vindje.com / Guides / Buying on Marktplaats
A Marktplaats seller picks how the price is shown. 'Vraagprijs' means they name an asking price, 'bieden' means they want offers, and 'n.o.t.k.' means the price is to be agreed. In all three cases the seller decides who gets the item; the highest bid does not win automatically.
The seller names a number. It is the price they hope for, not always the one they will take. Many vraagprijs listings also allow bids, which you will see as a bid option or a list of offers under the listing.
With a vraagprijs, an offer slightly below is normal. If the price is already fair and the listing is new, offering the full price and a quick pickup time is often how you beat other buyers.
The seller puts no price, or sets a starting price, and asks for bids. Bids show up in a list on the listing, often with the bidder's name and amount visible. That list is a useful signal: it tells you what others think the item is worth.
It is not an auction. There is no closing time and the highest bidder does not automatically win. The seller may pick a lower bid from someone who can come today, or ignore all bids and wait. So a bid alone is weak. Follow it with a message saying when you can collect.
In everyday practice a Marktplaats bid is treated as an expression of interest, not a signed purchase. Sellers are free to accept another bid, and buyers who bid and then change their mind before agreeing anything are not chased. Once you and the seller have agreed in messages on a price and a pickup, though, it is a deal in both spirit and, under Dutch contract law, possibly in law. Treat it that way.
Do not place bids you would not honor. Sellers remember, and leaving bids on ten items at once to see who bites gets you blocked.
You will see a few other labels in the price field.
When bids are visible, look at the spread. A listing with bids at 40, 45 and 50 euro tells you the seller has had offers and not accepted them, so they probably want more than 50. A listing with one bid at 10 euro on a 100 euro item tells you that bid was a lowball.
Old bids are not a sign of high demand. If the top bid is three weeks old, the bidder has likely bought something else, and a fresh, fair message can get the item.
Bids from accounts with no history, or round numbers far above the rest, are sometimes placed by friends of the seller or by scammers fishing for contact. Do not raise your offer just because a strange bid appeared above yours.
For most items: check the price of similar listings, place a bid only if you want it on the record, and send a message with your number and a pickup time. For n.o.t.k. listings, ask what the seller has in mind before you name a figure; sometimes it is lower than you expected. When you search with a price filter, remember that bieden and n.o.t.k. listings may not have a price to filter on, so they can slip in or out of your results.
Describe what you want in your own words and vindje.com searches Marktplaats in Dutch, then reads every listing and keeps only the real matches. For example:
Vintage teak sideboard around 180 cm long, asking price or open to offers, under 400 euro, within 30 km of ArnhemSearch Marktplaats like this
It means 'to bid'. The seller invites offers instead of, or as well as, an asking price.
No. It is not an auction, and the seller chooses whichever buyer they prefer, often the one who can collect first.
Yes, you can usually remove a bid from the listing. If you already agreed a deal in messages, tell the seller directly instead of disappearing.
Asking price. It is the price the seller hopes for, and polite offers somewhat below it are common.
Nader overeen te komen, or price to be agreed. Send a message asking what the seller has in mind, or make an offer based on similar listings.