Online auctions are big business - ever since eBay become the 800 pound gorilla in town. So how does any new wannabe up-and-coming auction marketplace website outdo eBay? Be different. Sometimes, it makes sense. Other times, it doesn’t. Outbid4less starts out different, all right. Start with popular items at prices that are 10 – 20% of retail. And cap the prices there. You heard it – you CAN’T bid higher.

So how do you win? From the name, you’d expect the lowest bidder to win. After all, if you’re outbidding for less, you should be offering less. Instead, it’s the highest unique price. If two people bid the same, the bids are thrown out. Adding to the feel-good factor, a promise to donate 30% of the proceeds to any charity of your choice. So while you go after the latest gizmo, you don’t have to feel guilty of depriving some unfortunate. The only fly in the ointment is the bid fee, at $5-$10 for the privilege of bidding. Not a deposit, but a fee. Given that an auction would have many bidders but only one winner, the others are effectively subsidizing the winner. So unless you expect to win all the time, you’ll lose more money than if you paid retail. Are you prepared to pay for my IPOD? If yes, please send it to me directly – why go through an auction which I might not win?