eBay alternative auction sites Proxibid and Auctionopia are expanding their marketplaces to make selling and buying more flexible.
Live online-auction provider Proxibid just unrolled a “buy now” feature called Instant Purchase, which allows auction houses to offer an “instant purchase” price that will override any existing bids on an item. When a listing is within one hour of closing, the Instant Purchase feature will be disabled to allow competitive bidding.
“Auction companies and bidders have been requesting this feature and we are thrilled to be able to deliver,” says Jason Nielson, vice president of Risk, Payments and Product at Proxibid.
Some buyers prefer this method to avoid having to wait for an auction to close. A similar feature is also now available on online auction site Auctionopia, which just announced a retail component to its services.
Auctionopia launched its eBay alternative this year, which is a free online platform for selling. The site wants to incorporate retail businesses into its marketplace by allowing sellers to open storefronts and list items as “retail,” which is akin to “buy now”. This allows retailers and wholesalers to sell on Auctionopia by having the option to offer items for bid or a set price, all while maintaining a no-fees membership.
