Do I need to register and create an account at 15SOF Charity?

You can browse without creating an account, but registering allows you to place bids, add items to your watch list and keep track of all your activity.  Joining is easy and we can keep you informed of all the great experiences for great causes just as they drop!

Is there an age limit to register?

Yes.  Unfortunately, we can only register those persons that are 18 years or older.   You MUST be 18 years of age or older to win an auction or sweepstakes.  If you have any questions about minors attending an experience as the winner’s guest, please email charity@15sof.com before entering.

Why do you need my credit card information?

If you win an auction or want to donate to a sweepstakes, your credit card will be charged for the winning bid amount or entries purchased immediately.  Additionally, shipping and handling and sales tax will be charged, if applicable. Your credit card will not be charged for an auction unless you are the winner!

Why do I have a $1 pending charge on my statement/account?

We do this for credit card validation purposes on auctions.  The $1 does not imply that a purchase from 15SOF Charity took place or was even attempted.  The $1 charge should go away within 72 hours.

Can I have multiple cards stored in my account?

Of course!  We accept many forms of payment including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, and we allow you to store up to ____ cards.   We also allow you to set one of those cards as your primary method of payment.

Can I have more than one shipping address?

Absolutely.  We know our community is always on the go.  You can add several different shipping addresses.  We allow you to set one of those locations as your shipping location preference.

Is my personal information safe on your site?

There is nothing more important to us than the safety of your information.  Our SSL software is the industry standard and among the best software available today for secure commerce transactions.  It encrypts all of your personal information, including credit card number, name and address, so that it cannot be read over the internet.  Our credit card processing provider is one of the leading companies in its industry. We strive to utilize service providers that are industry leaders, utilizing state-of-the-art technology.

Do I need an account to browse sweepstakes and auction items?

Nope.  Feel free to browse without an account, but registering has the benefits of letting you bid, placing items on your watch list, and being informed of the newest experiences and merchandise as they hit!

Can I search for items I am interested in?

Of course.  Feel free to use the standardized filters we have or any free form expression in the search bar.

Am I able to track items or add them to my favorites?

Absolutely.  Once you have registered, you can view these items in your watchlist in the MY ACCOUNT section.

Why must I be logged in to watch an auction item?

We don’t ever want you missing out on something you care about!  Logging in provides us the information necessary to notify you with alerts before the auction closes.  This also helps us learn more about you and let you know about similar things that may be of interest.

How do I place a bid?

If you have already registered with 15SOF Charity, just Log In to your account.  If not, register here.  Once you have registered and are logged in, you can then place a straight or max bid.  You will be asked to confirm your bid.  Only confirmed bids will be placed.

Why do I need to be logged in to bid?

15SOF Charity only allows registered users with a valid credit card and shipping information to place bids.

Why do I need to have valid shipping information on file in order to bid?

We often have merchandise that requires shipping. Having your address also allows us to ensure proper sales tax, if any, is included.

Why do I need a valid credit card to bid?

Bidding means you agree to purchase that product and/or experience.  We reserve the right to authorize your credit card for any bid amount placed.  If you are outbid, you will not be charged.

Do I need to live in the United States to bid?

No.  Giving to charity should be global!

In what currency am I placing my bid?

All bids are placed in U.S. dollars (USD), unless stated otherwise.

Can I retract a bid?

No.  All bids placed are legally binding.  Please see Terms and Conditions for what our lawyers need you to know.

What does “straight bid” mean?

A straight bid is a one-time bid that you are placing for the item being auctioned.  It must meet or exceed the minimum bid shown.  If your straight bid is no longer the winning bid, you will be notified by email and will need to place another bid if you choose to continue to participate.

What does “maximum bid” mean?

A maximum bid is the maximum amount you are willing to pay for the item.  If a bid exceeds your current bid, but is less than your maximum bid, your bid will increase over that bid by the required increment.  The maximum bid is simply as high as you are willing to bid, but don’t have the time to monitor every bid.  Your maximum bid is NOT shown and your bid will not reach it unless other competing bids require it. If your maximum bid is outbid, you will be notified by email and may place another bid if you choose to continue to participate.

