivery and payment between themselves. Hornby are not involved in the actual transaction between buyers and sellers.

Auction owners (sellers) should pay auction closing fees on the completion of a successful auction.

Buyers and sellers are encouraged to leave feedback for each other after a reasonable time for delivery is allowed.

Paying auction closing fees

After a successful sale, the seller should then login, go to their Account, click View Your Bill and click on the PayPal button. The seller will then be transferred to PayPal to pay the balance on the account.

Fees & Charges

How much is it to join model-auctions.com?

Registration is free. Once registered you start bidding or place an item for auction immediately. Although there are charges for sellers associated with posting an auction.

Click here to view all auction charges

How much are listing fees?

Click here to view all auction charges.

How can I check on the status of my account?

Click here to log in and go to View Your Bill.

How do I pay for monies owed?

Click on the PayPal button under your bill and follow the on-screen instructions.

What payments do you accept?

Classic-model-auctions.com only accepts PayPal payments for listing and final sales value fees.

Paying auction closing fees

Preventing Fraud

What is online auction Fraud?

Types of internet auction fraud tend to be regarding sellers who:

fail to send merchandise
send something of a lesser value than advertised
fail to deliver in a timely manner
fail to disclose all relevant information about a product or terms of the sale

How can I stop this happening to me?

The best ways to be sure about your transaction are:

Use sellers with good feedback and read the comments that others have left.
Ask for phone numbers and speak to the seller.
Pick up the goods in person.