Post by Jonathan Mejia on Mar 25, 2017 11:20:46 GMT -5
Welcome to the Sarracenia Forum APCA Benefit Auction!
To learn more about the APCA click here
In order to participate in the 2017 APCA auction, you are required to read the rules below for both listing and bidding. By making any posts in the auction forum, for either donations of items or bids on items, you acknowledge that you have fully read and understand these rules and you represent your agreement to the terms set forth for this auction. Failing to uphold either end of a post-auction transaction will result in exclusion from future auctions. Participation in the Sarracenia Forum TNC Auction is entirely voluntary and will be taken as an acceptance of all rules and procedures.
LISTING PERIOD: Monday, March 27, 2017 through Wednesday, March 29th, 2017
BIDDING PERIOD: Monday, March 27, 2017 through Sunday, April 2, 2017 closing at 11 PM EST (8:00 p.m. PST).
The actual opening and closing of the auction forum will be as close as possible to the actual times, but may not be exact, as it is done manually. However, valid listings and bids will go by the post timestamp (i.e., a bid that is entered past 11 p.m. EST/8 p.m. PST on April 2nd will not be valid even if the Auction Forum is still open for posting.)
You may post a listing (donation) at any time during the “Listing Period”. All items are open for bidding during the entire duration of the open auction; however, it is recommended to bid starting after Wednesday due to the fact that all items for auction should be listed at that time. The highest bidder at the end of the auction is the winner.
AUCTION IS OPEN TO: the general public! You do not have to be a registered Sarracenia Forum member to donate by listing an item or bid on an item for purchase. HOWEVER, if you are not a member, please remember to leave contact information, like an email, as we have had difficulties contacting people in the past.
If you bid as a guest, you must provide contact information in your bid post(s). Bidding as a guest without contact information will be voided. You are encouraged to join the Sarracenia Forums. We are happy to have you!
WHAT CAN BE LISTED FOR AUCTION?
The auction is open to any legal item--CP or non-CP related. Anything that may bring donations ($$$!) is acceptable. Examples include: CPs, non-CP plants, seeds, artwork, gardening tools, T-shirts, lights, pots, CDs, books, non-perishable food items, activities (like tours), autographs, gift certificates, etc. BE CREATIVE! We need items and bids! However, please only donate or bid if you can uphold and follow through with your end of the transaction. This auction operates on an "honor system" so please be honorable about your donations and bids.
Weapons, chemicals or any items that have the potential for causing harm are not allowed. Illegal goods of any kind are not allowed. If you are unsure, ask one of the forum admins or moderators. Here is my contact: Jonathan Mejia
FOLLOW THE LAW: The lister (donor) and buyer (bidder) are responsible for making sure that all laws and regulations are strictly adhered to in their exchange. This includes, but is not limited to, interstate transfer laws, phytosanitary laws and CITES rules for plant material. Any item offered within a boundary must be clearly stated and must still follow all rules for transfer with those regions (e.g., if an item is offered in Canada to only Canadians, the lister and winner must still adhere to all rules of legal transfer of plant material within those regions.) A lister has the right to refuse foreign bids (for example, list an item as U.S. only). APCA and the Sarracenia Forum will take no responsibility for any repercussions that result from not following the law.
LISTING AN ITEM: Anyone can donate by listing an item for auction, including non-Sarracenia Forum members! Each item donated will be listed as an individual topic under the “Sarracenia Forum 2017 Auction”. All bids for that item will be posted in that thread. Dutch auctions are not allowed; each item must be listed individually. Any Dutch listed will be deleted by a Mod and the lister notified.
Each lister (donor) must include the following information in their opening topic:
1) Opening bid amount
2) Item description
3) Who is to pay for shipping (seller or buyer) and at least a fair guesstimate on the amount so there are no "surprises" with shipping fees
4) If it is U.S. shipping only or if you will ship internationally
5) If there are any boundary limitations (e.g. an item listed in Canada for only Canadian bidders)
6) Some form of contact info (PM or email) so the winning bidder can contact you about shipping addresses and fees
All listings must have an opening bid price. Minimum opening bid is $2 but opening bid can be higher. This will be used in lieu of reserves to ensure no item sells for an unreasonably low price. Please keep opening bids below what you consider the value of the item to be. "Bargain hunting" encourages bidding.
