MadBid: How does it feel to be a winner of a brand new Fiat 500 Catherine?
Catherine: Still a bit unreal really, I didn’t believe it until I got the registration details through. It’s fantastic!

MadBid: Walk us through your moments of winning and moments of bidding!
Catherine: I noted that on the Thursday night the site was really quiet. I put some bids on Autobid and went to bed.  I was just dropping off to sleep and got the text message that said: “Congratulations, you have just won a car!” I couldn’t quite believe it. I woke the whole family and couldn’t sleep the whole night!

MadBid: Talk us through your winning strategy?
Catherine: I try to look for days when I think the site will be a bit quieter like Fathers Days, Mothers Days, or good weather days. Then I sit and obverse the bidding. If the site does not look too busy, it’s probably worth having a go.

MadBid: Which words describe MadBid the best?
Catherine: MAD has to be the first one, doesn’t? [laughter] Frustrating sometimes, exhilarating, wicked – it’s a good site!

MadBid: How do you think we can improve your MadBid experience?
Catherine: I think the way MadBid.com works is the best, I prefer how instant it is. Once the action starts – that’s it. On other sites the auctions start sometimes 10 hours before and just counts down for those 10 hours. I prefer how MadBid works – it’s more straightforward.

MadBid: Would you recommend MadBid to your friends?
Catherine: This is a tricky one, isn’t it? [laughter] I have already recommended it to some friends.

MadBid: Any handy tips for new MadBidders?
Catherine:Definitely to sit, watch and observe. Watch the site without bidding before placing any bids. Observe before you take the plunge.

MadBid: What products should “Rookie” MadBidders go for?
Catherine: Definitely the cheaper ones. It’s easier to win cheaper auction items. Once you have won those, it gives you confidence and gives you a reputation of a serious bidder.

MadBid: What where your first thoughts about MadBid?
Catherine: It was a news report on BBC one Saturday morning. I had not heard about Penny Auction or Penny Auctions before, so I went on the internet to see what they were talking about. Consequently, I found MadBid!

MadBid: Congratulations again Catherine on the big auction win!
Catherine: Thank you very much – also for the TomTom! Now at least I will find my way out of London!

MadBid: Congratulations Joseba for the great win!
Joseba: Thank you very much. It was a tough battle.

MadBid: What do you mean?
Joseba: Well, I had been observing the Fiesta auction for a long time, after which I decided to join. Ultimately, it was a tough battle between me and a few other MadBidders, however, this time I was the lucky one.

MadBid: What was your strategy in bidding to win this car?
Joseba: Initially, I was watching what was going in the auction; I decided when to join by observing other bidders behavior and finally started to bid aggressively. It paid off.

MadBid: What was your initial reaction when you found out that you had won?
Joseba: I was actually eating breakfast when I won the car. I was using autobid, so the text message from MadBid informed me that I had won the car! I could not believe it. It was great!

MadBid: What tips can you give to new MadBid users?
Joseba: Start by being observant and focus on auctions with lower value items. Once you get success there, move towards higher ticket ones. Be patient and keep the focus.

MadBid: Thank you very much for this interview.
Joseba: No problem. Thank you MadBid for the car!

Interview with Selma E. from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, winner of the brand new Ford Fiesta:

MadBid: Selma, you’ve won a brand new Ford Fiesta Style, how do you feel?
Selma: Oh my god, so happy! I’ve got my driving test in three days time, it’s a perfect prize! I can’t believe I’ve won the car just before my test, it’s unbelievable.

MadBid: Where did you hear about MadBid?
Selma: My cousin showed me the site and taught me how to use it, he’s a massive fan. I think it’s really easy to use and understand and now I’m a huge fan too.

MadBid: How long have you been using MadBid?
Selma: Only about a month or two but I’ve won so many things!

 MadBid: What else have you won on MadBid?
Selma: So much – cameras, laptops, 500 cash, a brand new plasma TV. They were such low prices, the site’s absolutely great.

