How NaijaMart Auction works

A fair auction for Nigeria: every bidder and seller verified, the price rising only as far as it has to, and the money held by NaijaMart Trust until the item is in the winner's hands.

Bidding

Enter the most you would pay

That is your maximum. The system bids for you, one step at a time, only as far as needed to keep you in the lead, and never past your maximum. Nobody sees it.

Example. A phone starts at ₦50,000. Ada enters a maximum of ₦80,000: the price stays at ₦50,000 and Ada leads. Bola then enters ₦65,000: the system bids for Ada, and the price becomes ₦66,000, one step above Bola. Ada still leads, and pays no more than she has to.

No sniping: the last 2 minutes

A bid in the final 2 minutes moves the end to 2 minutes after that bid. The auction only closes when nobody has bid for 2 minutes, so you always get a chance to answer.

Buy Now

Some lots carry a Buy Now price. Pay it and the auction ends at once. It disappears once the bidding gets close to it.

Bid steps

The next bid must be at least one step above the current price: loading…

Big bids are double-checked

For a large maximum, or one far above the current price, we ask "Are you sure?" first. A slip of the finger never costs you.

Winning and paying

Pay through Trust within 48 hours

The winner pays into NaijaMart Trust, never to the seller directly. The money is held until you confirm you have the item as described; then the seller is paid.

Collect or receive it

Collection or delivery is agreed with the seller, as shown on the lot. Check the item before you confirm.

If a winner does not pay

They get a strike. 3 strikes in 90 days pause bidding on the account for 90 days. The seller can offer the item to the next-highest bidder.

Selling

From your listing, in a few taps

Any live listing on naijamart.com with clear photos can go on auction. Choose it, set a starting bid, an optional secret reserve and an optional Buy Now, and pick a length: 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 days. Start now or schedule it.

Fees

Listing is free. When the item sells and is paid for, a success fee of 3%, at most ₦30,000, comes off what you receive. Buyers pay no premium.

Fair to bidders

Once someone bids, the lot cannot be changed or withdrawn: bidders rely on what they saw. You can still lower or remove the reserve.

Paid safely

The winner's money sits in Trust before you hand anything over. You are paid when they confirm they have it.

Put an item on auction

How you are protected

Verified people only. Bidders and sellers confirm their identity and a bank account in their own name.
No shill bidding. Sellers and accounts linked to them cannot bid on their lots.
Money held by Trust. Nobody pays a stranger. If anyone asks you to pay outside NaijaMart, do not: it is not protected.
A fair clock. Every countdown runs on NaijaMart's clock, and late bids extend the auction.
A limit on risk. One account cannot lead or owe more than a set total across auctions at once, so a single bidder cannot tie up many sellers.

Questions

Can I see other people's maximum bids?

No. Only the price, the number of bids and a masked bid history are shown. Your own maximum is shown only to you.

What if two people enter the same maximum?

The one who entered it first leads. Being early pays.

What is a reserve?

The seller's secret lowest price. Bidders see "Reserve not met" until the bidding reaches it. If it is never reached, the item does not sell and nobody pays. A seller can lower or remove a reserve during the auction, never raise it.

Can the seller bid to push the price up?

No. The seller cannot bid on their own lot, and neither can any account that shares the seller's phone number, bank account or verified identity. Shill bidding ends a seller's account.

Why must I verify my identity to bid?

So that every bid is real. A seller who sells to a ghost bidder loses days; a buyer who is outbid by a fake bidder pays too much. Verification stops both.

What happens if the winner does not pay?

They get a strike, and the seller can offer the item to the next-highest bidder at that bidder's own last bid. 3 strikes in 90 days pause bidding on the account.

Is there a buyer's premium?

No. The winning bid is what you pay. Delivery, if the seller offers it, is agreed with the seller and shown before you pay.

What if the item is not as described?

Do not confirm you have received it. Your money stays in Trust while NaijaMart looks at the case: the photos, the listing and what both sides say.