Q. How can I bid in the North York General Hospital Online Auction? All bidding will be conducted on the eBay website to ensure a smooth auction. All bidders on eBay must first register a user id with eBay. This applies to all bidders on the entire eBay website. Registration is free and only takes about three minutes to complete. You will need access to your email account to complete the registration process. To register on eBay - click here. Auctions will run from May 9, 2009 until June 1, 2009. Each item will be available for bidding for a 7 or 10 day period (depending on the item). Q. What is the retail value of each item? We have included the retail value for each item in the item's description. Some items are so unique they are considered PRICELESS. Q. Is bidding open internationally? Yes, bidding is open internationally so anyone can bid. Items are being shipped from Toronto, Canada so please be sure that you only bid on items that can be imported into your country. Q. I've placed a bid, how will I know if I win? eBay sends out emails to all winning bidders letting them know they've won and how to proceed with making payment. Q. I've won on the auction! What happens next? You will receive an email from eBay with the total amount owing and payment instructions. You will need to make payment as eBay doesn't automatically charge you for your winning auction item; payment is done separately between you and our auction managers AuctionJAM. Q. What methods of payment do you accept? The accepted methods of payment are PayPal, money order, certified cheque, and bank draft. Payment must be negotiable in Canada and made in Canadian dollars. If paying with a credit card, we only accept credit card payments through PayPal (you are not required to have a PayPal account yourself). PayPal is an eBay company so it is fully secure. We will also accept cash payment if you are doing a pick-up (we will not accept cash through the mail). Q. I've made my payment, how long until I receive my item? When the auction ends, we request that you make payment within four business days. Most shipments within North America will arrive within 1 week from date of payment. Q. Can I pick-up my item rather than having it shipped? Yes, we are happy to offer FREE pick-up in North York (Toronto) from the auction managers' office. The pick-up address is: AuctionJAM Inc 64 Bakersfield Street Toronto, Ontario M3J 2W7 Pick-up hours are Monday through Friday from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. If you win and would like to pick-up your item, please call 416-383-0128 to arrange a time. Q. Can I pay with cash at time of pick-up? Yes, we accept cash payments at time of pick-up. We do not accept cash through the mail. If paying with cash at time of pick-up we kindly request you bring exact change. The amount owing if doing a pick-up is your winning bid amount only. Q. If I buy more than one item, will you combine shipping to save me some money? Yes, we are happy to combine items for shipping whenever possible to save you money on shipping. Combined shipping will depend on the packaging and shipping needs of your items (some items must be packaged and shipped separately because of their size, weight, or because they are fragile). The combined shipping fee/cost will be determined by: the size and weight of the package, the destination, and the cost of total insurance on the package. Q, What happens if my item gets damaged or lost during shipping? All items will be shipped with tracking and insurance for the amount you paid. Should your item arrive damaged or get lost in transit, you will be fully refunded and the funds already donated to the fundraiser will not be affected. Q. Are there any extra costs? The cost of the item is your high-bid amount + shipping. The shipping cost of each item can be found at the bottom of the item's description/auction page. Q. Is there sales tax on my purchase? No, as this is a charity auction, there is no sales tax on your purchase. Q. I see the money is going to charity - is this purchase tax deductible? North York General Hospital Foundation will not be issuing a tax receipt as you are buying an item rather than making a donation. Please contact your personal tax advisor for more information on this issue. Q. Can you tell me more about North York General Hospital? North York General Hospital, including the IODE Children's Centre, is a four-site community teaching hospital serving with open arms and a compassionate heart the people of north central Toronto and southern York Region. Our regional programs serve all of south central Ontario. Leading local health, we have been a committed family partner in our community since 1968. The hospital is dedicated to progressive care that serves the whole person through all stages of life. Our model of care is driven by the unique needs of our community and our region. We are a nationally recognized leader in genetics, paediatrics, neonatal critical care and emergency services. Home to one of the largest and strongest networks of family physicians in Canada, we offer patients, from newborns to seniors, a broad range of interdependent diagnostic and clinical health care services. North York General Hospital's four clinical areas of focus: Regional Maternal Newborn and Paediatric Care Cancer Care Family and Community Medicine, and Care of the Elderly These areas of focus are supported by the hospital's ten core programs: Emergency Services; Family and Community Medicine; Cancer Care; Child and Teen; Genetics; Eldercare; Maternal Newborn; Medicine; Mental Health; and Surgery. North York General Hospital is affiliated with the University of Toronto and is a partner with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in the Peters-Boyd Academy. In the 40 years since our founding, our community teaching hospital has solidified its reputation as the training institution of choice for many resident physicians. The hospital has a strong teaching role tailored to local needs, and has many academic and research links. We embrace new ideas and teaching methods, developing and adapting best practice clinical methods and advancements in care. As a regional children's health centre and member of the Child Health Network for the Greater Toronto Area, we work with other regional centres and The Hospital for Sick Children to provide coordinated care to children. We offer one of the widest and most comprehensive ranges of services for children and adolescents in the Toronto region. North York General Hospital is a member of the Central Local Health Integration Network - we continue to build on our strengths as a caring and innovative partner in health care for the region we serve. A leader in progressive community health and committed to living our vision Community of Success: Serving with Kindness, North York General Hospital is redefining what a hospital can be. Q. Can you tell me more about the North York General Hospital Masters Golf Tournament? The 19th annual Masters golf tournament will take place on June 1, 2009 on the outstanding course at Donalda Club. The Masters is one of North York General Hospital's signature events and attracts the corporate elite from all over the GTA. Our 30-member corporate planning committee is working furiously to create the best tournament yet! The day will include a meet-and-greet luncheon on the terrace; several on-course contests including Beat the Pro, Longest Drive (male/female), Closest to the National Post Box, and Closest to the Line; a cocktail reception complete with live music; silent and live auctions and a not-to-be-missed awards dinner hosted by John Derringer of Q107 one of Toronto's most favorite radio morning show host. That's not all … this year we have added great door prizes that will be drawn at the end of the evening. To be eligible to win - all you have to do is be there! For more information about the 2009 tournament, please contact Dwayne DiPasquale, Director Annual Fund and Special Events at (416) 756-6737 or at ddipasqu@nygh.on.ca. You can also download our information page or visit the Masters Golf Tournament website at www.nyghmasters.ca. Q. Can you tell me more about the auction manager - AuctionJAM? AuctionJAM is a leading online auction management firm in the field of strategic brand cause marketing & charity fundraising. Since 1999 we have been at the forefront of creating and implementing innovative, strategic marketing programs for corporations and nonprofits through the use of online auctions. Our team specializes in working with corporate marketing, public relations, and media professionals to develop strategic cause programs via online auctions. Year after year we continue to be recognized as the premier Canadian firm managing eBay charity auctions. Our clients include companies and their brands, charities, pr and marketing firms, advertising agencies, and volunteers raising money for their chosen causes. Through online auctions, AuctionJAM creates distinctive brand exposure in connection with a cause. For more information, please visit www.auctionjam.com.