4 Steps to buy an item from Souq:

1. Register yourself. Click here to learn more about the registration process
2. Find an item.
3. Read the item page.
4. Confirm and submit bid.

An auction is a public sale in which the seller specifies the minimum price of an item. Multiple buyers "Bid" for that item and the highest bidder wins the auction. That's how the buyers get a good deal.

Click here to learn more about registration on Souq or Register now!

Search Tips

A. Read about the item, seller and other transaction details.

Read the auction thoroughly before you bid for the item. To clarify any doubts that you may have, always ask enough questions until your doubts are cleared.
Always check for:
Strarting/Current bid
If the auctino has a reserve price or not
Closing date of the auction
Item Description
If a warrant is offered by the seller
Location of the seller
Payment and delivery options
Questions & Answers posted by other genuinely interested buyers.

Always check the seller's ratings
Ratings give you an idea of the seller's history on Souq You will find the ratings mentioned in brackets next to the seller's Souq ID.

Learn more about Feedback and Rating

B. Know the Guarantees offered

Good sellers on Souq usually offer certain types of Warranties or Guarantees like Replacement Warranty, Money Back Guarantee.

C. Know the Payment Methods & Delivery Charges

Remember to check for Delivery Charges and the Payment Methods the sellers are offering.
Some sellers charge extra for the delivery of the item and for certain Payment Methods. Read the Delivery Charges carefully since you will pay this amount in addition to the item price. Read the Delivery Charge COD Extra Cost. Also read the Payment Methods that the seller is offering.

The best Strategy for items you really want is to place the highest and the maximum bid you are willing to pay for that item. Otherwise, someone may beat you out. If you want to place your Maximum bid: simply click on "Place a Bid" and enter your "Max Bid" in the box, if your bid is over the bid increment, it will be hidden which means that you will not be able to browse it over the site, you will notice that you have increased the current bid with the bid increment amount.

Example:
If you placed a Max bid amount of 400$, while the current bid is 200$ and the bid increment is 10$, a bid of 210$ would have been entered. And your bid of 400$ is hidden.

The idea behind Auto Bidding is to provide assistance to the buyer by bidding on their behalf. When other bidders bid at various prices, and below the buyer's "Max Bid" of 400$. The max bid feature will bid on your behalf keeping you the highest bidder. And you will notice that the assistant will keep bidding until the new bids becomes more then the current bid and below your maximum bid. So if another bidder has placed a bid of 220$ the auto bidding system automatically generates a bid of 230$ for you.

If another bidder outbids your Maximum Bid, the bidder who has the highest bid will be declared the winning bidder. And you will be notified by email.

Please note that notification would take minutes or seconds. So if you really want something, you should bid the maximum amount you are willing to pay for that item when you make the first bid.

Note: Sometimes the seller enters a reserve price for the item, therefore if your bid does not meet that price; you won't be able to buy that item.
- If there was a reserve price on the item, the first bid entered on your behalf by the system would be the reserve price.

-Auctions can last for up to two weeks; bidding automatically ends when the auction does.

As soon as you win an auction, you will receive an email and an SMS (if you have opted for SMS notification) informing you about it.

Learn more about Souq SafePay

The feedback is a very important part of the transaction. Therefore once a deal is completed and you have received the item it is imperative that a feedback is left for the seller. The feedback should be as honest as possible and should reflect what kind of an experience you had with the seller. A feedback should be left immediately after you have received your item.

Learn more about Feedback and Rating

Shopping on Souq is as easy as 1-2-3;

1. Locate the item you want either by using the search bar that’s available on all pages of Souq or by browsing through the category or categories of interest.

2. Shop around and compare similar items offered by different sellers and ask all the relevant questions you need to ask to take an informed decision. Also check the seller's feedback so that you are familiar with his previous trading history.

3. Place your bid on the auction, or in the case of BuyNow items; place your order and proceed to complete the transaction as per the instructions you will receive through email when the order is placed or the auction closes successfully.


Tips for Buyers:

Tip #1.
Be sure that you are familiar with both the features and the market value of the product before you make your decision to place a bid or confirm an order. Ask all questions about the item in the Q&A section proved in the listing – that way all dealings are transparent for all to see and documented in case there is any dispute over the item description later.

