Trust & safety
DoBid is maintained by the DoBid team to keep local auctions fair for both sides. This page summarizes the protections built into the platform today. It is not a certification or legal guarantee.
How we protect sellers
- Bidders accept the bidding and 10% buyer-fee terms before bidding. The fee is charged only if the seller accepts the winning bid.
- A valid card on file is required before a buyer can place a bid. DoBid no longer requires bidding deposits.
- You decide whether to accept or decline the highest bid at close. There is no counteroffer pressure.
- Exact pickup address is never public. It is shared privately only after you accept.
- Anti-sniping extends the auction by two minutes when a bid lands in the final two minutes. Extensions repeat until two quiet minutes pass.
How we protect buyers
- The visible bid history shows bid amounts, times, and bidder usernames so buyers can review the activity before bidding.
- Listings cannot be edited after bidding starts. Sellers cannot raise the price or change the item mid-auction.
- Sellers cannot accept a lower bid or make a counteroffer through DoBid. They can accept or decline the highest offer.
- If the seller declines or does not accept within 48 hours, the transaction does not move forward and DoBid charges nothing.
- You can ask public questions on any listing and leave a review after a completed transaction.
Account verification
- Email verification is required to bid or sell.
- Phone and identity verification badges are available on profiles where supported.
- Two-factor authentication (TOTP) is available in Account → Security.
Reporting and moderation
- Any listing, user, public question, message, or review can be reported with one tap.
- Reports go to a moderation queue. Admins can hide or remove listings, warn or suspend users, and resolve disputes.
- The title and description of every listing are checked against our prohibited items list when it is published. A clear match is refused outright; a borderline one is published and queued for a human to review.
- Listing photos are not scanned automatically. They are covered by user reports and admin review, not by an automatic filter.
Audit logs
- Every important action — bid placed, auction extended, auction ended, seller accepted or declined, buyer fee charged, and admin action — is recorded with actor, timestamp, and context.
- Audit logs are immutable through normal application flows. They exist to support disputes and platform integrity.
What DoBid does not do
- DoBid is a marketplace facilitator only. We are not a seller, buyer, or auctioneer.
- DoBid does not collect the purchase price of items. Buyers pay sellers directly in person.
- DoBid does not act as escrow and does not guarantee item condition.
- DoBid does not arrange shipping, delivery, or carrier services. All auctions are local pickup only in V1.