All bidders’ credit cards must be successfully pre-authorized for $40 (not charged) prior to placing a bid in the Marketplace to verify the bidder’s identify and validate the card. There may be times when a charge fails (e.g., based on purchase amount, bidder credit availability at the time, card issuer setting fraud alerts, etc.). Typically, these are easy to resolve, but we felt it would be helpful to understand the process and the steps we take to quickly address these situations.
A bidder’s credit card is immediately charged when the seller completes the accept bid process. However, when the charge fails to authorize, a pop-up window is presented to the seller offering them the option to hold the bid for one business day while Vinfolio corrects the problem (this also prevents the seller from accepting an alternative bid for wine involved).
Should the seller agree, the following actions are triggered:
- The bidder receives an email notifying them that their bid was “conditionally” accepted due to a problem when processing their credit card.
- Vinfolio Customer Service proactively reaches out to the bidder to offer resolution assistance.
- The seller receives an email confirming their agreement to reserve the bid until the buyer’s card can be successfully charged or other form of payment collected. (Note: Even though the seller has agreed to give Vinfolio one business day to resolve the problem, the seller has the option to cancel the transaction at any time. If this happens, the buyer will receive an email notifying them of the cancelled transaction.)
- Vinfolio successfully collects payment by:
- Resubmitting the same card
- Processing another credit card
- Receiving a wire transfer for large purchases
A successful charge or other form of payment generates an email to the bidder summarizing the details of their purchase. The seller receives an email confirming the sale. If we are unable to resolve the problem, both the seller and the buyer are notified via email and the hold on the wine is released which enables the seller to accept another bid.
Vinfolio is committed to ensuring both the seller and the buyer enjoy a positive experience and a successful outcome.