Example listing: "Up for auction is one pack of 200 Sarracenia flava x OP seeds harvested Nov. 2016; opening bid $2. I am paying for shipping; US bidders only. My email contact is username@example.org".
You are encouraged to post a photo of your item. If no photo is available, please provide a detailed description of your item (species, size, age, condition, etc.). If you would like to make an "estimated value" on your item, you can, but keep it fair and reasonable. Please keep an eye on your listing(s) in case a bidder has questions for you.
BIDDING ON AN ITEM: All bids will be placed within the topic for each item; the thread following that topic (item) will be all bids posted and pertaining to that one item. *All amounts are in USD.
BID INCREMENTS:
Please keep bids to whole dollar amounts (no cents).
Bidding increments will be based on current high bid
If the current high bid is between:
- $2-$19 you may place a bid no lower than $1 above the current bid
- $20-$49 you may place a bid no lower than $2 above the current bid
- $50 + you may place a bid no lower than $5 above the current bid
Bids higher than these minimums may be placed at any time.
For example: There is a Nepenthes listed and its current high bid is $5. You must bid at least $1 more (total $6 bid) or higher in even dollars. If the Nepenthes bidding goes up to $20, you can bid $22 or higher (in $2 increments). If the Nepenthes reaches $50, you can bid $55 or higher in $5 increments.
NOTE: If you do not understand bid increments, please contact me (Jonathan Mejia ) or another Sarracenia Forum mod. We must have bid increments so people don't outbid by a few pennies.
**No bids or posts can be edited and changed once posted. Contact a moderator if you need to make a change on your listing. You may bid as often as you wish. No bids will be valid past stated auction ending time.
IF YOU WIN AN AUCTION: Winner is the highest bidder at the time the auction closes on April 2, 2017, 11:00 p.m. EST (8:00 p.m. PST) Winner should contact the lister/donor within three days to make shipping arrangements. Payment for the item won will go directly to the Jonathan Mejia (see below for more details, as he will be accumulating the bids and giving it as a lump sum to APCA); please do not send item payment to the seller! Remit any shipping fees directly to the seller. Once the Jonathan Mejia has received payment for an item, I will then notify the donor (and copy the bidder) that s/he can ship the item; the donor should have received shipping fees by this time. Donor and the highest bidder must communicate on when an appropriate time to ship the item will be. Since the auction ends at the end of April, most Sarracenia should be awake, or waking up.
PAYMENT FOR A WON ITEM:
Please do not use the APCA website to pay for your item!!!!
Acceptable forms of donation include:
Paypal - My account is jmejia1187@gmail.com on paypal - Please include your forum username and the item/s you are paying for:
***VERY IMPORTANT***
When you send in your payment, you must include the following information:
1) Your real first and last name
2) Your Sarracenia Forum ID (if a member)
3) Phone number and email address--just in case we need to contact you
4 a) full list of each item you won and are paying for
b) Ending bid (price) of each item
c) The forum name or email of the donor (so they can be notified to ship!)
Any "mystery payments" (no identifiers) will be refused by jmejia1187@gmail.com and returned to the sender.
SHIPPING FEES: The Lister (Donor) will choose who pays the shipping on their item. He/She may offer to pay shipping or require the bidder to pay shipping costs. This information must be disclosed in the listing information so the bidder knows prior to bidding who will pay the costs. Shipping fees (as accurate as possible) and/or restrictions should be clearly posted in the listing (item topic). Shipping costs can be estimated. Seller/donor should take all care possible to ensure their item is well packed and will arrive in good shape, and in a timely manner, or postponed due to weather if need be.
