What's happening
New bidders frequently call the auction company for help getting set up — especially first-timers who found your sale through a flyer or word of mouth. Here's the talk track for walking someone from zero to registered.
What to tell your bidder
Step 1 — Create a HiBid account.
Go to HiBid.com (or your HiBid site) and click Sign In → Create an account.
Use a real email address they check regularly — this is where approvals, outbid notices, and invoices go. Advise against Sign in with Apple's "Hide My Email," which frequently blocks auction emails.
Full walkthrough they can follow along with: Creating a HiBid Account.
Step 2 — Register for your auction.
From your auction page, click Register to Bid (or Login/New Bidder on the auction).
They'll be asked to agree to your terms and conditions — worth telling them to actually read these, since payment, pickup, and retraction questions all trace back to the terms.
Most auctions require a valid credit card on file to register. The small validation hold is temporary and released by their bank; if the card is declined, the most common cause is a billing address that doesn't exactly match the card statement.
Step 3 — Wait for approval.
Depending on your settings, registration may be approved instantly or held for your review. They'll get an approval (or decline) email when you act on it.
If they're new to HiBid with no bidding history, let them know approval may take a little longer or come with bid limits, depending on your permission settings.
What you can check
Watch your pending registrations during the auction window so new bidders aren't stuck waiting — especially in the final hours before close.
Confirm your registration notification settings are on so new registrations reach your inbox: Bidder Registration Notifications.
When to contact support — and what we check
Contact us if a bidder completes signup but their registration never appears on your auction, or if approvals you've made aren't reaching the bidder. Send the bidder's email address and the auction number, and we'll check the registration and notification records on our end.