New UK Auction Site Hunt For It Debuts Offering Mobile Bidding

[mandy]

Unlike the 100s of 1-man part-time auction site owners spamming their out of the box PHP Pro Bid sites to ex-Wagglepopper heeplove: on PSU and other auction forums, this new site is neither out of the box nor a 1-man show.  The site opened March 1st and has approximately 8000 items listed already. Whether it sinks or swims is another matter...

The theory behind it is simple too: make an auction site where users don’t need to be trapped in front of their computers...

The way Hunt for it has implemented this is via text messaging. True, eBay offers a similar service through O2 using WAP, but Hunt for it is open to any network and SMS is faster and most cost efficient. Furthermore, all listings are free and a seller will receive 5p for every bid he receives on his item. A profile can also be set up on the hunt for it website enabling users to receive texts whenever specific items become available. The company uses the example phrase: ‘Ordinary Boys concert tickets’ but hopefully there will be more tasteful requests made instead for the likes of Hard-Fi or Arcade Fire….

full article: http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=2530

In addition sellers can make extra money if buyers use the site's SMS service to make bids. Unlike eBay, which has an exclusive tie up with O2, the Hunt For It service allows buyers on any network to bid for any item via text.

This service will cost the bidder 25 pence plus their normal network charges. Of the 25 pence fee charged by Hunt For It, the seller receives five pence which is automatically credited to their account.

The site also says it is easier to place listings and the seller can use a camera phone to send a picture of any item they are selling instead of using a digital camera and uploading this image online.

There are bonuses for buyers as well. In addition to being able to bid via text, they can monitor an auction this way and receive text alerts if they have been outbid or have won, which frees them from their PC. This service also costs 25 pence per text plus network charges.

full article: http://www.computeractive.co.uk/2151166

The HuntForIt.co.uk web site: http://www.huntforit.co.uk/dashboard/index.jsp

This is just one of several new sites that are charging BIDDERS to bid and/or placing a heavy focus on mobile bidding.  Other new sites include UniqueAuction and Limbo