PAYMENT/SHIPPING POLICY: No item will be shipped until payment has been received. Each winner will have 30 days from the close of auction to remit payment to Jonathan Mejia and any shipping fees to the donor (seller). Items should be shipped to winners within 14 days of receipt of payment, unless other arrangements have been made. If item payments are not received within the 30 day time allowance, the bid is voided and the next highest bidder will be offered the item at their highest bid. The same time allotments apply to the next highest bidders if previous bids have been voided. Insurance will be at the request and expense of the buyer.
NEW RULE 2016: The same 30 day time allowance applies for shipping fees sent to the donor as well. If you fail to send shipping fees to the donor within this timeframe, your bid is voided. Any payment sent to jmejia1187@gmail.com will be refunded and the next highest bidder will be offered the item at their highest bid.
The Sarracenia Forum moderators reserve the right to remove any inappropriate listings, comments or bids. We also reserve the right to disallow any individual from participating in the auction if they are disruptive or disrespectful of others on the forum. However, we do have a sense of humor. If you choose to post memes, or interesting bids, go right ahead.
If you have any questions, please contact Jonathan Mejia by email at jmejia1187@gmail.com, or any of The Sarracenia Forum moderators.
GOOD FAITH: All items listed in this auction are perceived by APCA as donations in good faith and that the transaction will be completed by both donor and winning bidder. We ask that all donors do their utmost to satisfy the winning recipients with their item. If, after a reasonable amount of time and effort, the transaction cannot be completed, Jonathan Mejia refund all monies donated in any failed transaction.
This is a charity event for a good cause, to help preserve endangered Sarracenia in the wild, so SERIOUS BIDDERS ONLY!
Help make this auction run smoothly by following the rules, being responsible and being a good sport.
PLEASE!
*No Deadbeat Listers! If you can't follow through on delivering your item/donation in a timely manner, please don't put up a listing! Please don't offer material you don't have (e.g. "I will have seeds in a couple of weeks"). Make sure you have the time to monitor your auction listings and pack and ship what you donate.
*No Deadbeat Bidders! Bid only if you will pay for what you win and for any shipping costs.
THANK YOU AND HAVE FUN!
FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS:
-What are the bid increments and why are they important?
Bid increments are used in order to prevent people outbidding by just a penny or few pennies. This helps make tracking bids easier and reduces the number of bids (i.e., doesn't take 100 bids to advance $1); especially frivolous bids. It is standard in both auction houses and online auctions. Please keep your bids within the increment level for the current item price or a moderator will void your bid. More information on bid increments can be found in the auction rules post.
Please keep bids to WHOLE dollar amounts (no cents).
Bidding increments will be based on current highest bid.
If the current highest bid is between:
- $2-$19, you may place a bid no lower than $1 above the current bid
- $20-$49, you may place a bid no lower than $2 above the current bid
- $50 + , you may place a bid no lower than $5 above the current bid
Bids higher than these minimums may be placed at any time. If you see any bids not following the rules, notify a moderator please. If you do not understand this bidding rule, please ask.
-Can I post CITES-restricted material, ship internationally, etc.?
The lister (donor) and buyer (bidder) are responsible for making sure that all laws and regulations are strictly adhered to in their exchange. This includes, but is not limited to, interstate transfer laws, phytosanitary laws and CITES rules for plant material. Any item offered within a boundary must be clearly stated and must still follow all rules for transfer with those regions (e.g., if an item is offered in Canada to only Canadians, the lister and winner must still adhere to all rules of LEGAL transfer of plant material within those regions.) A lister has the right to refuse foreign bids (for example, list an item as U.S. only). TNC will take no responsibility for any repercussions that result from not following the law.
-I donated items to the auction. Can I deduct the value of those items from my taxes?
As of this time I do not believe the APCA is a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit. I will continue to speak to them regarding this and update this information as it comes in to me.
-I won and paid for items from the auction. Can I deduct that money from my taxes?
No, because you received goods in exchange for your monetary donation.
-I have a $50 budget for the auction, and I see 5 items that I want to win. Should I bid $20 on each of them and hope that I win one or two?
Don’t make this mistake! What if you win all of the auctions but can’t pay the money you promised? If you default on your auctions, you will not be allowed to participate in any of The Sarracenia Forum auctions in the future.
