FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- About co-buying
- About the co-buy leaderboard
- About your order
- About delivery
- About BuyaPowa
- About requests
- About Customer Services
- Returns & Refunds
- Share to win
1. About co-buying
What is a co-buy?
Co-buying is a new form of shopping which brings shoppers together into a single transaction, so that you can benefit from the sort of discounts which have until now only been available to retailers buying in bulk.
A co-buy is the mechanism we use to group buyers together in order to drive the price down. Each co-buy features a limited number of a particular product and is open for only a few hours. The co-buy closes after all the products sell out, or after the time runs out - whichever comes first. As more people join the co-buy the price comes down.
How long will a co-buy last?
The longest a co-buy will last is 99 hours though they will vary depending on how quickly an item sells out.
How many co-buys run at any one time?
There are usually 3-4 co-buys running at any one time. These deals aren’t easy to find so we ration ourselves. A new co-buy will pop up after the current co-buy sells out. Follow us on Twitter and we’ll let you know when that happens.
What is the current price?
This is the price that you would pay if nobody else joins the co-buy.
What is the best price?
This is the best possible price that the co-buy could close at, and is achieved after 75% buyers have entered the co-buy.
How do I join a co-buy?
Just click the big ‘JOIN NOW’ button on the co-buy page. Joining is incredibly easy and you can even speed things up by connecting via Facebook. You can also hide your name (and picture, if you’ve connected via Facebook) on our co-buy leaderboard (see below) by clicking the ‘Please don't include my details on the Leaderboard’ box on the Personal Details section of the checkout.
What should I do after I join a co-buy?
Don’t just keep your fingers crossed that the price will fall. Go out and tell people. Use our email, Facebook and Twitter buttons to spread the word. Remember that the more people you bring in, the greater the chance of getting your product for free
What are the incentives for people to share co-buys with their friends?
As more people join, the price comes down, so everyone benefits from sharing co-buys with their friends to help find more buyers. As an added bonus, the person who brings the most other people into the co-buy could receive their product for free.
How do I get my product for free?
Once you are in a co-buy, it’s in your best interest to bring in other buyers and drive the price down. If you bring in more buyers than anyone else, and as long as the co-buys sells out, you’ll get your product for free. If we can't automatically detect a referral, we ask customers upon checkout who it was that referred them into the co-buy. So make sure you remind your friends to identify you.
If you win, we’ll refund the price of the product to your credit card within 28 days.
Should I follow you on Twitter?
Yes! We need you to follow us so that we can bring you updates on your co-buy.
2. About the co-buy leaderboard
What is the co-buy leaderboard?
As the name suggests the Leaderboard displays everyone in the co-buy and indicates who has brought in the most other buyers. Check it out to see how close you are to the top, or how near to being toppled from the top you are.
What happens if I top the leaderboard at the end of a co-buy?
If you top the leaderboard at the end of a co-buy, and as long as the co-buy sells out, you’ll get your product for free (including any shipping costs involved).
What happens if there is a tie at the end of the co-buy?
In the event of a tie, (where two or more co-buyers have the same number of referrals) the co-buyer who joined the co-buy the quickest will win.
How do you know who brought the most other buyers into the co-buy?
When someone joins a co-buy we ask him or her which fellow co-buyer told them about it. There is also a running leaderboard showing who else is in the co-buy and how many other buyers they have brought on board.
The system hasn't automatically detected who brought me into the co-buy. How do I identify them?
After you’ve checked out, you’ll see a page with the faces of everyone else in the co-buy. You can select one of them to be the person who brought you into the co-buy. Don’t forget to hit the big submit button.
Can I trick the system in order to get my co-buy for free?
You can try but we’d prefer it if you didn’t. We reserve the right not to award a free product if we think anything dodgy has gone on.
3. About your order
What price do I pay?
Everyone pays the price at which the co-buy closes. We call that the closing price. At BuyaPowa the prices only ever go down so you'll never pay more than the current price when you join - and you may actually pay less.
How do I know if the price drops?
We will email you whenever the price drops and we will also Tweet you to keep you updated on the progress of a co-buy (be sure to follow @buyapowa!). You can also visit BuyaPowa.com to check on the progress of a co-buy.
When do BuyaPowa take payment?
We do not take any money from your bank or PayPal account until the co-buy has closed. When you join a co-buy, your bank or PayPal will authorise your credit or debit card for the current price. This amount is ring-fenced (reserved) until the end of the co-buy, at which point, your account will be settled for the closing price. You may see this ring-fenced amount showing on your account while the co-buy is live, and sometimes even a day or two later.
Funds can remain ring-fenced for up to 30 days after a co-buy closes while your bank processes a settlement at the closing price but, in reality, final payment is usually settled immediately. If settlement seems to be taking longer than 48 hours after the co-buy has ended, we advise that you speak to your bank who have the power to release the correct funds immediately.
