Not a scam. If you pay attention, watch auction patterns and invest in tools like BeezidPro, you can to pretty well. Definitely misleading when commercials tout people winning stuff for $1.99, since the don't factor in the cost of the bids. But if you do your homework, you can easily come out ahead. I've won a number of big ticket items and have probably saved between 50-70% vs retail. ( Also beware that the retail price they list often includes Promo Bids, inflating the price). Go online and shop the item you are bidding on to get the price before the auction. Promo bids are fine, but they expire quickly. Happy bidding...