Has anyone ever bid from this site?

[N.Bailey]

Hi everyone,

I'm not sure which board I should post this on, the Budget board or Orlando Hotels and Attractions, so I will post both places and leave it to the moderator to lock one of the threads.

Today I received my Orlando Vacation Information package and ran across a website that I've just checked out. Click here http://www.ibidusa.com/CityMain.asp?CityID=1&image3.x=54&image3.y=9 to visit the site. This site allows you to bid on different things in the Orlando area. The categories are Entertainment, Accommodations, Orlando Magic and Solar Bears tickets, Shopping and Services, Attractions, Health and Spa Services, Restaurants, and Sports and more. The prices look to be very good to me.

I wanted to post the URL for anyone who might be interesting in the site, but I was wondering if anyone has had any experience dealing with this company? Are there hidden costs that you don't find out about until after you've won an auction?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[hellow]

I've bid on many certificates for this site (Restaurants, Cookie Bouquets, Borders Books) and have never had a problem getting the certificate or using it. It is a good deal in my opinion.

I've heard of a lot of other Dis'ers using it with good luck as well.

 

[Bob NC]

I made a bid last year for round trip town car transportation from the airport to a Disney resort with iBid. I won with a bid of, I think I remember, about $42. You have to pay immediately upon winning the bid, and you get all kinds of warnings about how it's non-refundable and so on and so forth. I received a coupon from iBid and it stated which car company was providing the transportation. We made the reservations directly with the car company and everything was fine. A month or so before the trip, I get a call from iBid saying that the town car company they use no longer lived up to their standards and they would therefore refund our money and cancel the whole thing. After this phone call I started thinking about it and called them back. I informed them that I bid with iBid, I paid iBid, any problems iBid has with it's vendors is of no concern to me and I told them in no uncertain terms that I expected to be provided with round trip Town car transportation for my 'prepaid' $42. What it all boils down to is that iBid stepped up to the plate and did the right thing, they hired another company to provide the service. I don't know whether or not they actually lost money on the deal or not, but in my opinion they did something they really didn't *have* to do, and I've recommended them to others every chance I get.

 

[N.Bailey]

Thanks for responding so fast, reading everyone's responses today is getting me really excited. I'm thinking about bidding on one of those Skydive space center packages. It would be a once in a lifetime event. I'd never pay the $225.00 to do it, but I'd pay maybe $100.00.

 

[Jane E.]

I bid and won two gift certificates for Cafe Tu Tu in Orlando. I receieved both certificates in a timely manner. I haven't used them yet - that will be this summer.

 

[NicoleD]

I also won a bid for round-trip transportation with iBid, and they did call and let me know that they were unhappy with the company that they were using and could they offer me a refund. I got this message on our voice mail AFTER we had returned from vacation and had used the coupon. All I can say is that it's a good thing they replaced the car service they were using. When we were picked up (on a Sunday), the driver, who was also the owner of the service told us in great detail about how he doesn't make any money by using iBid, that he was doing it only to spread the word of his business, that it was not preferable for him, but that he would do it if he had to, etc., etc. We couldn't believe it! He made us feel like total losers for booking him from an auction bid and not paying full price, which is ridiculous! We won the bid fair and square and if he didn't want to be a part of it, he shouldn't have! He complained about everything. It was a Sunday and he was supposed to be off that day, it wasn't a part of the deal to make a grocery stop (it was!) but he would reluctantly do it out of the goodness of his heart (and let us know endlessly what a break we were getting). On and on....longest drive of my life!
Anyway, I did appreciate iBid trying to make it right, but it was too late for our trip. I had no problems with them at all - but would NEVER use the car service they were previously using.

Nicole