Can You Win Big at this Auction Site or is DealDash a Scam? AdvisoryHQ’s DealDash Review Tells All!
The chance of buying gold jewelry for less than a dime and a pricey $3,000 end table for less than $5 is what draws people to penny auction websites like DealDash.
The combination of the thrill of the auction and scoring a win along with incredibly low prices on everything from MacBooks to KitchenAid mixers can be addictive for many.
But is DealDash real? How easy is it to win an item auction there? Do people really pay just pennies for things that are worth over $1,000?
In this AdvisoryHQ News DealDash review, we’ve signed up for an account and taken a look at the DealDash app to give you the honest truth about how this bidding platform works.
We’ll also highlight DealDash complaints and both good and bad DealDash online reviews so you can get a full picture of what people think about DealDash auctions.
If you’ve ever been considering trying your luck at a penny auction site, then you’ll want to continue reading to learn all about it. You’ll also find some great tips about how to win on DealDash!
Is DealDash legit? Or is DealDash a ripoff? Let’s find out now!
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AdvisoryHQ DealDash Review | About the Company
DealDash was started in 2009 by a young entrepreneur from Finland. After spending $50 on a pay-to-participate online auction and leaving empty-handed, he thought there had to be a better way where auction losers don’t just lose all their money.
The company states they have around 50 employees and are committed to providing an excellent experience for their customers. Wikipedia states they have about 8 million members on the site.
While they may have been founded in Finland, a DealDash review of their headquarters location found that they moved to Minneapolis, MN in the US in 2013. Their penny auction site can only be used by U.S. residents.
One of the unique features that help to dispel the DealDash scam idea is that they offer a 90-day money-back guarantee on the first bid pack you purchase. (We’ll get into bid pack pricing shortly.)
DealDash Scandal | Lawsuits
There have been more than a few people that went to court to ask “Is DealDash a scam?”. The watchdog group Truth in Advertising filed DealDash complaints with the Federal Trade Commision and attorneys general in 5 US states and the District of Columbia.
They alleged that DealDash is a ripoff and doesn’t honestly market the ability to win items at a cheap price.
A lawsuit was also filed by a California resident claiming a DealDash scam and that consumers have lost tens of millions of dollars buying merchandise that weren’t what they claimed to be.
Is DealDash legit? The company says it is and stands by their model. Despite the DealDash scandals, they denied all allegations. They cited that they’re highly rated in DealDash reviews on reviews websites and that they are a Better Business Bureau Accredited Business with an A+ rating.
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How Does DealDash Work?
If you’re wondering, “Is DealDash real or is DealDash a Scam?” and want to try it out for yourself to see if you can snag an awesomely cheap item, the process is pretty simple.
Here is a rundown of how DealDash works:
- To get started, you first need to purchase a bid pack.
- You click to bid on items in the auction.
- Each time anyone places a bid, the item price is raised by $0.01.
- When a bid is placed, the auction clock restarts from 10 seconds.
- If the clock runs out before another bid is made, the last bidder wins.
- If you don’t win the bid, you can purchase the item for the “Buy it Now” price and get all the bids you spent on the auction back.
That last point is something that DealDash added to make their auction site unique. They didn’t want anyone to go away empty-handed or feel there was a DealDash ripoff, so they offer the ability to get your bids back if you just purchase the item outright.
The downside? The “Buy it Now” prices can be rather high and some critics say that’s part of a DealDash scam because the prices are so much higher for items than you can find elsewhere.
DealDash App
You can participate in auctions on your iOS or Android device through the DealDash app. You need to be at least 17 to download and use the app due to the noted “mild simulated gambling” and “unrestricted web access.”
How do app users answer the question, “Is DealDash legit?”, they give it high ratings. Most users like the DealDash app and give it 4.3 out of 5 in the iTunes store and 4.2 out of 5 in the Google Play store.
DealDash House Rules
There are a few rules you’ll want to be aware of if you’re planning to use the DealDash app or website to bid on auctions.
- Reselling auction items is not permitted and will result in account closure
- You can only win the same item once per week
- Team play is forbidden
- You cannot use third party bidding software
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DealDash Bid Packs & DealDash Free Bids
So how does DealDash work with the bidding? Are there DealDash free bids ever?
In order to get started bidding on items, you first need to buy a bid pack. Each of the bids gives you the ability to bid once on an auction item.
Note: The prices for the bids change often. When we first began this DealDash review, they were offering a special of 12 cents a bid, then a day later that went to 14 cents a bid. So you’ll want to check the site often for price changes and specials.
When you first sign up for an account, you’re immediately offered a bid pack that includes 220 bids, offered for $30.80 (14 cents per bid) at the time of writing this review.