Thank you for participating in the 2017 Sarracenia Forum Auction!
To learn more about the APCA click here
In order to participate in the 2017 APCA auction, you are required to read the rules below for both listing and bidding. By making any posts in the auction forum, for either donations of items or bids on items, you acknowledge that you have fully read and understand these rules and you represent your agreement to the terms set forth for this auction. Failing to uphold either end of a post-auction transaction will result in exclusion from future auctions. Participation in the Sarracenia Forum TNC Auction is entirely voluntary and will be taken as an acceptance of all rules and procedures.
LISTING PERIOD: Monday, March 27, 2017 through Wednesday, March 29th, 2017
BIDDING PERIOD: Monday, March 27, 2017 through Sunday, April 2, 2017 closing at 11 PM EST (8:00 p.m. PST).
The actual opening and closing of the auction forum will be as close as possible to the actual times, but may not be exact, as it is done manually. However, valid listings and bids will go by the post timestamp (i.e., a bid that is entered past 11 p.m. EST/8 p.m. PST on April 2nd will not be valid even if the Auction Forum is still open for posting.)
You may post a listing (donation) at any time during the “Listing Period”. All items are open for bidding during the entire duration of the open auction; however, it is recommended to bid starting after Wednesday due to the fact that all items for auction should be listed at that time. The highest bidder at the end of the auction is the winner.
AUCTION IS OPEN TO: the general public! You do not have to be a registered Sarracenia Forum member to donate by listing an item or bid on an item for purchase. HOWEVER, if you are not a member, please remember to leave contact information, like an email, as we have had difficulties contacting people in the past.
If you bid as a guest, you must provide contact information in your bid post(s). Bidding as a guest without contact information will be voided. You are encouraged to join the Sarracenia Forums. We are happy to have you!
WHAT CAN BE LISTED FOR AUCTION?
The auction is open to any legal item--CP or non-CP related. Anything that may bring donations ($$$!) is acceptable. Examples include: CPs, non-CP plants, seeds, artwork, gardening tools, T-shirts, lights, pots, CDs, books, non-perishable food items, activities (like tours), autographs, gift certificates, etc. BE CREATIVE! We need items and bids! However, please only donate or bid if you can uphold and follow through with your end of the transaction. This auction operates on an "honor system" so please be honorable about your donations and bids.
Weapons, chemicals or any items that have the potential for causing harm are not allowed. Illegal goods of any kind are not allowed. If you are unsure, ask one of the forum admins or moderators. Here is my contact: Jonathan Mejia
FOLLOW THE LAW: The lister (donor) and buyer (bidder) are responsible for making sure that all laws and regulations are strictly adhered to in their exchange. This includes, but is not limited to, interstate transfer laws, phytosanitary laws and CITES rules for plant material. Any item offered within a boundary must be clearly stated and must still follow all rules for transfer with those regions (e.g., if an item is offered in Canada to only Canadians, the lister and winner must still adhere to all rules of legal transfer of plant material within those regions.) A lister has the right to refuse foreign bids (for example, list an item as U.S. only). APCA and the Sarracenia Forum will take no responsibility for any repercussions that result from not following the law.
LISTING AN ITEM: Anyone can donate by listing an item for auction, including non-Sarracenia Forum members! Each item donated will be listed as an individual topic under the “Sarracenia Forum 2017 Auction”. All bids for that item will be posted in that thread. Dutch auctions are not allowed; each item must be listed individually. Any Dutch listed will be deleted by a Mod and the lister notified.
Each lister (donor) must include the following information in their opening topic:
1) Opening bid amount
2) Item description
3) Who is to pay for shipping (seller or buyer) and at least a fair guesstimate on the amount so there are no "surprises" with shipping fees
4) If it is U.S. shipping only or if you will ship internationally
5) If there are any boundary limitations (e.g. an item listed in Canada for only Canadian bidders)
6) Some form of contact info (PM or email) so the winning bidder can contact you about shipping addresses and fees
All listings must have an opening bid price. Minimum opening bid is $2 but opening bid can be higher. This will be used in lieu of reserves to ensure no item sells for an unreasonably low price. Please keep opening bids below what you consider the value of the item to be. "Bargain hunting" encourages bidding.