Tip #2.
Place your bid (always bid your highest) or place your order for buy now, and when you receive the email from Souq giving you the available options to complete the transaction and the contact details of the seller; choose one of Souq’s escrow services and receive your item at your doorstep safe in the knowledge that if the item is covered by Souq’s escrow service.

Tip #3.
Don’t bid to get answers to your questions. Bid only if seller replies to you queries. Once you’re satisfied and your questions are answered; then go ahead and bid on the item you want.

Tip #4.
Use any of the escrow services offered by Souq to complete your transaction and we guarantee the safe delivery of your item to your doorstep and if the item delivered turn out to be anything different from what was described of that the seller claimed – we will return your money to you.

Our tip to you as a buyer is to keep all the communications on the site so that all the questions and answers about an item become documented – and by all means do your due diligence; shop around and compare the different sellers’ items and ask all the questions you need to ask before placing your bid or committing to a purchase – and that way you’ll be sure to avoid any surprises.

I had placed a bid and I am the highest bidder now but I can't see my maximum bid?

When you enter your Max bid , your bid will be hidden which means no one will see it, you will notice that you have increased the current bid with an amount that is equal to the next bid increment amount.

Example:
If you had placed a Max bid amount of 400$, while the current bid was 200$. The bid increment being 10$. A bid of 210$ would appear. Your bid of 400$ will be hidden.

The idea behind "Auto Bidding" is to assist you by bidding on your behalf. When other bidders bid at prices lower then your "Max Bid" of 400$. The max bid feature will bid on your behalf keeping you as the highest bidder, yet bidding on the fixed calculated percentage increment. In this case, the bidding process is successfully closed at 210$ you will have to pay only 210$ instead of 400$. The system will keep bidding on your behalf till someone comes in and put an amount more then 400$.

If another bidder outbids your Maximum Bid, the bidder who has the highest bid will be declared the winning bidder. And you will be notified by email accordingly.
Please note that notification would take minutes or seconds. So if you really want something, you should bid the maximum amount you are willing to pay for the item when you make the first bid.

Note: Sometimes the seller enters a reserve price for the item, and if your bid did not reach the reserve price, you won't be able to buy that item.
- If there was a reserve price on the item, the first bid entered on your behalf by the system would be the reserve price.

-Auctions can last for up to two weeks; bidding automatically ends when the auction does.

What is bid increment?

The bid increment is the amount by which a bid will be raised each time the current bid is surpassed. It is predetermined value based on the current high bid.

If you were bidding against other bidder's Maximum bid, your bid has to meet the other bidder's maximum bid plus the bid increment to become the current high bidder for the item.

Sometimes the item page shows that there are two bids, yet there is only one bidder.
This happens when a buyer places more than one bid to increase their maximum bid amount.

Who determines the minimum or starting bid?

The seller (the person who posted the item) decides what he or she wants the bidding to begin at. Usually this is (and should be) just below the lowest price acceptable for that item. If you bid, the system will ask you to bid the starting price PLUS the Bid Increment. Sellers are encouraged to start items at a reasonable amount and not absurdly high. Buyers like the auction process because it allows bargain shopping. If an item is priced right, people recognize the bargain and bid on it.

What is a reserve price?

Sometimes a seller enters a Reserve Price. For example: His C65 Siemens Mobile sells for $100 new. He or she decides to place a starting bid of $1 on the item but they want to get at least $80 for it. So a reserve price of $80 is entered into the system. In such a case--even if you are the high bidder; say at, $60--you will not win the item unless you go over $80. We feel this is a poor auction strategy and wastes the time of buyers and sellers. We suggest this to sellers: enter the item at the least price you will are willing to sell it for, without putting a reserve price on it.

How do I know I am getting a good deal?

When buying something from someone--whether on the Internet, or anywhere else--your best protection to be an informed buyer. In Latin: Caveat Emptor! The age-old warning of Buyer Beware! We do police this auction and make our best effort to keep it clean and pleasant, but we can give no blanket guarantee. You might want to read our Terms and Conditions page for more information. However, we also go to great lengths here to make sure you have plenty of great stuff at bargain prices to bid on.

Note: We have put few processes in place that ensure that you trade without any worries with complete peace of mind.
Souq encourages you to buy auction with COD shipping or cashU as a payment method.

Learn more about buyer's protection