FAQ
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So, what exactly is Dawdle?
Dawdle is a new website to buy and sell new and used video games, systems, and accessories. Rather than having auctions or classifieds, Dawdle continuously, dynamically matches buyers and sellers. Buyers tell us what they want and what they're willing to pay, and sellers tell us what they have and what their minimum price is. Dawdle does the rest, making sure that buyers get what they want and that sellers get paid.
So why is Dawdle better than those other places to buy and sell my gaming stuff?
First and foremost, we've built Dawdle from the ground up for gamers. You can see this in our search, our Product Pages, our item conditions, our shipping policies, and our (mostly terrible) jokes. We make sure you get exactly what you want -- the game, the manual, the box, the controller, the power adapter, or whatever. All of our listings and conditions are designed to work with the way that gamers buy and sell already.
Next, we allow savvy shoppers to create StandingOffers where they can tell Dawdle what they want, from whom they want it, and what they're willing to pay. We've built our Intelligent Matching Engine to take these StandingOffers and find sellers that have what the buyer asks for. When we find it, we make a match, and the buyer's credit card is charged automatically. Our unique, proprietary matching system means that buyers never have to worry about getting sniped and sellers don't have to worry about their listings getting lost in a morass of pages and pages of listings.
Even better, our matching system is smart enough to not just do exact matches. We know that if you place a bid for a game disc only that you'd be happy to get the disc and the box too for the same price. That's why all matches on Dawdle are for what the buyer specifies -- or better. That means that if you're a seller, we're able to find you a buyer that's willing to meet your price for whatever you have.
We think it's a simpler, easier way to get what you want or sell what you have -- to borrow a line from a very wise man, you "set it and forget it." When we make a match, we send both the buyer and the seller an e-mail letting them know that an item has sold, so you don't have to keep coming back to Dawdle.
Is your StandingOffer feature like Priceline, but for video games?
It's a pretty fair comparison - you get to name your own price, and our
magic elvesIntelligent Matching Engine will match you up with the very best seller for you. If there's not a good seller immediately, we'll work with our store partners across the country to try to find someone willing to sell at your price. All you have to do is tell us how long you want us to look for.With Dawdle, you get exactly what you want -- we ask buyers and sellers exactly what they want and exactly what they have. As a buyer, you always get exactly what you say you want -- or better, with no guesswork.
Because our item conditions are specific for gaming, you never have to worry about getting something just "in the ballpark" of what you want. If you want the manual, you get it, every time. If you need factory shrink wrap, you get it, every time.
Can you give me an example of how this all works?
Here's one: let's say Bob comes to Dawdle on Tuesday and tells us he wants "Golgo 13", complete with the box and manual, from a seller with a rating of four or better. For this game, he tells us he's willing to pay $25 to get the complete package. He really wants it, and is willing to wait, so he tells us he's willing to have his bid out there for a month.
Janet, a long-time Dawdle seller with a seller rating of 4.5 stars, comes to Dawdle next Thursday (nine days later) and lists a copy of Golgo 13, complete with box and manual, for a minimum price of $20.
Even though Bob never saw Janet's listing, the Dawdle system knows that Janet has what Bob wants. Dawdle automatically makes the match, charges Bob's credit card, and sends Mary an e-mail telling her to ship the game to Bob. Bob didn't have to do anything more than tell us what he wanted to get his game. He only had to come to the site one time. Janet was able to sell her item immediately because Dawdle knew that there was someone out there looking for it.
Plus, unlike some other sites, the difference goes to the buyer. In this example, Bob will win Janet's copy of Golgo 13 for $20. If you "overbid" a seller's listing price, you pay the seller's listing price - not a penny more. You get a deal and the seller gets a quick sale - so every one is happy. We have no interest in jacking up prices on people; we want everyone to get what they want - their stuff or their money - as quickly as possible.
Can I trade my items on Dawdle?
Nope, sorry. We've found that the vast majority of people like to get cash money. We think that there's a reason currency is a major discovery in the Civilization games.
How do I know I'm not getting something that's really banged up?
All items that are listed for sale on Dawdle need to be in perfect working condition and have no more than moderate cosmetic damage. Anything that doesn't meet that condition must be a throw-in. If someone has a manual that's had coffee spilled on it and the pages are all warped from the liquid damage, the seller cannot claim to have an item that matches "4. Complete." She has to list it under "2. Game And Box." However, she should include the manual as well, because that will likely result in exceptional feedback because she "under-promised and over-delivered." The Condition you list an item for must the be the condition of the worst part of the package that you promise to sell. If you have damaged goods, you can throw them in, but you cannot include them in your Comes With.
What are the shipping fees?
Dawdle has set standard shipping rates and policies for all items. The vast majority of games are $3.00 for USPS First Class mail. (The only exceptions for games that come with accessories, such as Wii Play or Guitar Hero.) Most accessories and handhelds are $5.00 -- $10.00 for USPS Priority Mail. Larger items are $20.00 -- 30.00 for Priority Mail, depending on the system's size and weight.