Can I cancel my order?
When you join a co-buy on BuyaPowa, you enter into a binding contract. However, it's possible to withdraw before the end of a co-buy, but only in exceptional circumstances. Please contact help@buyapowa.com for details.
What do I pay for shipping?
Shipping costs will be displayed alongside the product price details. Sometimes we are able to secure free UK delivery and we’ll include this information on the product page.
Who am I transacting with?
You are transacting with BuyaPowa Limited. In turn BuyaPowa transacts with a number of retailers, wholesalers, brand holders and manufacturers in order to bring you co-buys for the products which are requested.
4. About delivery
Where do BuyaPowa deliver?
Only the United Kingdom for now, we're afraid.
How much does postage cost and how long does it take to receive products purchased?
Postage to the UK mainland is typically free. We aim to get all products delivered within five days of the end of each co-buy. If it differs from this, we will clearly state any delivery costs & time on each co-buy. Occasionally a delivery charge will be calculated based on the size & weight of the product or whether a tracked delivery is being provided.
Can I deliver to an address which is different to my billing address?
Yes, in most cases this isn’t a problem.
As part of our ongoing commitment to offer our customers the highest level of online payment security possible and to ensure the safe and timely arrival of your goods, some high value items can only be delivered to the billing address associated with your payment card.
Where products are considered to be high value items, it will be clearly indicated on each product page that they are only available for delivery to your billing address. Additionally, these products will be shipped via recorded delivery and will require the card-holder's signature to confirm receipt of goods.
Should you mistakenly place an order for a high value item and specify any address other than the billing address, that order will be automatically cancelled and you will be notified by email within 24 hours. Should this happen, please place another order and be sure that the delivery address is consistent with the billing address as it appears on your debit/credit card statement.
How long will it take to get my product?
There are a number of different dispatch methods and the arrival of your order will depend on the delivery method or postage specified on your co-buy.
UK Standard items are usually received within three to five days (but can take up to 14 days).
If you have not received your item within these time frames, please contact your local sorting office who should be able to assist you. If you still have not received your item after contacting your local sorting office, please let us know at help@buyapowa.com and we will do what we can to assist you.
How do I change my delivery address?
If you have placed an order and need to change the delivery address, please contact customer services on help@buyapowa.com Please note: this service is not available for High Value Items as these can only be delivered to the card-holder's billing address.
Please note that it is the customer's responsibility to ensure the shipping address is complete and correct. BuyaPowa will not be liable for replacement or refund of any missing items with an incorrect shipping address.
5. About BuyaPowa
How much does it cost for people to use BuyaPowa?
BuyaPowa is free to join and use.
Did you invent co-buying?
Co-operative buying has existed for years and has its origins in farmers grouping together to buy in bulk to reduce their costs. However, BuyaPowa is the first-of-its-kind in the UK – a community where shoppers use their collective buying power to demand the same bulk-buy discounts previously enjoyed only by retailers. BuyaPowa is effectively creating a whole new way of buying which will transform retail as we know it by putting the power back where it should be – in the hands of consumer.
How much money can you save by using BuyaPowa?
The amount of money saved varies with each co-buy and the price we are able to negotiate. The price is driven down as more people join a co-buy and the person that brings in the most other buyers into each co-buy could receive their product for free, as an added incentive.
Why does BuyaPowa have a monkey as a logo?
We decided that our community should have an e-commerce super hero to protect them against high prices. In essence, it’s just a bit of fun.
How does BuyaPowa choose which co-buy to make happen?
While we are constantly looking for co-buys to offer our buyers, effectively it is the BuyaPowa community that decides. When three or more people nominate a product they would like to buy in a one-week period, we will immediately talk to manufacturers, brands and distributors on their behalf to negotiate a co-buy deal, and we will always do our very best to make it happen.
Is BuyaPowa the same concept as daily deal sites like Groupon? What’s the difference?
No, the daily deal sites are not the same as co-buying as the price is not driven by the number of people buying, as is the case with BuyaPowa, where the price keeps falling as more people join. There are a number of other significant differences too. For example, the daily deal sites are primarily focused on services rather than products, and normally offer deals for people living in a particular city. BuyaPowa, on the other hand, brings together shoppers wherever they may be located across the world thanks to the reach of online social communities like Facebook and Twitter. At BuyaPowa, as well as the price being driven down the more people join a co-buy, the person who brings in the most other buyers receives their product for free; this gaming element is important reward for sharing.
Is BuyaPowa the cheapest way to buy something online? Is it cheaper than eBay or Amazon?
We’ll always do our very best to make sure that the lowest possible price on each co-buy will be the lowest price online at the time. If you find a product cheaper than the co-buy itself, then we’d encourage them to let us know and we will try and match it wherever possible.
