This week, bidorbuy.co.za, in conjunction with private hospital Park Lane Clinic, will auction off plastic surgery procedures.
Bidding will open at 6am and close at 10pm every evening. Procedures will include a breast reduction, a laser skin resurfacing procedure, a liposuction procedure, a nose and chin hair removal procedure and an eyelid surgery procedure. The auctions will start at R1 with no reserve price.
"Because many cosmetic surgical procedures are elective and therefore not covered by medical aid, we decided that we would make five operations available to the public to bid on through the bidorbuy.co.za Web site," says Leoni Beaurain, hospital GM, Park Lane Clinic. "Some of the country`s top plastic surgeons work out of the Park Lane. Added to this we have some of the best surgical facilities and nursing staff in SA working here so the winning bidders will know they are in safe hands."
"As far as we can ascertain this is a world first," says Nitzan Tal, CEO of bidorbuy.co.za. "However, I`m not surprised that it`s happening. The auction model is an extremely effective manner in which to determine the price of goods and services. As the Internet spreads and more and more people gain access to the World Wide Web, so more and more commercial transactions will take place in this manner."
Reverse auctions for elective surgery, as opposed to bidorbuy`s normal auction model, are already in place in the US. MedicineOnline.com`s Bid for Surgery allows consumers to search for the right doctor to perform elective, aesthetic medical procedures. Potential patients can anonymously post their requirements online. Doctors specialised in performing the procedure respond by bidding a price and presenting their credentials. The auction closes after 72 hours, with patients receiving names and contact data of all doctors who responded.
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