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Buyer Terms and Conditions for Countdown Bidding - US

Captured: TikTok page date: Hash: 383fb8c01a5f

Creator TL;DR

AI-generated from the captured TikTok policy text. Verify against the TikTok source before acting.

This page sets the rules for TikTok Shop Countdown Bidding in the US. It says eligible buyers can place binding bids during select LIVE events, and the highest bid at the timer end wins and must be paid for immediately. It also covers payment holds, shipping, cancellations, fraud rules, refunds, and TikTok’s right to change or stop the activity.

Key points

  • Bidding happens during select Seller or collaborating creator LIVE events.
  • Highest bid at the timer end wins and becomes a binding purchase obligation.
  • Users must have a verified payment method, shipping address, be 18+, and be in good standing.
  • Payment is charged immediately after the auction ends.
  • Bids cannot be retracted or canceled once placed.
  • Auction items are only available through bidding, not fixed price.
  • No promotions or discounts apply except shipping promotions.
  • No 1-hour cancellation period applies to auction items.
  • Shill bidding and automated participation are prohibited.
  • TikTok may cancel, rerun, disqualify, or block participants for fraud or policy violations.
  • Return and refund handling follows the item’s category return policy.
  • Shipping issues caused by an inaccurate address are the buyer’s responsibility.

Say / show

  • Countdown Bidding is a binding auction-style purchase flow during select LIVE events.
  • Creators or sellers should make sure bidders understand bids are final and payment may be charged immediately.
  • Participants need a verified payment method and shipping address, and must be 18+ and in good standing.
  • Auction items follow category return policies.
  • TikTok may cancel auctions for suspected fraud or technical issues.
  • Verify the latest TikTok source before acting, because terms can change.

Do not say / show

  • Do not say bids can be canceled or retracted after placement.
  • Do not say auction items can be bought at a fixed price.
  • Do not say the 1-hour cancellation period applies to auction items.
  • Do not say promotions or discounts apply to auction items generally.
  • Do not say TikTok guarantees item condition, authenticity, or seller compliance.
  • Do not say bots or coordinated bidding are allowed.

Violation risks

  • Cancellation of the auction.
  • Disqualification from the activity.
  • Blocking from future Countdown Bidding events.
  • Potential account suspension.
  • Order cancellation if payment fails within the allowed time.

Who it affects

  • Buyers/participants in Countdown Bidding.
  • Sellers hosting Countdown Bidding LIVEs.
  • Collaborating TikTok Shop creators in those LIVEs.
  • TikTok Shop operators/moderators overseeing LIVE commerce.

Source notes

  • This summary is based only on the provided source text.
  • Please verify against the TikTok source before taking action, because TikTok says it may modify the terms and can suspend, postpone, or cease the activity at any time.

Confidence: high · Model: gpt-5.4-mini · Prompt: creator-policy-summary-v1

Readable Policy Copy

Captured policy content rendered without TikTok navigation, scripts, tracking markup, or page chrome. Source: article-html.

COUNTDOWN BIDDING TERMS AND CONDITIONSThe Activity (described below) and all participants ("You" or "customer") shall be subject to the terms and conditions as set out below (these "Terms"). The promoter of the Activity is BD TikTok USA LLC (“TikTok”, "we", or "us"), a company registered in the United States, with its registered office at 5800 Bristol Parkway, Suite 100, Culver City, CA 90230.

These Terms form a binding legal agreement between us and the participants in the Activity, and set forth terms and conditions for the participation in the Activity available on the application owned or controlled by us, including, without limitation, TikTok mobile application ("Platform"), our related websites, services, applications, products and content owned or controlled by us.

These Terms are subject to, and shall also include, our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, TikTok Shop Buyer Terms, and other policies on the Platform as such terms may be amended from time to time in accordance with the terms therein (altogether, the "TikTok Policies"). In the event of any conflict between these Terms and our Terms of Service, these Terms shall prevail. We reserve the right to suspend, postpone or cease the Activity at any time without prior notification.