How do I join the BuyaPowa.com team?
We are always on the look out for exceptional talent and energy. Please email us at help@buyapowa.com
How do I sell on BuyaPowa?
We’d love to hear from you. Use the ‘Partners’ link in the top right of the site. This will give you instructions.
6. About requests
How do I request a co-buy?
We love the challenge of sourcing a product at the price you want to pay. Use the ‘Requests’ link in the top right of the site, where you can request a product yourself, vote on items other people have requested or download our handy BuyaPowa button, which lets you submit requests in seconds wherever you are on the web. Finally, you can always request a product using the Twitter hashtag #buyapowarequest.
7. About Customer Services
What if I want a product but the co-buy has already closed?
Sorry, no can do. Once a co-buy is closed that is that. We may get more at a later date if we're lucky, but we offer no guarantees and we allow no back-orders. Aren’t we horrible?
Can I return my product once it arrives?
You have 7 days to return your product after it arrives. Please contact us before returning the product at help@buyapowa.com
Will I have to pay any tax or import duty?
We don’t ship outside of the UK today, but in the future, international deliveries may be subject to local import duties and taxes in the country of destination. BuyaPowa has no control over this, and any such charges are the sole responsibility of the purchaser and/or the recipient. We recommend that you check with your local customs officials or post office for more information regarding local import duties and taxes that may be applicable to your order. Please check our Terms and Conditions for all our relevant terms and conditions.
How do I get in touch with BuyaPowa.com?
You can call us on +44(0)203 008 4431 or email us at help@buyapowa.com
8. Returns & Refunds
Problems with a product
We hope you'll always be delighted with your purchases from BuyaPowa. However, if you have any problems at all, please contact our support team on help@buyapowa.com and we'll be happy to assist you. Our returns policy is set out in full in our Terms and Conditions of Sale, however this is a brief guide to assist you if you wish to return an item.
Problems with an order
If you have not received your item within the time frames set out in your order confirmation email, please contact your local sorting office who should be able to assist you. If you still have not received your item after contacting your local sorting office, please contact our support team at help@buyapowa.com and we'll be happy to assist you.
Returning an item
For consumers, we will refund any unwanted items you have ordered, provided that you return the item within 7 days of receiving it. The unwanted items must be returned to us in mint condition, including unbroken (still sealed) cellophane wrapping where applicable. To return any unwanted items, please follow these instructions:
Return the Product(s) to us immediately at: Customer Returns, BuyaPowa.com, 24 Greville Street, Farringdon, London, EC1N 8SS.
It is helpful if you use the original packaging and outer cardboard when returning products. This packaging includes a peel-off sticker with the correct return address which you should use to address the package.
If you no longer have the original packaging, please include the name and address of the person who ordered the Product and the order number in the returned package.
Note that if you have opened/unsealed the Product itself, e.g. shrink wrapping, you may lose your right to return it in certain circumstances.
Please see our Terms and Conditions of Sale Terms and Conditions of Sale for full details of BuyaPowa’s returns policy.
Faulty goods
We will always offer you a refund or exchange on any goods received which we determine in our sole discretion (acting reasonably) are damaged or faulty. Please ensure you include a note detailing the exact nature of the damage or fault when you return your item so that we can take the appropriate action. Please see our Terms and Conditions of Sale for full details of BuyaPowa’s returns policy.
9. Share to win
Can I refer myself?
No, you can only be referred by actual buyers.
What's the best way to share?
Use your unique URL to ensure we can allocate all the buyers you refer to your profile. You can also use the array of banners created especially for you to post to your blog, website or facebook page. Use the code snippet provided and any buyers who click on the banner will be referred to your profile.
How do I check my progress?
We'll send you an email each time you refer a new customer and you can also track your progress by checking the leaderboard on the co-buy page.
What happens if there is a tie?
In the event of a tie the player who actually bought a product within the cobuy will win. If none of the potential winners has bought a product, the person who joined first will win.
What happens if the co-buy doesn't sell out?
We reserve the right only to award a prize if the co-buy sells out.
Can I choose a cash equivalent rather than the co-buy?
Yes, for certain co-buys we'll allow you to chose between the product or the cash equivalent (net of VAT) of the prize. If the product is no longer available, you will be offered the cash equivalent only.
What happens if I win?
We'll contact you within 5 days of the end of the co-buy to ask whether you want the product, or the cash equivalent (Net of VAT) of the best prize. We'll need to take more personal details at this point. If you don't respond within 14 days of our correspondence we reserve the right to award the prize to another co-buyer.
Can I play Share-to-Win on every co-buy?
No, unfortunately not. If a co-buy is eligible for Share-to-Win you'll find a badge underneath the leaderboard. Hit this badge to start playing.
