It has been more than a year since this column looked at on-line antiques auctions on the World Wide Web. Much has changed. Some of the principal players at that time are no longer in business, and new firms have taken their place. A simple and uniform method of operation has arisen. Almost none of the antiques auctions actually have possession of the merchandise, take part in the financial transaction, or are involved with shipping.
Sellers list their merchandise, and buyers bid.
The on-line auction firm charges a fee for posting the listing and for facilitating communication between buyer and seller. Most on-line auctions have some form of feedback so unreliable or allegedly unscrupulous buyers or sellers can be reported by their fellow users. Feedback reports are available to all users in the form of complaint counts that give no details. Behind the scenes, the auction firms may be taking additional steps to maintain fairness. Bidding has always been simple in Web auctions.