9 . There’s no shortage of web sites offering deals-everything from daily deals to members-only private sales. But when it comes to real jaw-dropping deals, there’s one company that seems to have figured out a way to really deliver.
The company is called Quibids and they auction the hottest, in-demand electronics like Apple ipads and ipods, as well as other items like gift cards from the top retailers. Unlike other sites, the prices people pay are nowhere near retail. How low are the prices?
$ 33.84 for a new Apple ipad 32 GB(retail $ 600)
$ 22.10 for a new Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera(retail $ 1070)
Our first reaction on seeing these prices was disbelief. After all, how could Quibids possibly afford to sell these items for so little — surely they must be losing a lot of money.
That’s where its unique business model comes into play. You see, for every bid a buyer places for an item on Quibids, the company collects a small fee from the bidder. The fee to bid is only about 60 cents, but based on the volume of sales and bids, the company is able to collect enough to make up for the ridiculous prices the items sell for.
But best of all, participating in the Quibids auction is incredibly fun. Because each bid costs a little to place, shoppers can strategize when to place their bids. Each auction has a strict time limit. When you place your bid, the system adds a little time to the auction to see if any other bids come in. If you have the winning bid when the clock runs out — you win the item for that price.
But the best part of Quibids may be the “Buy-It-Now” feature. This allows bidders who did not win an auction to still buy the product they want and apply the cost of the bids they placed as a discount on the regular product price. So you still get the item and the bids you placed previously in the auction don’t cost you anything!
1. According to the passage, the success of Quibids mainly lies in ________.
A.their willingness to risk losing money | B.the change in people’s shopping model |
C.the quality of the goods and service | D.how its buying and selling is conducted |
2. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A.other retailers will be out of business | B.the prices on Quibids are the lowest |
C.Quibids only sell popular electronics | D.winning a bid is not just a matter of luck |
3. A buyer who bid twice for a $ 20 MP4 can get one from “Buy-It-Now” for ________.
A.$ 21.2 | B.$ 20 | C.$ 19.4 | D.$ 18.8 |
4. Which might be the most suitable title for the passage?
A.The Most Successful Shopping Website | B.How to Buy New Must–have Electronics |
C.Buy Products for Next to Nothing | D.Tips on Shopping Online |