If you’ve got a Sam’s Club membership, then you already know about the deals that can be had if you’re willing to buy in bulk. Members also know that they can’t walk into one anymore without being dazzled by a display of nicely priced big screen TVs and computers. Kevin and I bought our 55″ Vizio there for a steal, and you never know what other deals you’ll find when you visit one.
Now Sam’s has found a way to save its members even more money; they have started an internet auction site “enabled by eBay technology” where members can bid upon a mishmash of items – everything from a SmartyKat Jumbo Scratch Roll to the 50″ Philips TV pictured above.
I perused a few of the auctions and was impressed by some of the current prices shown, but as anyone whose used eBay before knows – current auction prices don’t necessarily reflect what the final total will be at auction’s end. There appear to be some odd rules in effect, such as how closing dates and times “*may be extended due to popcorn bidding,” which is explained as follows:
If a bid is entered within the final 10 minutes of the original closing time, the auction will be extended by 10 minutes. If a bid is then placed before the extended 10 minutes elapses, the auction will be extended again for 10 minutes and so on….
This sounds like it could turn into a frustrating last minute bidding war nightmare. But even so, in today’s economy being able to score a bargain on items you would buy anyway is even more important than ever before. If you are a Sam’s member, their new auction site might be worth checking out.
FYI – the items used in the auction are supposed to be new, unused, and in their original packaging, according to the Sam’s FAQ. So no, items auctioned are not returns, repos, or refurbs.