Example listing: "Up for auction is one pack of 200 Sarracenia flava x OP seeds harvested Nov. 2016; opening bid $2. I am paying for shipping; US bidders only. My email contact is username@example.org".
You are encouraged to post a photo of your item. If no photo is available, please provide a detailed description of your item (species, size, age, condition, etc.). If you would like to make an "estimated value" on your item, you can, but keep it fair and reasonable. Please keep an eye on your listing(s) in case a bidder has questions for you.
BIDDING ON AN ITEM: All bids will be placed within the topic for each item; the thread following that topic (item) will be all bids posted and pertaining to that one item. *All amounts are in USD.
BID INCREMENTS:
Please keep bids to whole dollar amounts (no cents).
Bidding increments will be based on current high bid
If the current high bid is between:
- $2-$19 you may place a bid no lower than $1 above the current bid
- $20-$49 you may place a bid no lower than $2 above the current bid
- $50 + you may place a bid no lower than $5 above the current bid
Bids higher than these minimums may be placed at any time.
For example: There is a Nepenthes listed and its current high bid is $5. You must bid at least $1 more (total $6 bid) or higher in even dollars. If the Nepenthes bidding goes up to $20, you can bid $22 or higher (in $2 increments). If the Nepenthes reaches $50, you can bid $55 or higher in $5 increments.
NOTE: If you do not understand bid increments, please contact me (Jonathan Mejia ) or another Sarracenia Forum mod. We must have bid increments so people don't outbid by a few pennies.
**No bids or posts can be edited and changed once posted. Contact a moderator if you need to make a change on your listing. You may bid as often as you wish. No bids will be valid past stated auction ending time.
IF YOU WIN AN AUCTION: Winner is the highest bidder at the time the auction closes on April 2, 2017, 11:00 p.m. EST (8:00 p.m. PST) Winner should contact the lister/donor within three days to make shipping arrangements. Payment for the item won will go directly to the Jonathan Mejia (see below for more details, as he will be accumulating the bids and giving it as a lump sum to APCA); please do not send item payment to the seller! Remit any shipping fees directly to the seller. Once the Jonathan Mejia has received payment for an item, I will then notify the donor (and copy the bidder) that s/he can ship the item; the donor should have received shipping fees by this time. Donor and the highest bidder must communicate on when an appropriate time to ship the item will be. Since the auction ends at the end of April, most Sarracenia should be awake, or waking up.
PAYMENT FOR A WON ITEM:
Please do not use the APCA website to pay for your item!!!!
Acceptable forms of donation include:
Paypal - My account is jmejia1187@gmail.com on paypal - Please include your forum username and the item/s you are paying for:
***VERY IMPORTANT***
When you send in your payment, you must include the following information:
1) Your real first and last name
2) Your Sarracenia Forum ID (if a member)
3) Phone number and email address--just in case we need to contact you
4 a) full list of each item you won and are paying for
b) Ending bid (price) of each item
c) The forum name or email of the donor (so they can be notified to ship!)
Any "mystery payments" (no identifiers) will be refused by jmejia1187@gmail.com and returned to the sender.
SHIPPING FEES: The Lister (Donor) will choose who pays the shipping on their item. He/She may offer to pay shipping or require the bidder to pay shipping costs. This information must be disclosed in the listing information so the bidder knows prior to bidding who will pay the costs. Shipping fees (as accurate as possible) and/or restrictions should be clearly posted in the listing (item topic). Shipping costs can be estimated. Seller/donor should take all care possible to ensure their item is well packed and will arrive in good shape, and in a timely manner, or postponed due to weather if need be.
PAYMENT/SHIPPING POLICY: No item will be shipped until payment has been received. Each winner will have 30 days from the close of auction to remit payment to Jonathan Mejia and any shipping fees to the donor (seller). Items should be shipped to winners within 14 days of receipt of payment, unless other arrangements have been made. If item payments are not received within the 30 day time allowance, the bid is voided and the next highest bidder will be offered the item at their highest bid. The same time allotments apply to the next highest bidders if previous bids have been voided. Insurance will be at the request and expense of the buyer.
