How Much Does a DealDash Bid Cost?

Last Updated on December 29, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Dealdash, a company launched by William Wolfram in 2009, is considered the longest-running penny auction website working with bidding fees, also being one of the largest auction websites in the US built on a pay-to-participate auction system. It claims that its users can get legit bargains as it can offer items that are up to 99% off their full retail price.

The thing that makes Dealdash different from websites like eBay is the fact that visitors will use “bid packs” to bid on items, so the bids are bought beforehand in packages.

How Much Does a DealDash Bid Cost?

The cost of a DealDahs bid is anywhere between $.15 and $.25, according to the official website, based on the number of bids you buy in one pack. These prices are valid at the time this article is published. Based on our research, past prices were even higher, sometimes reaching as high as $.60 per bid.

These prices should be used as just estimates and you can check the official website to find the exact cost of a bid at any certain time.

You can receive free bids as an active member who uses the website enough as your bidder bar will get longer with every bid you place. You will get free bids when this bar fills to 100 percent. You can also receive free bids if you’re an auction leader as long as you fall into one of the top three places at the end of the online auction.

You can find more information about free bids and how you can take advantage of these offers by browsing the company’s promotional page.

As long as you take advantage of the “Buy it now” option, you will still get your bids back, even when not winning the auction you’ve been bidding in. So for example, if you use 100 bids on a $50 gift card but in the end lose the auction, then buying the $50 gift card using the “buy it now” button will enable you to get all of the bids back into your account. This will mean you can use them on any future auction you want to participate.

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What is an auction bid pack?

A bid pack is a certain amount of bids you can buy at one time. Bids are required when you want to participate in the live auctions. As per the official website of the company, this auction model functions as a pay-to-play model. This means that you will only be able to get into the auction you want by buying and then using bids. Once you buy bids, these are added instantly into your account and you will be able to participate in the open bidding immediately.

How does the DealDash penny auction work?

The home page of the DealDash website is a list of active auctions. Once you know what you want to bid on, it is time to place your bid. Every time you bid, the price of the auction will be raised by $.01 and a bid is taken away from your inventory. With each bid placed, the auction clock will restart for an additional 10 seconds. This is meant to give a shot to other members to bid on that item.

For bids on which you are the highest bidder and nobody else outbids you until the clock runs out, you will be considered a winner and you will have to pay the final auction price for that particular item.

So for example, you could use 100 bids to get a $50 gift card and then win it at a price of $12. The final cost you will pay will be the price of the item, which is $12, as well as the 100 bids you’ve spent, which are another $12 or so. This makes the $50 gift card cost around $24 for the winner of the auction.

The company often offers promotions, so these results will vary quite a lot depending on the final price of the auction and the price of the bid packs. Among the most popular promotions are those for 50% off the final auction price.

The website is surely not a scam. It has made a name in the auction world and is considered legit. Still, depending on how much people want an item or another, be prepared to spend more bids on the final auction than the product is worth.

Is DealDash a scam?

Although this company has been reported to the FTC extensively, most of the complaints are about the way in which it chooses to offer refunds on bought packages or goods and almost none of the complaints call DealDash a scam.

The company offers a money-back guarantee, based on information we found on the official website, but this guarantee refers to the first bid pack you buy, any others you buy after that won’t be refunded regardless of the reason.