Beware of Online Scams like BidPax

Victim scammed by bidpax of 800-1000 dollars!

2009-12-24T17:59:00.000-08:00

Another Singaporean victim has been scammed by bidpax. Tell your friends beware of the scam!!! Read the full story here of the 800-1000 dollars lost.

Is Bidpax using bidbots? Yes, says one victim

2009-12-23T17:36:00.000-08:00

After getting scammed by bidpax, this user decided to pull off some data for an analysis.

I've copied his posting below. His post is available at newmyanmar.com. Read about his experience of finding bidpax fishy here

Recently I have been the scammed by bidpax.com (formerly known as ipennybid.com and bidvoo.com).

You can read my first post on how I ended up buying bids. Now that I got cheated, I am trying to find out how they cheat it and how I can cheat them back. I can probably win the bid by cheating but I can’t do anything if they don’t send you what you your winning items. So, all I can do is file a complaint.

After doing research for sometime, I can safely assume that they have bid agents. How do I find out? let me show you.

Username	Items	Number of Bids	Link
1Time	Kodak EasyShare Digital Picture Frame	66	2046
1Time	Breville Espresso Maker	51	2148
1Time	Whirlpool Duet Electric Dryer	900	2149
1Time	Nokia N97	453	2359
segnon	Need for Speed: Shift (CD)	32	2006
segnon	Sonicare FlexCare Toothbrush	152	2015
segnon	Sony Bravia 40 inch	228	2197
segnon	Operation Flashpoint	129	2443
rebecca92	Sony Bravia 40 Inch LCD	425	2057
rebecca92	1 Ounce Gold	413	2083
rebecca92	Delonghi 14 Cup Drip Coffee Maker	34	2164
rebecca92	1 Ounce Gold	82	2433
ncollis	Samsung TL225 Digital Camera	298	2076
ncollis	Sony Clock	60	2120
ncollis	1 Ounce gold	337	2349
ncollis	Kodak EasyShare digital Picture Frame	272	2538
jared9	Sonicare FlexCare Toothbrush	32	2053
jared9	Nikon D90	1970	2070
jared9	Nikon D90	332	2128
jared9	Delonghi 14 Cup Drip Coffee Maker	222	2513

Well, I haven’t check much. But these guys freaking Win 4 items in about 2 days. Too much to be coincident? Thats the way their system works?

From the log above, you can easily see that those are their bid agents. They got unlimited bids and they just sit there and bid all the way and win most items themself. So, whatever real bidder spend on bidding on their site is their net income. I am not sure how long the links will work. But those link direct you to their page about that specific items with the winner name in it. After seeing my post, they might get wiped out.

And from my research, they change to new username everyday. But occasionally old username pop up but a bit rare. I have yet to see any user winning 5 items. so far, 4 is max for their bid agents. (yet again, i checked for only 300 records. 90% of the winner (their own bid agents) win 2 or 3 items but I just listed a few 4 items winners.

I am not sure what other prove they need. This is as far as I can gather information as normal user. But who knows, one day, I can hack into their system.

A New Zealander was scammed!

2009-12-23T17:11:00.000-08:00

Another unwitting user got hit by bidpax. It was the same for me after I rationalize and logicalize how I can beat the system and win, not knowing that bidpax has programmed bidbots to outbid real bidders to scam them. A user has reported that bidpax is using a customizable bidding system that includes bidbots option to automatically bid till a certain amount. More details of that soon.

Click here for full story of the New Zealander victim of bidpax scam

Bogus site to trick users into using Bidpax. BEWARE!

2009-11-17T09:24:00.000-08:00

Recently, with tons of complaints from the public, a bogus site was created to trick users.

Do a search on "bidpax scam" in google and you will see a google advertisement like the one below:

Is BidPax a scam?

I will list the reasons why people
believe BidPax.com is a scam!
www.BidPaxScam.com

I will tell you why this is a bogus site from (i believe) Bidpax itself.

1. The user call himself BidPax. If this is not a dead give-away, i don't know what is. Think about it, would a user/winner call himself BidPax if he intends to create a site to show support?

2. It seems the user loves bidpax so much that he even paid google to advertise this site to show support for bidpax. Not only that, he even mislead net users by putting the statement - "I will list the reasons why people believe BidPax.com is a scam!". This is to get net users to click the link thinking it is a site with proofs that bidpax is a scam. But the site called "bidpaxscam.com" (emphasis mine) turns out to speak well for bidpax!