NEW RULE 2016: The same 30 day time allowance applies for shipping fees sent to the donor as well. If you fail to send shipping fees to the donor within this timeframe, your bid is voided. Any payment sent to jmejia1187@gmail.com will be refunded and the next highest bidder will be offered the item at their highest bid.
The Sarracenia Forum moderators reserve the right to remove any inappropriate listings, comments or bids. We also reserve the right to disallow any individual from participating in the auction if they are disruptive or disrespectful of others on the forum. However, we do have a sense of humor. If you choose to post memes, or interesting bids, go right ahead.
If you have any questions, please contact Jonathan Mejia by email at jmejia1187@gmail.com, or any of The Sarracenia Forum moderators.
GOOD FAITH: All items listed in this auction are perceived by APCA as donations in good faith and that the transaction will be completed by both donor and winning bidder. We ask that all donors do their utmost to satisfy the winning recipients with their item. If, after a reasonable amount of time and effort, the transaction cannot be completed, Jonathan Mejia refund all monies donated in any failed transaction.
This is a charity event for a good cause, to help preserve endangered Sarracenia in the wild, so SERIOUS BIDDERS ONLY!
Help make this auction run smoothly by following the rules, being responsible and being a good sport.
PLEASE!
*No Deadbeat Listers! If you can't follow through on delivering your item/donation in a timely manner, please don't put up a listing! Please don't offer material you don't have (e.g. "I will have seeds in a couple of weeks"). Make sure you have the time to monitor your auction listings and pack and ship what you donate.
*No Deadbeat Bidders! Bid only if you will pay for what you win and for any shipping costs.
THANK YOU AND HAVE FUN!
FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS:
-What are the bid increments and why are they important?
Bid increments are used in order to prevent people outbidding by just a penny or few pennies. This helps make tracking bids easier and reduces the number of bids (i.e., doesn't take 100 bids to advance $1); especially frivolous bids. It is standard in both auction houses and online auctions. Please keep your bids within the increment level for the current item price or a moderator will void your bid. More information on bid increments can be found in the auction rules post.
Please keep bids to WHOLE dollar amounts (no cents).
Bidding increments will be based on current highest bid.
If the current highest bid is between:
- $2-$19, you may place a bid no lower than $1 above the current bid
- $20-$49, you may place a bid no lower than $2 above the current bid
- $50 + , you may place a bid no lower than $5 above the current bid
Bids higher than these minimums may be placed at any time. If you see any bids not following the rules, notify a moderator please. If you do not understand this bidding rule, please ask.
-Can I post CITES-restricted material, ship internationally, etc.?
The lister (donor) and buyer (bidder) are responsible for making sure that all laws and regulations are strictly adhered to in their exchange. This includes, but is not limited to, interstate transfer laws, phytosanitary laws and CITES rules for plant material. Any item offered within a boundary must be clearly stated and must still follow all rules for transfer with those regions (e.g., if an item is offered in Canada to only Canadians, the lister and winner must still adhere to all rules of LEGAL transfer of plant material within those regions.) A lister has the right to refuse foreign bids (for example, list an item as U.S. only). TNC will take no responsibility for any repercussions that result from not following the law.
-I donated items to the auction. Can I deduct the value of those items from my taxes?
As of this time I do not believe the APCA is a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit. I will continue to speak to them regarding this and update this information as it comes in to me.
-I won and paid for items from the auction. Can I deduct that money from my taxes?
No, because you received goods in exchange for your monetary donation.
-I have a $50 budget for the auction, and I see 5 items that I want to win. Should I bid $20 on each of them and hope that I win one or two?
Don’t make this mistake! What if you win all of the auctions but can’t pay the money you promised? If you default on your auctions, you will not be allowed to participate in any of The Sarracenia Forum auctions in the future.
Thank you for participating in the 2017 Sarracenia Forum Auction!