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MyMart™

Buying

Buying stuff on MyMart works in two ways. You either bid for an item in an auction or you pay a buy it now price and the item is yours straightaway. Not all items have buy it now price; it is up to the seller to decide if they want to add one.

Searching for an item

To begin with you need to find something that you want to buy! From your mobile it is easiest to text “buy” to 60067 and then follow the link from there to start your search.

The message we send you back will be a browser message. This message works in the same way as a text message but it allows you to follow a link to the MyMart™ mobile internet site. It may be stored separately from normal messages, for example in the “Browser messages” folder on your phone, if you need to find it again.

Online you can click on any item that takes your fancy from the home page, choose one of the categories listed in the left-hand column or do a more detailed search from the “Advanced search” page.

Take a careful look

When you have found something that you want to buy make sure you read all the details carefully. One of the great things about MyMart™ is that sellers can post a video of the item they are selling. So if there is a video check it out on your mobile phone or computer. It should help you see the condition and details of the item.

Make sure you read the description carefully, note any postage costs or collection arrangements, payment methods and feedback from other MyMart™ users. In the “Details” column you can see the seller’s postcode, so this should give you an idea of where your item will be coming from – you can click on the postcode to see a map. This is not so important if you are buying a CD, but if you are buying a car you are probably going to have to go and collect it!

Register

In order to bid on or buy an item on MyMart™ you need to get a MyMart™ account. This is quick, free and easy and can be done from our “Registration” page online, or by texting “reg” to 60067 on your mobile phone. If you have an account already, you can sign in from any page online or from the home page on your phone.

Bidding in an auction

On MyMart™ you can bid for items in an online auction. The winner is the highest bidder when the auction ends. All you need to do is decide the maximum amount that you are prepared to bid and MyMart™‘s bidding system will bid just enough on your behalf to keep you the highest bidder. If someone outbids you and you want to keep bidding just click on the item again and set a new maximum. You can watch all the items you are bidding on from the “Your account” page.

Bid increments

When you place a bid, the price of the item won’t go up to the level of your bid, it will increase by the smallest amount needed to make sure you’re the highest bidder. This smallest amount depends on the current price of the item, the following table shows how this is worked out:

Current price Bid increment
£0 5p
£1 20p
£5 50p
£15 £1
£60 £2
£150 £5
£300 £10
£600 £20
£1500 £50
£3000 £100

Buy it now

If you have made up your mind and want to be certain that no one will out bid you in an auction you may find that the seller has given their item a buy it now price. This means you can just click and buy without bidding at all.

What happens when I buy stuff?

If you have bought something with your mobile phone we will send you a text message to confirm your purchase. This message will include details of how to contact the seller (name and phone number) and the seller will receive a similar message with details of how to contact you (name and phone number). The page for the item will change to display these details and the steps you should go through. Arrange payment and delivery. When everything’s done, leave feedback about the seller.

Payment

You and the seller must arrange a payment method. Most sellers will not send an item until payment has been received.

There are several payment methods that MyMart™ recommend.

1. Luup

Luup allows you to send and receive money with your mobile phone. You can pay for things via SMS, while still keeping your MyMart™ money separate from your phone bill. With Luup you don’t have to enter your card details to make a purchase. To learn more and to sign up for a Luup account take a look at their website.

2. Internet payment services

Internet payment services such as Paypal or Nochex let you send money to anyone with an email address.

3. The old fashioned way

You can send the seller a cheque. This is secure but takes a little longer as most sellers will wait for the cheque to clear before sending the item.

4. Cash on collection

If you are going to collect the item in person, cash on collection makes the most sense.

Next you will need to agree a delivery or collection method and cost. You can use the post office or any number of delivery companies for larger items. If you and the buyer are near to each other, collection can be quick and easy. Do be aware that not everybody on the internet is trustworthy. If you are worried, have some with you when the buyer arrives or meet in a public place rather than at your home.

Feedback

Last of all you can leave feedback on the seller. Did you have a good experience, would you recommend them to other buyers? Don’t forget the buyer will also be leaving feedback on you, so be fair.

Online auctions work on a degree of trust and feedback allows other users to have confidence in what they are buying, so feedback is important. Please don’t just choose “Positive” or “Negative”, write a quick explanation or recommendation. If you have a particularly bad experience, please report the buyer to us directly.