3. Lastly, the NO.1 GIVE AWAY. Look at the user comments. http://www.bidpaxscam.com/bidpax-is-not-a-scam#respond
The timing of the 3 comments claiming of wins in bidpax are 10.17pm, 10.20pm and 10.22pm - all on the SAME day. Furthermore, they attempt to discredit PennyAuctionWatch because there are many bidpax complaints in the comments section and try to use Swoopo as an example without realizing that Swoopo has many supporters as well as detractors (plus, Swoopo has a real face - Chris Bauman - the manager who came out to speak/defend the site and gave interviews). As for BidPax? NOTHING BUT COMPLAINS. And it does not have a real face to it, and it's office location doesn't even exist! FLEE from it!!! (comments screenshot below)

Bidpax trying to Win users over with False "Guarantee"

2009-11-09T18:05:00.000-08:00

Due to many complaints, BidPax has recently released a barrage of statements in their "guarantee" page which doesn't really guarantee anything. Here's why (read my answer in RED):

1. We do not use 'shill bidders' and our auctions are participated upon solely by genuine users.
- No one had ever spoke up for BidPax about being genuine users OR WINNERS except those who have ONLY complaints about them. Who won? Real people or bots? You decide.

2. At certain times, albeit very rarely, suppliers are not able to ship items direct to customers because of their stock level. We will always work with a customer to reach the best solution possible. This means, we are prepared to reimburse the customer with the full value of their won item in cash or an item of similar or greater value.
- Not True. They will refund you your BIDS. A user disputing a claim with BidPax via Plimus has recently sent this screenshot in.

11/02/2009 08:40	Vendor	Reply to customer - Hello, If this was the case, your bids would have been refunded in accordance with our terms and conditions.
11/02/2009 08:32	Customer	Reply to the software vendor - this email is from you. "Dear XXX, Unfortunately, several users complained that they were unable to bid in the final second of the iPhone auction. After passing this information onto our IT department, they checked the server load at the time the auction closed and concluded that other users were unable to bid on the auction due to a server error. As per our terms and conditions, we have refunded this auction and have returned all of your bids. We encourage you to bid again, and wish you luck with your next round of bidding." You are not providing a genuine service. Refund should be given.

They continue to claim:

Here's a few things you may not know about BidPax.com

We have merchant agreements with leading online stores so your item will be delivered brand new.
WHO ARE THESE MERCHANTS? They mentioned NONE of these leading online stores. You asked:"What is there to hide?" Exactly. They have no valid backing from any leading online stores so they hide. So much for their claim on transparency
We work directly with leading online payment merchants to process all payments securely and efficiently. These include PayPal and Plimus this means we never see your financial information.
This guarantees nothing. PayPal and Plimus are just an online transaction processing medium. Anyone can work with them. You can register with them as a seller and sell your goods online.
We have over 2500 winners worldwide, who have won items such as Nintendo Wii's, iPhones and LCD TV's.
TILL this date, they have not proven any authenticated winners other than some snapshots of so-called winners on their testimony page. Do a search online and you will find NO ONE claiming to have won anything from them (All are complaints!). Real auction sites DO have real people supporting them. Even a controversial site like Swoopo has a user-created community page for winners.

We have no objection bringing this information to light, as we are committed to complete transparency and want to express our legitimacy.
BidPax.com is committed to complete transparency and strive to provide a fair, honest and genuine service.

Transparency?

1. We have not seen any winners supporting them

2. We have not hear any leading online merchants declaring they partner with Bidpax and support them

3. Why, we do not even know who is running BidPax! At least Chris Bauman of Swoopo came out to talk and clarify their auction site. Now, that's transparency.

When there are many things to hide, you know what you are in for. A Scam. A REAL BAD ONE.

Singapore and Malaysia users scammed by bidpax

2009-11-07T17:29:00.000-08:00

Another case of singapore & malaysia internet users getting caught by bidpax's scam.

Click here for the full story. Warn your friends of bidpax, bidvoo and ipennybid.

Klik.tv hit by bidvoo/bidpax scam

2009-11-06T15:17:00.000-08:00

Klik.tv had an encounter with bidvoo and found that it is a scam.

Click here to read his encounter and how his credit card's security was compromised a day or two after using it on bidvoo. Avoid bidvoo and bidpax like the plague!!! It's an evil scam!!!