When I place a maximum bid, what happens if someone bids later at the exact same amount as my original max bid?

Because your maximum bid was placed first, you would be considered the winning bid if the auction closed at this price.

When I place a maximum bid, what happens if someone sets up a max bid later at the exact same amount as my original maximum bid?

Because your maximum bid was placed first, you would be considered the winning bid if the auction closed at this price.

What is a reserve bid?

Sometimes our donors want to ensure that a certain level of donation is reached before someone can win the experience/item.  If that bidding level is not met, there will be no winner.

What are the bidding increments?

Can I keep track of what auctions I am winning, losing or just watching?

Definitely.  Go to MY ACCOUNT and you will be able to see all of these.

Will I get notified if I am outbid?

Yes.  We will send you an email and/or text message to let you know that your current bid has been exceeded.

What does “live bid” mean in the auction lot title and description?

Sometimes we will have actual live auctions going on at the same time.  15SOF Charity helps kick off these events by allowing our community to bid on these items first.  We close the online bidding the day before the event and then bid on behalf of our top bidders during the live auction!  If you are a top bidder, regardless if you placed a straight bid or a max bid, we will call you to confirm your participation.

Why did the auction extend by 10 minutes after I placed my bid?

To avoid trying to perfectly time the end of an auction with a bid as we all know sometimes our computers/mobile devices can get glitchy.  We call this “extended bidding” and it is ONLY available to those who have been involved in the bidding process prior to the close (e.g. you cannot enter the bidding for the FIRST time during an extended bidding session).  Once the auction closes at its set time, we will allow 10 minutes for anyone who PREVIOUSLY PARTICIPATED in this auction to bid again.  If no other bids are placed in those 10 minutes, the highest bid that stood at closing is the winner.  However, if a higher bid is placed during those 10 minutes, we will again extend for another 10 minutes, until we have gone a full 10 minutes without someone being outbid.

What happens if I bid the same amount and at the time as someone else?

In the very rare circumstance that two bids are placed within seconds of each other, the first recorded bid in our system will be the winner, assuming no other bids come in during Extended Bidding.  The “second” bidder will be notified that he or she was outbid.

What does “Meet & Greet” mean?

Celebrities don’t always have the time to hang out for hours.  A Meet & Greet is an industry term that means you will get to say hello, chat for a bit, likely take some photos together and have something signed.  It may be brief, but it could always go on longer than you think!  The approximate time frame will be specified in the details of the sweepstakes or auction.

How do I pay for an item?

The credit card that was used during your registration will automatically be billed for the final bid amount, including any shipping, handling and applicable sales tax.  If the item has a very high value, please contact us at charity@15sof.com to arrange for a wire transfer or bank check if you choose. You can change your primary card at any time from the MY ACCOUNT section.

In what currency will I be charged?

All auctions are priced in US Dollars (USD), unless specified otherwise.

Are there shipping and handling charges?

Yes, there are shipping and handling charges for tangible items such as tickets and signed memorabilia. These rates differ based on the size of item, weight, custom fees, warehouse fees, international insurance, distance of travel, etc. If you’d like an estimate of your shipping and handling charges before placing your bid, you may contact us at charity@15sof.com to inquire.

Will I be charged tax?

The winning bidder agrees that they will be responsible for the payment of any and all applicable taxes due in connection with the winning bid, including but not limited to sales tax, use tax and value-added tax (VAT).

Is the amount I paid for an item tax deductible?

The amount paid ABOVE the retail market value is considered tax deductible.  15SOF Charity will also supply an estimated value for experiences.  Winners can request a receipt containing the retail market value to submit to their tax professional.  We are not responsible for the taxing of your bids and cannot provide tax letters or tax advice.

Can I change my shipping address?

Of course!  Just go into MY ACCOUNT and feel free to add another address or change the main one on file.

Does 15SOF Charity charge a buyer’s premium?

