Biddl is an Android app and service that offers users a way to bid for and win branded electronics and items for much, much lower than they retail for elsewhere online. It features all sorts of social tie-ins and there’s a huge amount of items available with auctions ending all the time. Biddl does also offer users the option to purchase any item at any time for their full price as well. Shipping is always free and there are a few free Bidds offered to new users. Otherwise, the app and service makes its money by offering up more Bidds for users to better bid for the items that they want.
As with all Android apps, it’s best to download Biddl from the Play Store. Considering that the concept isn’t entirely easy to grasp, it’s nice to see that Biddl does a good job of explaining things to newcomers.
The way that bids are handled is explained fairly easily. Essentially this is your classic single bid takes up the price and makes an auction last that little bit longer affair. For instance, bidding up an item will increase its price, cost you a Bidd in the process and also make the auction last longer.
Each Bidd or pack of Bidds costs really money, so users need to be aware that even bidding on an item isn’t free, regardless of how much you end up paying for the item in the end.
To make the most of Biddl, you’ll need to sign in with a Facebook account, as some of the real fun is getting your friends involved. Naturally, this will end up increasing what you pay for an item however, should your Facebook friends get really into Biddl.
Once I had agreed to the terms and conditions, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount and variety of items available in Biddl.
I found an Android Wear smartwatch, an original Moto 360 to bid on for instance. Once you do so, people can see your Facebook profile picture, and if you have Friends and Family on here as well you can enjoy a little bidding war with them as well.
As you can see, a small bid increases the low price by just a little bit, but it also increases the overall time of the auction, so it’s nearly impossible to actually understand when the auction will genuinely end, which can be quite annoying. Another thing here to note is that for the Moto 360, that RRP of $249.99 is fairly high, but it is similar to Amazon and those that choose to purchase an item like this will get the Bidds they might have paid for back, free of charge.
You can manage all of your auctions in the My Auctions page, and Biddl does a great job of letting you know whether or not you’ve been outbid as well.
Purchasing an item outright will speed things up, and like we say, you’ll get your Bidds back to use on other items as well. There’s also the automatic bidding feature to keep you in the game as well.
One thing that is nice about Biddl is that you can level up the more auctions you take part in and it can be a great way of having a little social fun while shopping.
Biddl is one of those apps that I can see why a lot of people like it, but I have to say that it’s not for me. This sort of bidding format is nothing new, and services similar to this have been infuriating people with seemingly never-ending auctions and charging for Bidds that might not even get you the opportunity to end up paying for something. Then again, the service does seem to have some good testimonials to it, and there’s little reason why you shouldn’t give it a try, considering that there are free Bidds on offer here as well. I have to say though, I find the fact that people need to pay for these Bidds and then end up just guessing on when the auction is likely to end a little annoying, but if they stick it out they can often get a pretty good deal. With a good variety of different items on offer, there’s definitely some good stuff to catch when using Biddl.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – The app itself runs fine, the only issue is figuring out when auctions are going to end.
- Features (4/5) – For social shopping fun and the ability to get some good deals, Biddl certainly ticks a number of different boxes, but it might not be for everyone, sadly.
- Theme (4/5) – Biddl looks good and is nice and easy to use for all types of users.
- Overall (4/5) – For those out there that enjoy a good bargain, or at least hunting for a good bargain, Biddl can be a great way of getting hold of expensive items at low, low prices and it’s good fun at the same time.
Pros
- Gives newcomers free Bidds to get familiar with the overall system and how it works.
- Lots of big ticket items from big brand names, as well as more generic items like gift cards that will please everyone.
- Hooks into Facebook well and gives friends and family the opportunity to compete against each other.
- Great way of saving money on all sorts of different items.
Cons
- Very difficult to have any clue about when the actual auctions will end up finishing.
- Some of the RRP prices are simply too high when compared to other online stores.
Overall, Biddl has a lot to offer those that enjoy this sort of thing, and there’s little reason for keen bargain hunters to not try it out as there are free Bidds on offer. It might not be for everyone, but something like this could be good fun and as the Holiday season gets going it could be a good way of getting some great gifts at cut-rate prices.