Live Auction Policy
What is Live Auction?
Live Auction is a real-time, interactive shopping format where sellers can sell auction-listed items during LIVE and set a starting bid price. Viewers can then bid a specific price for the item and the highest bidder wins the right to purchase the product at the bidded price. This format is ideal for collectibles, luxury resale, sneakers, jewelry, and other non-standard or scarce products where market-driven pricing maximizes valueWhy use Live Auction?
🔥 Increased EngagementReal-time interaction helps in building a loyal customer base who feel personally connected to the seller. Build a community that returns to your livestream as loyal viewers and regular buyers.⏰ Encourage TransactionsCountdown timers and limited inventory push shoppers to act fast, turning browsing into immediate purchases.
💰 Maximize ConversionAs multiple buyers bid at once, prices can get pushed above expectations. Let the market decide their buying price, while you enjoy a quicker inventory turnover.
📦 Simplified Fulfillment with Temporary AuctionCreate auction product listings in under 2 minutes and streamline fulfillment with numbered picking that reduces errors and speeds up packing.
Note: Certain luxury brands may not be listed via temporary product listings. However, they can still be used for LIVE auctions if listed as a normal product listing.
Click here for a step-by-step guide on how to set up your Live Auction.
What do I need to qualify for Live Auction?
Live Auction is only available to Official and Marketing Accounts Creators. This feature is not available to Affiliate Creators. To qualify, creators must meet all of the following conditions:- Your Creator Health Rating must be greater than 150
- Your account is not engaged or flagged in any risk or fraudulent behaviours
Aftersales for Live Auction Orders
At TikTok Shop, we are committed to creating a fair shopping experience for both sellers and buyers. As a winning bid in an auction is considered a binding purchase commitment, certain exceptions apply to the aftersales process for Auction orders. These protections help support a trusted auction experience and reduce behaviours that may negatively impact sellers and the auction process.- Seller-led cancellation decisions — Sellers are empowered to decide on whether to allow the cancellation. Auto-approvals for cancellation will only be done on exceptional circumstances, such as late dispatch or significant delivery delays caused by the seller or logistics provider.
- Seller-centric return and refund policy — Auto-approval and speedy refund do not apply to live auction orders. Claims are assessed more carefully, giving sellers a fair opportunity to contest before any resolution is issued.
- Controlled exchange and reship handling — Live auction order are not eligible for exchange and reshipment, protecting sellers from exploitation after a competitive bid.
Best Practices for Live Auction
| Do's | |
| Lead with the Right Categories | Live Auction performs best for scarce, collectible, second-hand luxury, or tail-inventory items where buyers are motivated by uniqueness and value discovery. |
| Promote an Unbiased Auction Environment | Maintain fairness and transparency by treating every bidder equally, stating all terms and conditions upfront, and avoiding any actions that favour specific participants. |
| Provide Transparency in the Auction Process | Clearly communicate all auction mechanics and winner selection methods to participants before and during the livestream. |
| Set Expectations Clearly In-Stream | Communicate your auction terms, ie. starting price, bidding rules, and aftersales conditions, at the start of your livestream. |
| Block Disruptive Buyers Proactively | If you identify buyer accounts placing suspicious or disruptive bids, use the blocking feature to prevent those accounts from participating in your auctions. |
| Bind a regular product to maintain EC Live status | In addition to your auction product listings, always bind at least one regular product to your livestream. This ensures the stream remains Shoppable Live and not revert to non-Shoppable Live once bidding activity ends. |
| Don'ts | |
| Offer or Solicit Bids | Do not suggest, negotiate, or pre-arrange prices outside of the formal bidding process. All pricing must come through legitimate competitive bidding only. |
| Prepare Listings at the Last Minute | While temporary auction products supports fast creation during a stream, preparing your auction products in advance reduces friction and allows more time to engage with viewers. |
| Promote Counterfeit Products | Do not create an auction product with the intention of obtaining bids for a non-genuine or counterfeit item. Only authentic products may be listed for auction. |
| Cancel Orders After the Auction | Do not cancel an order after the auction has ended due to dissatisfaction with the final selling price. Sellers are expected to honour all completed auction transactions. |
Common practices for a good livestream still applies
When running a LIVE auction, you are expected to uphold the same content standards as any other selling format. Key practices to keep in mind:Match your product to your listing. What you promote on LIVE must accurately reflect the actual listing and what the customer receives. Misrepresenting products — even in a live setting — falls under misleading content policies.
Click here for more informationNo gambling or gamification mechanics. Avoid incorporating chance-based or game-like elements into your auction format that could be considered gambling or manipulative engagement tactics.
Click here for more informationNo false promises. Do not make commitments you cannot keep, such as promising free gifts, bonus items, or special deals that are not genuinely available to buyers.
Click here for more informationAvoid misleading claims. This is especially important for health and beauty products — steer clear of exaggerated or unsubstantiated claims about a product's benefits, results, or efficacy.
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