A Hands-On Review of Drazbi: An Auction Plugin for WordPress

There are a lot of things that you need to get right when launching your e-commerce website or store. Images, descriptions, pricing, inventory, design, SEO, etc., and the list goes on. The software to run your own store is also super important. For WordPress, you have a lot of options to choose.

But what if you want to hold some auctions alongside your e-commerce store? Drazbi is an auction plugin that makes this process super simple. Here’s how it works.

Install and Setup

Installing Drazbi is straightforward: upload and activate it, just like any other WordPress plugin. Once it is installed, you will see the dashboard, and you can navigate to the settings to get set up with everything you need to hold your auctions.

There’s also a guided tour if you want to take that first.

Auction Settings

Here are some of the parts you can set up and customize for your auctions:

• Currency (choose from a list or enter any currency via the Custom option)
• Select between 4 bidding engines
• Set anti-sniping conditions
• Set up payment settings
• Customize email notices
• Style it according to your theme colors
• The best part: You can even set it up to only take bids from registered users

How Do The Auctions Work?

Depending on the auction engine you choose, the auction can accept either a maximum bid (default engine, also called proxy bidding) or bids exactly as placed by the bidder (simple bidding).

The defining feature of proxy bidding is that the engine automatically bids up to the maximum bid to keep the bidder in the lead. Once a competing bid crosses that limit, that bidder then becomes the current leader. The auction closes at its end time (or immediately if the Buy it Now option is used); the winning bidder also gets a notification of the auction’s outcome.

To close out the sale, the winning bidder receives an email and payment link to complete their purchase.

Overall, the process is smooth; the bidder and the auction owner know exactly what is happening with real-time refreshes. The current bid and winning bidder are known immediately when placed, and if you are watching the auction live, you can place a competing bid. Or add a new maximum bid and let the plugin handle the bidding for you.

Payment and Auction Close

Once the auction ends, the winner is sent a notification of their win and payment instructions in the same email. They then click the link to visit the payment page you set up in the Auction Settings panel.

For security, this information can only be seen by the auction winner and is not public.

If you have a PayPal Business account, you can set up PayPal Checkout to accept various payment options; this will also automatically update the auction as ‘Paid’.

In the off-chance that the winner does not intend to go through with their bid, the plugin allows you to assign the 2nd-highest bidder as the winner. You can view this feature in the Bids section of each auction.

Drazbi also sells add-ons that allow WooCommerce integration. It allows you to integrate payment with whatever system you have set up on your WooCommerce store, so your auction winners can pay through your selection of providers.

Drazbi – Auctions Made Simple

The plugin makes the whole process simple to understand and use. From setting up and creating your first auction to using the widgets to show the auction on your sidebar each step is properly documented on the docs on their site, if you need any help.

So if you are looking for an auction plugin for WordPress, look no further than Drazbi.