Directorate of distance education

Auctions Conducted by Businesses
There are many forms of this auction, in which the business 
running the website offers their own products for sale:
➢
Low bid auctions:
the lowest unique bid received is the successful 
bid 
➢
High bid auctions: 
the highest unique bid received is the successful 
bid 
➢
Beat the clock auctions: 
each new bid increases the auction 
duration, with the highest bidder at the end of the auction winning 
➢
Reverse auctions: 
the role of the buyer and seller are reversed and 
the sellers compete for your business.
Don’t participate unless you understand exactly how the auction 
works. The auction website should provide important information such 
as terms and conditions or safe trading guidelines. See if the auction 
site has any processes in place for dealing with problems such as dispute 
resolution procedures, buyer protection policies or complaints handling 
policies - and whether you are eligible.
Don’t get Caught with Unexpected Fees and Charges
Before you join an online auction, know all the costs involved with 
registering, bidding and winning. With some of the newer or more novel 
types of auctions, you may be charged to bid, even if you don’t win. You 
may also have to pay administrative fees and subscription costs and you 

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will nearly always have to pay for delivery if you do win. If the terms and 
conditions look tricky or confusing, you may be safer to shop elsewhere.
Your Rights when Buying from an Online Auction
Whether online or in person, you need to be particularly careful 
when you buy from an auction – most auctions are a case of ‘buyer-
beware’ and there are normally no returns or refunds if something goes 
wrong with your purchase. When you buy at auction, you are still entitled 
to expect that the seller will provide the product as it was advertised: they 
cannot mislead you about the product or its attributes. For example, if you 
bought a green leather couch, they cannot send you a red one. Whether 
you buy from a business or private individual, the seller must have the 
right to sell you the goods. It is unlawful for someone to sell you something 
which was stolen or that they didn’t own. 
If there are any restrictions on ownership, these should be made 
clear to you before you buy. If you are having problems with a purchase 
from an overseas-based business or website, it may be more difficult 
for you to resolve any issues that arise. Visit our webpages Buying from 
overseas, Buying from overseas and Online shopping – when things go 
wrong for more information.
Workflow
The term “Workflow” refers to the modeling and computerized 
management of all tasks to be accomplished and of the different players 
involved in carrying out a business process (also called operational 
process). A business process represents interactions in the form of an 
exchane of information between different players such as:
➢ People,
➢ Applications or services,
➢ Third-party processes,

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