Some of the DealDash complaints about too high item prices say most people don’t factor in the cost of the bids to win an item when considering the “deal” they received.
The packages and pricing currently being offered are:
- 220 bids for $30.80
- 500 bids for $70.00
- 1000 bids for $140.00
- 2000 bids for $280.00
- 4000 bids for $560.00
DealDash Free Bids
We found a couple of ways to get free bids on DealDash.
To reward you for bidding, DealDash has free bids they give you whenever you are the highest bidder in the auction.
There is a meter at the bottom of your screen labeled “Time as Highest Bidder” and once it fills up, you’ll get some free bids as a reward.
The other way you can score DealDash free bids is to find a promo code. The site is currently offering 100 free DealDash bids when you purchase your first bid pack using promo code: FREEBIDS.
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What Do Users Say? | Positive & Negative DealDash Reviews
To find out whether those DealDash scandals hold true or if instead, people actually love this auction site, we’ve read through tons of DealDash reviews.
Is DealDash real or is DealDash a scam? You’re about to hear from people who’ve tried the site and either liked or disliked what they found and wrote about it in a DealDash review online.
Ratings from Multiple DealDash Reviews:
Overall, how does DealDash work for most people? Did a majority like or dislike the auction site? Here’s an overview of DealDash ratings and reviews.
- Facebook – 4.3 out of 5 (3,350 DealDash reviews)
- Sitejabber – 4.3 out of 5 (3,982 DealDash reviews)
- Trustpilot – 8.9 out of 10 (2,305 DealDash reviews)
Negative DealDash Reviews from Bidders
- A new user to the site wrote about having a bad experience in their DealDash review at Sitejabber. They weren’t happy about being out $36 which they used to bid on 3 auctions, all of which they lost.
- Another person didn’t think winning on DealDash was worth it. They said that any decent item takes over 100 bids to stay in the bidding and it’s easy to spend more in bids than the item is actually worth.
- In another negative DealDash review, the reviewer said when they first signed up, they won a few of the smaller bids and customer service was helpful. However, they said things turn bad rather quickly after the initial wins. They also had a DealDash complaint about the free bids not working and received little to no help.
- A person trying to use the DealDash app was not pleased with money being drafted from their connected account when they thought they were going through a tutorial. The company did respond to their DealDash review and offered a refund for the accidental payment.
Positive DealDash Reviews from Bidders
- In a positive DealDash review at Trustpilot, the reviewer said they thought DealDash was great and they have things that you can’t find at stores. They also mentioned that if there is any issue, customer service is a pleasure to work with.
- A happy reviewer that bids on auctions at least once a day had no problem with winning them. They also gave some tips to earn DealDash free bids by filling out product reviews and completing your profile.
- Items that are excellent in quality and exceptional prizes were two compliments given in a happy DealDash review. They said they’ve won auctions many times, and recommended only bidding what you can afford to keep the experience positive.
- Another frequent winner that loves the app for DealDash said it was fun and they’ve never been disappointed with any of the items. This is another DealDash review that mentioned excellent customer support and they also said anything won from “The Barrel Shack” was awesome.
Tips on How to Win on DealDash
Wondering how to win on DealDash? Some people say they don’t win anything, while others win all the time. What’s their secret?
Here are a few tips we’ve found in a DealDash review of ways to win your auction.
- Conserve your bids instead of bidding rapidly
- Use their automated BidBuddy that places bids for you
- Study the competition for bidding strategies
- Try bidding at different times of day
- Bid on less expensive or popular items if you’re on a budget
- Don’t lose track of how much money you’re spending in bids on an item
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AdvisoryHQ’s DealDash Review Conclusion
So, is there a DealDash scam or is the site legit? We found that DealDash is legit, but you do need to exercise caution when bidding and don’t just expect to get a MacBook Pro for pennies on your first try.
Those that use the site wisely and don’t spend more on bids than they can afford, tend to have the most positive DealDash review experiences.
People that expect to quickly win a big ticket item and don’t understand fully how DealDash works, tend to have the biggest complaints about DealDash.
The company has tried to offer incentives to keep people from leaving empty handed, like allowing you to buy the item and get your bids back if you lost the auction. Though you might pay more than you could find it elsewhere.
There are also a number of ways to earn free bids on DealDash if you’re a regular user. The company’s customer service is also very responsive and replies to many DealDash reviews trying to make things right for unhappy bidders.
DealDash does have an overwhelming majority of happy users according to their high ratings on review websites. Our opinion is that if you go in with realistic expectations, then you can have some fun and get some great items for just pennies.
Image sources:
- https://www.dealdash.com/
- https://www.dealdash.com/buybids
- https://pixabay.com/en/e-commerce-shopping-basket-shopping-402822/
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