MadBid: Why do you like MadBid?
Selma: Well, apart from paying practically nothing for so many great items, I think the site gives you a real buzz. It’s really exciting trying to outbid other users, you get a really good feeling inside when you’re fighting to win something.

MadBid: What tips would you give other MadBid users?
Selma: Just that if you really want something, go for it. Don’t give up, no matter how high the bidding goes. I’ve paid less than half price for everything I’ve won and so people should just go for it. It’s great fun as well.

Interview with MadBid’s third Mini ONE winner, Mike M, Barry:

How did you hear about MadBid?
I can’t really remember, but I think it may have been an article or advert on another website.

What attracted you to MadBid?
I saw how many vouchers were on there and as it was just before Christmas it seemed perfect. I’ve got four daughters so they were ideal as presents.

Have you won other things on MadBid?
Gosh loads! Quite a few vouchers, I bought a great leather jacket with a Next voucher which I won for 1.50. Then recently I’ve also won a 40 inch Sony TV. But the Mini is definitely the biggest so far!

What tip would you give to someone new to the site?
Look on the recommended guidelines like I did. There are plenty of tips there for new bidders, such as using autobids to try and threaten fellow bidders. Also, be cautious with your bids, that’s very important.

What’s your winning strategy?
Well I think definitely start with something small and really think carefully about how MadBid actually works. Set a limit of what you think the prize is really worth, that’s certainly worth considering.

Did you find MadBid easy to understand?
Yes definitely, it was all very simple.

What other auctions would you like to see on MadBid?
Travel vouchers for holidays perhaps, especially for the whole family as there’s six of us!

What are you planning to do with your brand new Mini?
Oh I’m still not sure. My four daughters are fighting over it at the moment but we’ll see. Perhaps it could just be my own little run-around.

Congratulations for winning the Mini, Linda! What was your first reaction when you heard that you were the winner?
Well, at first I just did not believe it was true, and then I got a phone call telling me that I had won it. A few times I said to the person that called me: “yeah right, it’s me…” She insisted that I was the winner and finally she convinced me. I was absolutely amazed.

I did not want to talk about it at work, as I was doubtful that the car would ever arrive.

Once the lorry had delivered the beautiful Mini to our back yard then I was sure. I had won my favourite car!

So what is it with you and Mini’s?
Well, I used to have a Mini when I was younger. The problem was that it the interior got wet  when it was raining. This new Mini is a completely different experience of course. I still have to get used to all these electronic features and fancy alarm!

What did your family say about your win?
My grandson adores Minis. Whenever we drove in my old car we would always count Minis. He would ask me, “Grandma, how many have we seen so far?” The first time he saw my new Mini he was so excited he said, “Grandma that is soo wicked”. Sitting in the passenger seat of the Mini was like heaven to him.

What do you think about MadBid.com?
I think it is a fun and exciting auction site where you can get real bargains. Your timing has to be just right. You have be quite patient.

What is your bidding strategy on MadBid?
My strategy will remain a secret.

We would like to give you a MadBid T-Shirt for you to wear whilst driving you brand new Mini!
Thank you very much. This will be a very memorable moment in my life. The whole family will always remember it!

MadBid: How did you hear about MadBid.com?
Alexis: I got and email from a friend, telling me about it.

MadBid: What was your first feeling about MadBid.com?
Alexis: I didn’t get the gist of MadBid at once; however, after reading the “How It Works” section, I understood how it works.

MadBid: What was the first product that you bid for? Why did you go for that one?
Alexis: If I remember correctly, my first bid was for the iPod Nano. After that I went for the “50 Free Bids”, in order to get some extra “firepower”. That was actually the first item that I won. Then with the auction account “full” with bids I attacked the iPod Nano. My strategy paid off and I won it after an epic battle. That was in fact the first tangible product that I won.

MadBid: So we now we have a slight understanding of your bidding strategy. What additional advice would you give to person new to MadBid?
Alexis: Be patient and focus your bids on one product. But having said that, I realise that I have lost some bargains by waiting too long to start bidding.

MadBid: What products would you like to see on MadBid in the future?
Alexis: A Brompton [foldable bicycle] would be fun!