The Auction Houses located in towns allow you to bid on items designated for sale by other players. The auction system in FINAL FANTASY XI is not based on competitive bidding. First, the seller sets their minimum price for the item. Then, the first player to bid above that amount wins the item. The minimum price is not visible to the bidders.

[Bidding on or selling items in the Auction House]

Target the auction counter at the Auction House and press the confirm button to open the auction menu. You can then select from the "Bid," "Sell," and "Sales Status" commands to manage the transactions for your items. 

[How long an item is up for auction at the Auction House]

The auction time for each item is nine weeks of Vana'diel time (about 69 hours of real-world time). Once this time limit has elapsed, the auction will end and no more bids will be received. 

[Receiving payment when an item is sold at the Auction House]

Payment for items that you have sold at auction will appear in the Delivery Box of your Mog House.

[Items that do not receive any bids in the Auction House]

Items that fail to receive any bids are returned to the Delivery Box at the seller's Mog House.

[Item won in an auction]

Items that you win in auctions will appear directly in your item list (accessible from the main menu). Please look for them there. 

[Items put up for auction not appearing on the bidding list]

Occasionally, there may be a slight delay in updating the list of items available for auction. If this happens, close all of the auction windows, wait a few moments, and re-open the windows at the auction counter.

[I can't place an item up for auction at the Auction House]

The reason could be one of the following: 

- Some items cannot be placed in the Auction House.

- Any weapons, armor, or items that have been set to bazaar status cannot be placed in the Auction House. 

- The maximum limit of items that may be placed in all Auction Houses is seven. If you wish to auction off more items, first confirm the status of items currently placed in the Auction Houses by selecting "Sales Status."

- Auctioning items costs a fee. If you do not have enough gill on you, you will be unable to place items in the Auction House.

- Certain items come in stacks. If the item you are trying to place is not a full stack, then you will be unable to place that item on the Auction House.

[I can't cancel my auction at the Auction House]

You cannot cancel an auction if your item list is full. Please ensure that you have room on your item list before canceling an auction.

[Canceling a bid on an item in the Auction House]

The FINAL FANTASY XI auction system is designed so the first person to place a bid that is higher than the seller's hidden desired price will automatically win the item. If you receive a message that your bid was not high enough, your responsibility in the process ends there. While you cannot cancel a bid, if you didn't win the first time, you can change the amount and bid again.

[Returning an item that was won in an auction]

You cannot return items won in an auction or receive a refund for the money that you paid. Please take care when bidding and ensure that you intend to buy the item you’re bidding on. 

[I canceled one of my items on auction but it disappeared!]

If another player then won the auction before you were able to cancel, the item would disappear from your Sales Status list. You may want to check the Delivery Box at your Mog House to see if you received money for the item being sold. 

[An item I listed for auction has been sitting in my "Sales Status" list for a long time]

By performing the "Sales Status" option, you may remove items from the list, regardless of their auction status. "Sales Status" can be performed from any Auction House in any nation, as well as checking the bid status of items. The color code for the items appearing in the "Sales Status" list are as follows:

-Green: Item was placed up for auction

-Yellow: Item was already auctioned successfully

-Red: Item was returned* and not auctioned off

*Returned items will automatically be delivered to the Mog House Postbox.

[I cancelled an auction at the Auction House, but the item didn't return to me.]

If you attempted to cancel the auction, but your item has still not been returned, your player character's item list may be full. Make space on your list and try canceling the auction again.

[How to withdraw an item that is being sold at the Auction House.]

Select "Sales Status" from the Auctions menu to view a list of items you are currently selling at auction. Select the item you wish to withdraw, and then choose "Stop Sale."

[Multiples of the same item up for auction at the Auction House]

If multiples of the same item are up for auction at the same time, the auctions will proceed starting with the item with the lowest minimum bid.

[The proceeds from an auction (or a returned item) did not show up in the Delivery Box]

Some time may be required for money or items to appear in the Delivery Box of your Mog House. You can confirm the specific time of delivery in the game, so please feel free to do so.