How do I create a StandingOffer?
Your StandingOffer is a combination of all the criteria that you select and the maximum price you are willing to pay. Dawdle recognizes your StandingOffer as "this criteria or higher," meaning that if you select Condition 3 (Game And Manual for a game) for your StandingOffer, Dawdle will match you against all listings that have at least the game and manual, meaning that you could get a game that was complete with both the manual and the box or even a new game, as long as the seller's minimum price isn't higher than your maximum price.
Because Dawdle continually looks for matches, you don't have to wait until your StandingOffer expires to buy an item; as soon as we find a match for you, you've purchased the item and the seller will be notified to ship it to you.
Additional information on placing StandingOffers can be found on the "Buy" page and in the "Help" section.
How do I list an item?
Simple. You have two ways to create a listing you can go to the Product Page for the item you have and select the green button for "I have this and I want to sell it!" or you can go to the multi-listing listing page. Either process will let you put the items you have to list in a cart so you only have to go through the checkout process once.
Additional information on listing items can be found on the "Sell" page.
So what exactly am I making a StandingOffer on?
When you create a StandingOffer, what you're doing is telling Dawdle "I want this!" What we do is match what you want with what sellers have. Sellers can tell us what they have before or after you place your bid; this way, you never have to spend time searching for the item you're looking for; Dawdle finds it -- and gets it -- for you.
On the Product Page, what does it mean when Dawdle says "Based on your selections, Dawdle found 27 matches?"
When Dawdle says we found 27 matches, we mean that there are 27 listings by sellers that are exactly -- or better -- than what you select as your criteria in Step 1 of the bidding process on the Product Page. Of course, sellers could post listings after your bid, so when you place your bid, Dawdle thinks of it as bids on all 27 different listings, as well as any listings that come after you submit your bid. Rather than going through all 27 listings and placing bids on all of them individually, you just tell Dawdle what you want -- once -- and we do all the rest.
What does "Core Items" mean for this PlayStation 2/Nintendo DS/Sega Genesis/Atari Master System I'm looking at?
Core items are all the items necessary to plug in the system and start playing. For consoles, this means the system, the power adaptor, the A/V cables, and one controller. For handhelds, this means the system, the power adaptor, and a fully charged battery. Accessories included with a system must be OEM parts -- meaning that they are original manufacturer parts (either originally packaged with the system or purchased separately). The only exception to this rule is RF switches for older consoles. RF switches may be from a third party, as long as they are in perfect working condition.
What forms of payment do you accept?
Dawdle accepts all major credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.
How soon will my item be shipped after I've purchased it?
Sellers are required to ship items within 72 hours after a sale. Most sellers ship way before the 72 hour period is up.
How do I know I'll get paid as a seller?
Dawdle makes sure that a buyer's credit card is successfully charged before we send an Item Sold e-mail to a seller. That means we will only notify you to ship an item when Dawdle has been able to receive payment from the buyer for winning the bidding for your listing.
How can I end/remove a listing? Are there any repercussions for doing so?
Simple, simply login and go to MyDawdle and click on Current Listings. You can then remove a listing from the Action column.
There are no fees or penalties for delisting an item.
How much does it cost to sell on Dawdle?
Dawdle has no listing fees, no promotion fees - no hidden fees of any kind. To pay the bills, we charge a small percentage, 11.99%, of the final sale value, covering all costs to the seller, including payment processing costs. We encourage you to compare our fees to other classified, auction, and marketplace sites. For the vast majority of transactions, Dawdle costs less - and we believe we deliver more.
What's this $1 charge I see on my online credit card statement?
The first time you use a new credit card on Dawdle, we will test your card by placing an authorization of $1 for identity verification purposes. This prevents fraudsters from placing fake bids or listings on the system and allows us to guarantee payments to sellers. Dawdle does not collect the $1; rather, an authorization hold is placed on the card by your issuing bank. This authorization hold will roll off in 7-30 days. Dawdle cannot lift this authorization; only issuing banks can remove an authorization hold.
I'm trying to sell an item, but it's really in between two of the conditions in the drop down box. What should I do?
On Dawdle, we ask sellers to pick the condition that's the "floor" for what they have. We believe it's better to under-promise and over-deliver.
Being able to over-deliver will result in higher feedback scores for you. Because buyers can screen listings on feedback ratings, dropping down to the next condition level will result in more money to you over the long run. Remember, on Dawdle, listings are about matching the conditions or better.
Is there a limit to the number of same types of items for sale? If there are 20 other of the same items, how will mine be matched to a buyer? And how will Dawdle determine which item I'm purchasing if there are several of the same listings?
There's no limit to the number of listings for a particular item. Dawdle's unique, proprietary algorithm considers condition, seller rating, pricing, and other factors in matching buyers and sellers. Buyers will never pay more than they bid, and sellers will never receive less than their minimum price.