RM840 down the drain at bidpax

2009-11-05T09:37:00.000-08:00

Earth Survivor blogged his own encounter with bidpax and how it got him to throw RM840 down the drain. How he got to know bidpax? Through ads from Facebook. Someone has to put a stop to the ads on facebook!

The next time you see an ad of bidpax on facebook, click the X button to close it and give your reason as misleading, offensive or write "You are advertising a scam!" under "Others" as the reason.

Earth Survivor's story here

What a blogger found out about bidpax's scam

2009-11-04T14:03:00.000-08:00

Blogger, Mar, and his thoughts on the bidpax scam. Very insightful.

1. How To Get A First Hand Macbook Pro For SGD $12.97 — But wait, It’s A Bloody Scam!

2. Is Bidpax Really A Scam And Can I Actually Win Cheap Auctions?

Make a complaint about bidpax's ad on Facebook to the Advertising Authorities.

2009-11-04T10:08:00.000-08:00

So you've reported Bidpax.com as misleading or offensive but Facebook is still displaying their ads.
So what do you do when Facebook couldn't care less about misleading ads that direct users to a scam except that they reap a profit?

File a complain to the Advertising Standards Authority. Yes, you can do so to pile some pressure on Facebook and get the authorities to move in. Click here to go to the complaints page.

Let's save people from more heartbreaks and losing their money to scams advertised by irresponsible sites.

ipennybid.com is now sg.ipennybid.com

2009-11-03T18:50:00.000-08:00

Type "www.ipennybid.com" and you will be redirected to "sg.ipennybid.com". After closing down the ipennybid.com site because of many complains, this scammer site has now shifted its target to singapore and direct unwitting users to http://sg.ipennybid.com

Why is it so you asked? Because users recognized Singapore as a global brand in authentic services and this adds credibility to such a scam. Of course the site is not registered with a ".sg" domain but they tried to bluff users into thinking that it is a respectable singapore-approved site by putting the prefix "sg" in front. Very clever trick. They know it is virtually impossible to obtained a ".com.sg" domain name with their fraudulent activities.

Just stay off ipennybid, bidvoo and bidpax! And other dubious ipenny auction sites! Save your money!

Who can I report bidpax and other scam sites to?

2009-11-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

Who can you make a complain to if your country do not have a governing body against scams such as bidpax?

You can and SHOULD report bidpax to these authorities.

1. Internet Crime Complaint Centre (IC3)
2. econsumer.gov
3. Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection

This will help the authorities in their investigations and clamping down so-called legal sites such as bidpax.com which is actually running a scam to cheat many people of their money.

Singapore users hit by bidpax scam!

2009-11-03T08:37:00.000-08:00

Previously, I mentioned that Bidvoo has morphed into Bidpax and it is luring unsuspecting internet users into its scams.

And it has hit singapore users.

1. A singapore user was cheated by Bidvoo. Read about it at hardwarezone forum.

2. A singapore user by the nickname of Zepanhiah has lodged a formal complain with CASE Singapore (Consumers Association of Singapore) about bidpax.

He said, "I have made a formal complain to CASE singapore. They will get someone to investigate the situation. I have time logged all the transactions i have made and the people who were bidding against me. They will find out if these people are legit. If not, they will take action. Those who are on facebook, put warnings to your fellow friends not to go to Bidpax for now."

Link of full posting at: http://www.pennyauctionwatch.com/2009/10/ipennybid-bidvoo-bidpax/#comment-969

Bidpax is a Scam. Beware!

2009-11-03T08:19:00.000-08:00

Have you seen an advertisement on google and facebook about this so-called auction site called bidpax.com? You can get a macbook for less than $10. Too good to be true? You're right. It's a scam.

Bidpax.com is formerly known as ipennybid.com. It shut its operation in the states(more like selling off its domain that is hosted in the states) and changed its name to bidvoo.com. (For a detailed story of ipennybid's change to bidvoo.com and an apparently bogus office location, click here to read it )

After a flurry of complaints, bidvoo.com closed down and shift its hosting to hongkong where bidpax.com is born. And it continues to cheat any unsuspecting person till this day. Need proofs that this is a scam?

Read complains by Raj on ipennybid's scam and many others at pennyauctionwatch and some more user feedbacks and complaints about bidpax's scam at this posting.

Read about how bidvoo changed to Bidpax and complaints of scam from users' comments(scroll down to read many of them). Click here.