  1. Activity
TikTok Shop's Countdown Bidding (the "Activity") allows participants to submit offers to make a purchase from third-party sellers (the "Sellers") during select LIVEs hosted by Sellers or their collaborating TikTok Shop creators. Participants can submit an offer manually or set a maximum purchase offer which would enable automatic submissions based on the Participant's selected limits. Participants can view offers submitted by other participants throughout the LIVE. A countdown timer will be displayed during the Countdown Bidding event, and all offers must be submitted prior to the conclusion of the countdown timer. The participant with the highest submitted offer at the end of the timer will be purchaser of the item and obligated to purchase the item.
There are two types of auctions participants can partake in:
  • Fixed Auction: The countdown timer is final — bidding closes exactly when it hits zero, with no additional time added.
  • Extended Auction: If a bid is placed during the final moments of the auction, the timer will automatically reset with each new bid. The extension duration is configured by the LIVE host and will be displayed on the user interface. This extension can occur multiple times until no further bids are placed before the timer expires.
The products available in the auction may be individual products or surprise- based products. Individual products are known to the participant prior to purchase. Surprise-based products will be revealed after the winning bid is decided. Surprise-based product value is limited to $5000 and no bid may exceed this amount.
  1. Eligibility
To participate in Countdown Bidding, you must:
  • Have a verified payment method and shipping address in your account.
  • Be at least 18 years old.
  • Be in good standing with TikTok.
  1. Placing a Bid
  • You must enter or update your payment method and shipping address before placing a bid. We will place a temporary hold on your payment method to verify funds.
  • By placing a bid, you are making an irrevocable and legally binding offer to enter into a contract with the Seller of the item if you submitted the highest offer.
  • Once the auction ends you will be charged immediately. The item will be shipped to the shipping address you provided, or to your default shipping address if none was updated.
  1. Payment and Charges
  • If your payment method fails, you will have a limited time to add a valid payment method, as shown by the countdown timer on the user interface. After that time, your order will be canceled.
  • If payment cannot be processed, you may be blocked from participating in future Countdown Bidding events.
  1. Bidding Rules
  • All bids are binding and final. Once a bid is placed, it cannot be retracted or canceled.
  • No promotions or discounts (other than shipping promotions) apply to auction items.
  • There is no 1-hour cancellation period for auction items. Your ability to cancel is waived upon participation of the Acitivty.
  • Auction items cannot be purchased at a fixed price and will only be available through bidding.
  • Shill Bidding: Any manipulation of the bidding process, including bidding on your own item or coordinating with others to artificially increase the price (shill bidding), is strictly prohibited and will result in cancellation, disqualification, and potential account suspension.
  1. Return and Refund Policy
Countdown Bidding items will follow the return and refund rules of the category they belong to (please review the relevant category return policy).
  1. Cancellation of Auctions
  • TikTok reserves the right to cancel an auction for reasons such as suspected fraud, technical issues preventing the auction from running smoothly, or at TikTok's sole discretion.
  • In the case of technical issues, TikTok may choose to re-run the auction.
We are not responsible for any event of force majeure (including natural disasters, activities subject to the instructions of government agencies, cyberattacks, pandemic, actions taken by governments meeting the 'force majeure' definition), system failure qualifying as 'force majeure', actions of third parties (other than our subcontractors), which results in loss, damage or disappointment suffered by you as a result of your participation in (or inability to join) the Activity.
  1. Shipping
If you win the auction, the item will be shipped to the address you provided at checkout or the default address if no update was made.
Please ensure your shipping address is accurate, as any delays or issues with delivery are your responsibility.
  1. Fraud Prevention
TikTok reserves the right to cancel any auction suspected of fraudulent activity. TikTok reserves the right to disqualify or block any Participant from Activity use if we have grounds to believe that (i) you have tampered with or attempted to tamper with the process or operation of the Activity; (ii) you have breached these Terms or any TikTok Policy; (iii) you have engaged in any activity not in the spirit of the Activity; (iii) you have made misrepresentations or engaged in any illegal, criminal or fraudulent activity in connection with the Activity; (iv) you have employed any agent or bot or an external automated process to participate for you.
  1. Disputes and Governing Law
In the event of any dispute arising regarding the Activity, or relating to the corresponding interpretation of these Terms, TikTok's decision shall be final and binding on all parties.Any legal matters will be governed according to TikTok's Terms of Service.
  1. Disclaimer; Exclusion of Warranty
The Platform acts solely as an intermediary provider and merely facilitates the transaction between the Seller and You. As an intermediary, TikTok:
  • Is NOT an auctioneer or auction house and is not subject to state or federal auctioneer licensing requirements;
  • Disclaims any responsibility for verifying that Sellers possess necessary licenses or comply with any legal or regulatory requirements related to the sale of the item; and
  • Makes no representations or warranties regarding the condition, authenticity, or fitness for a particular purpose of any item sold through the Activity. All claims regarding the item are against the Seller.
Other than as expressly set out in these Terms, TikTok does not make any promises or commitments about the Activity, or Platform, such as the specific function of the Activity, or its reliability, availability, or ability to meet your needs.
  1. Severability
If any of the terms herein are found to be illegal, invalid otherwise unenforceable, then they shall be deleted from these Terms and the remaining terms shall survive and remain in full force and effect.
  1. Modifications to Terms
TikTok reserves the right to modify or update these terms at any time. Any changes will be communicated to you, and your continued participation in Countdown Bidding constitutes acceptance of these changes.

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