2024 AUSXIP CHARITY AUCTION FAQ

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Updated: August 17, 2024

lease read before sending in your question – this section will be updated as required

01. Which charity will benefit from this year’s Charity Auction?
02. Can you tell me more about the Starship Foundation?
03. Can you tell me more about The House of Bards Theatre Company?
04. Where did the Items come from and can I donate?
05. What date is the auction and how long does the auction last?
06. Where can I go to place a bid?
07. Can you use the same password and user ID from previous auctions on AUSXIP?
08. How can I register to participate in this auction?
09. The site says “Currency is in ($) unless otherwise noted. Is this always in *US* dollars? – UPDATED
10. Once the sale is over, how do I pay for my items?
11. Where are the items going to be shipped from?
12. How do I pay for shipping?
13. I have paid for my item, when will I get it?
14. I can’t afford to bid on any items, would it be possible to donate to Starship?

15. Contact MaryD With Questions About Auction

1. Which charity will benefit from this year’s Charity Auction?

The official charities for AUSXIP are The Starship Foundation and The House of Bards Theatre Company. From time to time, we raise money for other charities when required. The 2021 AUSXIP Charity Auction will benefit The Starship Foundation and The House of Bards.

2. Can You Tell Me More About The Starship Foundation?

The Starship Foundation was chosen in 2006 alongside the ROC Outreach Fund for the first AUSXIP Charity Auction to celebrate AUSXIP’s 10th birthday. The Starship Foundation was chosen because Lucy Lawless was on the board of the Foundation and was also a passionate advocate for the organization for many years.

Since our first auction in December 2006, Starship has been an ENORMOUS help in making the process as easy as possible. It’s impossible to put into words how much their partnership with AUSXIP has helped in the organization and outcomes of these auctions.

Starship Hospital provides leading health care to nearly 150,000 children each year from around New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

But in addition to government funding, they need your help to raise more than $5 million annually to keep the hospital at the forefront of pediatric care.

As a charitable organization, the Starship Foundation exists through the generosity of those who lovingly donate money and/or time to make Starship a world-class medical facility.

For more information about Starship and their work, please visit their site.

100% of the money raised for The Starship Foundation is sent directly to Starship; your winning bid is paid via their online donation form.

3. Can You Tell Me More About The House of Bards Theatre Company?

In 2019, Renee O’Connor (Gabrielle) opened her theatre company, The House of Bards Theatre Company. We chose The House of Bards as our second official charity because we could see that her work in nurturing young people to excel is one that we wanted to support.

We live in a world that is increasingly difficult and distressing. In such a world, we think that Storytellers are necessary and important. Storytellers have taken us out of our world and transported us as far as our imaginations and their storytelling could take us. As a storyteller/bard, I have found this to be EXTREMELY important. It’s why we buy books, watch movies, and go to the theatre.

Many of you may know Renee’s behind-the-scenes work with young actors and how she has nurtured them. She will take those young actors and create extraordinary work. We need storytellers and people to help others fulfil their dreams.

That’s why we chose House of Bards as one of our charities.

We have supported charities in the past that allowed young people to reach their potential (The Ellis Foundation), supported a children’s hospital and still do (Starship Foundation), Adrienne Wilkinson’s Families in Need Charity, Brittney’s Bra Auction, AIDS LifeCycle Auction, Trevor Foundation, Frog conservation etc

We feel that The House of Bards is exactly what we need in this day and age.

100% of the money raised for The House of Bards will be sent to The House of Bards, and your winning bid will be donated directly to them via their PayPal donation form.

4. Where did the Items come from, and can I donate?

Many items have been signed by: Lucy Lawless, Renee O’Connor, Adrienne Wilkinson, and others who donated, autographed, and contributed items for the Charity Auction. Every year, we get items sent to us by Xenites who want to contribute their collectables to the auction or other items such as books or artwork. We guarantee that the signatures are authentic and we never auction off fake autographed items. We can issue COAs if required. If you want to send us your goodies, we would love to hear from you. We always find new homes for all your donated items. Please contact MaryD

5. When does the auction start and how long does it last? – UPDATED

The auction will start on September 01 between Midnight to 1 am and end September 04, 2019 between 5 – 7 pm PDT (a staggered close). The opening times are a little different due to the time difference between Australia (where MaryD is located) and the US.

6. Where can I go to place a bid?

You can bid on all the items in the auction by going here

7. Can you use the same password and user ID from previous auctions on AUSXIP?

Yes. If you have any problems with your log in, please contact MaryD

8. How can I register to participate in this auction?

Go to the user registration page and fill in the details. You MUST supply your full name, valid address, phone number an be over 18 years of age. You MUST verify your email address first. If you do not supply the correct address details, your registration will not be approved. Please provide a valid phone number, and don’t be surprised if you receive a call from an AUSXIP Staff member to verify the information. AUSXIP Staff approves all registrations before you can bid. If you wish to email us about your registration, please send an email to https://ausxip.com/auction/auctioncontact

9. What currency is used on the auction site? – UPDATED

To keep it uniform, it is in US Dollars. As of 2024, an update was made (to make it easier for people) that Starship will be paid in USD and Starship will convert it to NZD. No need for currency conversion as in the previous years.

10. how do I pay for my items once the sale ends?

Starship Foundation – follow the directions listed on that page

The House of Bards – follow the directions listed on that page

11. Where are the items going to be shipped from?

All items (unless otherwise specified) will be shipped from the US.

12. How do I pay for shipping?

Starship Foundation Items

Through the generous offer, most shipping will be paid for by some fans who wish to remain anonymous. Shipping overseas or bulky items that are not covered by free shipping and are indicated on the auction details. If you are unsure about an item, please contact MaryD

The House of Bards

Through the generous offer, most shipping will be paid for by some fans who wish to remain anonymous. Shipping overseas or bulky items that are not covered by free shipping and are indicated on the auction details. If you are unsure about an item, please contact MaryD.

Items direct from Renee O’Connor (such as her art) are not available for free shipping. The winning bidder and Renee will organize the shipping costs.

13. I have paid for my item; when will I get it?

Starship Foundation

On the day the auction ends and you pay for your item at the Starship site, Starship will issue you a receipt. Please include the auction ID number to make it easier for Starship and AUSXIP to verify that you have paid for the item.

One week after the auction ends, Starship will send us a spreadsheet of all those who have paid with the Auction ID numbers, payment amount and name. We will then match those names with our own spreadsheet and then proceed to ship the items out.

The House of Bards

On the day the auction ends you pay for your item via paypal. The House of Bards (HOB) / Paypal will issue you with a receipt. Please include the auction ID number to make it easier for HOB and AUSXIP to verify that you have paid for the item. One week after the auction ends, HOB will send us a spreadsheet of all those who have paid with the Auction ID numbers, payment amount and name. We will then match those names with our own spreadsheet and then proceed to ship the items out.

14. I can’t afford to bid on any items, would it be possible to donate to either Starship or House of Bards instead?

Thank you for wanting to contribute and be part of the AUSXIP Charity Auction. This year’s auction has “DONATION ONLY” section – you can donate any amount you want and it’s not limited to the amount on the Donation Only selections). Thank you for wanting to be a part of the charity auction

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