I really don't know what their rationale for the 3 hour window from 8 to 11 is...as a participant, I can only say that this was basically dead time, as I put in initial bids before 8, and then had to wait till 11 for what we all know is when the "real" auction starts. I'm sure it's somehow all about the money...it always is, lol.
As for the VIP thing, that one is definitely money driven. I was really only seriously interested in 5 or 6 lots. But once I put my initial bids on those, I actually looked for 4 or 5 more lots to perhaps throw an initial bid on (knowing I wouldn't win them), just in case I saw something late in the night that might be a good deal on a whim (the frustrating scenario the above poster experienced). In the end, I didn't do it...but if I had that would have bumped the bidding on 5 additional lots. And every time a lot gets bid bumped, the house (and consignor) makes more money.
As for the methods of payment accepted...that one seems pretty straightforward. With PayPal or a credit card, a buyer could pay, receive their items, the auction house could pay out the consignor of the lot, and then 30 to 90 days later the buyer could do a charge back or dispute of some kind and leave them holding the bag. With a check or money order, once the funds have cleared they have their money and there's little to no risk of getting burned in that type of scenario. The difference I see when purchasing from their online store is that they actually own all those items, whereas many auction items are consigned to them by a third party.
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