Review: Tatarah - Lowest Unique Bid Wins
Written by WishBoNe on October 30, 2007 – 11:46 amI first saw the advertisement for Tatarah was on the MRT. The ads were vibrant as the logo is colourful. This site is different from eBay in such a way that the lowest unique bidder wins the item. Initially, I was excited with the idea as I don’t have to bid too high and still be able to afford it.
The bidding style is not new, I’ve heard of the lowest bidder wins auction during my degree course. It originated from The Netherlands or Holland. Another site that has this concept is Red Toucan whereby there is no bidding fee. Tatarah has a name that is hard to pronounce and remember the correct spelling.
Such a style of bidding method means closed bidding. No one knows how much the bid is as this means there won’t be any lowest unique bid. Tatarah has a quota for each item to be bid. This means bidding early despite the closing date being 5 days away. It has a minimum amount of processing fee of SG$1 excluding GST which I fail to understand why there is a GST when the fee is already charging the bidder for bidding the item that has no guarantee to be the bidder’s. This fee is charged for each bid. Not for every sucessful bid.
The way I see it, the site will be earning more in a short time if there are a lot of bidders. I wished to bid for the Kompressor though. However, the processing fee is $38 excluding GST. I’m starting to hate GST here. It seems to be abused.
While I like the idea of the lowest unique bid wins, I don’t like the way the fees are being imposed for each bid. The fees range from SG$1 to an amount that the provider / partner decides on. Personally, I feel that this will be a stumbling block.
Posted in Design, Life, Review, Technology, Web |
October 31st, 2007 at 12:33 am
Hmm, my friends and I analyzed this business model before about 2 years ago. We first encountered such system while buying stuff online in the States.
Basically, its a gambling system. You pay the “processing fee” and bid any number like XX.YY or maybe more I not sure. Then if your number is “lucky”, you win the bid!
October 31st, 2007 at 9:26 am
@Jaron
Funny, now that you mention gambling system, I’m starting to understand a little. While in a casino, you have to put in a sum of money and get back only if you win. For this case, you get a product. Thanks for the insight!
November 9th, 2007 at 7:50 am
[...] now instead of the Lowest Unique Bid Wins, it is the Highest Single Bid Wins. Moreover, Tuatara have changed from the closed door bidding to [...]
November 27th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Yes, its a gambling system at Tatarah. As if we human are not already addicted to gambling.
There’s a new website trying to compete against mocca/st701, at piref.com.
What do you think?
http://www.piref.com
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:06 am
This is nothing be a cheap way of misleading people into their “bidding”. Which is wrong. Bidding means highest gets it… and their bidding strategy is not clear.
I have been dupped into bidding….badly… pay processing fee for nothing.
Singapore should never allow such sites to exist and MAS should see this as misrep!
March 3rd, 2008 at 8:51 pm
I’m not sure if they have been really unclear with the bidding process. All I can see is that they are earning more from each bid fee.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
depends on luck, like somebody get the n95 with only usd1.03, but somebody get nothing with usd200, this is depends their luck.
Mystarbid - The lowest unique bid website
Mystarbid is a website run by the Malaysian registered company and has four services center in Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Mystarbid are where products are placed on auction with the following rules: Bidders are asked to place their bid, a bid which they think no one else will duplicate, and the successful bidder will be the one with the LOWEST UNIQUE BID.
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Mystarbid is a complte joke. They stole the look and feel from Tatarah, including their ads! Didnt even change the nav, just changed the site from green to red. All the same page names and everything. And look at those auction results. Obviously complete bullshit…nobody is bidding their I hope!
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:37 am
I’m not what Mystarbid is doing but I think successful ventures tend to be copied.