Ohio Valley residents love a good bargain and, being a fairly large working-class populace, work to find ways to stretch those dollars.
Such a place can be found in Bridgeport. Judging by the number of newcomers coming through the doors and asking some variant of the question “What is this place” exactly, apparently not everyone knows about it.
Allow the writer to fill you in. I think you’ll come to like what this particular “store” offers. Though, I warn you. It can be addictive.
M@C Discount can be found in the Big Lots’ plaza in Bridgeport at 56104 National Rd. If you’ve driven through the plaza over the last few months, you may ask yourself why there is a constant stream of customers shuttling items to and from their cars in wheeled black portable carts.
You may have even been inclined to stop, venture inside, and see what all the fuss is about.
The check-in employee will be happy to tell you. It’s a spiel they’ve rehearsed and likely repeat many times daily.
That’s because inside M@C Discount you’ll find literally thousands of great buys. And you can shop for them. Just not inside the building.
Say what now? Yes, you can shop for any of the items found inside, but you must do it online, either online at www.mac.bid or by downloading the app.
M@C Discount is an online auction site. They purchase truckloads of returned, overstocked, and liquidated goods from big-box retailers like Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Kohl’s, and even Amazon.
There are three categories, of items, classified by “like new”, “open box” and “damaged.”
All items start out at $1 and increase from there and, while big-ticket items can and sometimes will go for higher prices, every day there are bargains to be had. See the above-referenced steady stream of customers exiting the store if you need an example.
The “storefront” itself is primarily used to house the goods, and for customers to come to pick up their winning auction items. Otherwise, customers aren’t allowed behind the main lobby area. That’s for employees only.
The process
Once a new customer downloads the app and signs up, they can begin searching for items available for sale.
You can search by what’s trending, the dollar deals section, or simply input whatever it is you’re looking for.
Looking for clothes? Search for men’s and whatever particular size you wear, and a number of items will come up, and yes, those items will change daily by what’s available. That goes for household goods, electronics, car parts—basically, anything you can think of.
While not carried at the Bridgeport location, the nearby M@C Discount at the Washington Crown Center in Pennsylvania has big-ticket items like appliances and furniture.
There are a few things to remember.
One, a lot of these items are returns and are marked as “open box.” Some are like new, some are not. Some are listed as damaged. If you bid and win, the item is yours. There are no refunds unless you either purchase (a) Buyer’s Assurance, which will allow you to return the item, or (b) join the $29.99 monthly membership which includes, among other things, one returned item per 30-day period.
That’s not to say what you’re buying is junk, far from it. But being as all sales are final, M@C encourages its customers to come in and inspect the items they are looking to bid upon and, for larger purchases, you’d be foolish not to.
Simply come to the front desk with a list of your wished to bid upon items and an employee will take you to inspect it.
There are also a few fees associated with bidding which is likely where M@C makes up for winning bids that routinely fall in the 70-80 percent discount from retail range.
There is a lot fee of $2.00 charged for every winning bid, plus a lot fee that is 15 cents on the dollar, plus tax. What that means is a winning bid of $1 costs the customer ultimately $3.38.
That may seem excessive to some, but given the overall cost savings, it’s a mere pittance in comparison.
Here’s an example. I purchased Storelli BoldyShield Goalkeeper leggings for my daughter who plays soccer. Regular price at sites like Keeperstop and Soccer.com ranged from $81-$89.99. I had a winning bid of $17, plus the $2 lot fee, plus a $2.55 buyer premium plus tax. So, for a $17 winning bid, I received those leggings for less than $24 dollars.
The condition? While listed as open bag, it was perfect and far less than I would have paid.
One thing to keep in mind: once a customer has a winning bid, they have a set number of days to pick up their items. Failure to do so leads to forfeiture of said items back to M@C, without a refund.
The store is open for pickup Monday through Friday from noon until 6 a.m., with monthly members gaining two extra hours of pick-up time from 10 a.m. until noon each day.
Personal Experiences
The M@C Discount app keeps a running tally of your invoices so you can see what you’re purchased, and how much.
Seeing as I’ve recently moved and am trying to outfit and prepare for a newborn on the way, finding items on M@C has been invaluable.
Some of the purchases I’ve made, at great discount mind you, include: Security camera as a baby monitor ($4), a baby gate ($2), a three-tier utility cart ($1), a baby food maker ($5), a juicer ($5), bottle warmer ($5) and a number of other items, along with things for other members of the family.
I have had zero issues with any items purchased from the Bridgeport location. That being said, as M@C notes, you can and should inspect your items.
I had a winning bid for an ergonomic office chair at the Washington location for $5. I retrieved it, brought it home, and it was missing the gas piston that elevates the chair. Without finding that extra part, that purchase was useless. Lesson learned.
But as said, never had one issue with Bridgeport and I’ve noticed that the object descriptions for items in Bridgeport will list any significant damage, and in cases of electronics, will note if the item powers on, or not.
At the risk of further clouding the bidder pool, I encourage anyone looking to save some money to give M@C Discount at least a look and see what you think. I know it’s been a great help to me in getting ready.