Absolutely NOT.  ZERO.  While many services charge premiums of anywhere from 10-25%, we believe CHARITY SHOULD BE CHARITY.  In fact, the only charges taken from the winning bid amount are standarized credit card fees.

When will I receive my item?

We will work to get you your items as quickly as possible and using the highest-quality methods of professional delivery possible.   If possible, we might also be able to send your items electronically.

How do I arrange the celebrity experience I won or purchased?

A 15SOF Charity representative will contact you to coordinate a mutually agreed upon time and date for your experience.

Does 15SOF Charity conduct background checks?

Winners are screened for suitability.  In certain instances, and with the winner’s consent, a criminal background check may also be conducted.

I have a specific request for an experience but don’t see it on your site. Can you help me?

We always want to know experiences you would love to see!  Please reach out to us at charity@15sof.com.

Do I need to register to participate in a sweepstakes?

No.  You will not need to register for an account with 15SOF Charity to be able to participate in sweepstakes.  However, we do recommend it as it allows you to see everything you are participating in, lets us notify you of new experiences, and keeps you eligible for special items that will only be offered to our community.

Can I keep track of what experiences I’ve entered through my account?

Yes! You need to register with us to keep track of your experiences, which will be listed on the MY ACCOUNT page.

How do I apply a promo code to my order?

Promo codes can be entered during checkout in the box labeled “PROMO CODE”.

How do you confirm a winner?

We use a third party provider to ensure the integrity of our automated random drawing process (see OFFICIAL RULES).  Once the process has selected a winner, we complete the process of confirmation and contacting the person as seen here.

How do you contact and announce winners?

We will contact our winners via email and/or phone as seen here.  Once we have a confirmed winner, we will email all of the entrants to that Sweepstakes to let them know the details, as well as posting on our social media accounts!

How do I enter for a chance to win an experience?

There are two ways to enter – 1) make a donation on the experience page and as a gift you will receive entries into the sweepstakes or 2) enter through the Alternative Free Method of Entry that is located on each individual experience page.

How do I know if I am eligible to win one of your sweepstakes experiences?

Details of eligibility can be found at each experience page, but unless stated otherwise, winners of sweepstakes must be 18 years of age and reside in the 50 United States (except Utah), Canada (except Quebec), and the United Kingdom.   See OFFICIAL RULES for more details.

How do donations work?

15SOF believes CHARITY SHOULD BE CHARITY.   While other platforms donate anywhere from 15% to 80% of the NET proceeds, 15SOF Charity donates 100% of the proceeds after the deduction of transaction processing costs (Visa, MasterCard, Amex, PayPal, etc) to the designated charity.

Will I receive a transaction confirmation?

Yes.  You should receive a receipt of your donation and the entries that came along with it.  Please reach out to us at charity@15sof.com if you did not.

How many entries can I have?

The maximum number of entries of any kind (donation or alternative free method) per person per single sweepstakes is 1,000,000.  Entries are all equally weighted for the 3rd party random drawing process.

Is my contribution tax deductible?

Yes, as long as the charity is registered in the domain you are trying to deduct it.  If the donation comes with guaranteed goods or services, then the donation deductibility will only be to the extent for which the donation exceeds the retail price of the goods or services.  Please consult with your tax advisor.

There are charges on my card from “15SOF Charity” that I don’t recognize.

If you don’t remember donating to one of our great experiences, please reach out to us at charity@15sof.com and we can send you a copy of your receipt.

Are airfare and accommodations included for all Sweepstakes?

Airfare and accommodations are only included if it is specifically included in the package description.  Please make sure to read all the details of the experience you are entering.

Can my nonprofit work with 15SOF Charity?

Absolutely.  Please reach out to us at charity@15sof.com to let us know you are interested and we will respond as soon as possible to see how we can work together.

Does 15SOF Charity charge partners an upfront fee to host an auction?

No.  We do not charge our partners any fees, period.

What percentage of funds raised goes to the nonprofit?

100% of the proceeds after transaction processing costs (Visa, MasterCard, Amex, PayPal, etc).  CHARITY SHOULD BE CHARITY.