how to find out the buyer ID of cancelled bids? I want to confirm it is the same buyer

[weeding_things]

Hi seller community

I am new to eBay. In my last listings, I have had a lot of cancelled bids 2 days before the 10 day auction close.

I think this is the same buyer doing this, and it doesn't seem right.

Does anyone know how can look-up the buyer ID of the cancelled bid in eBay?

[If it is the same person, I will block them as a buyer in my listings - I don't want to deal with this kind of person]

Any advice from the more experienced would be would be appreciated.

[siddieswans · Accepted solution]

Go to the completed item. Click on the bid number (number of bids).  It will take you to the bidding page. If there were cancelled bids, it will show the number in Retractions (at the top). Scroll to the bottom and it should show "Bid retraction and cancellation history" - it will show the bidder ID, the bid entered and the reason given for the retraction and the time for each of these. This is how it works for a Sold item - I imagine it is the same for an unsold item. You should have got an email from eBay "eBay bid cancellation notice – Item XXXX" at the time of the retractions.

[weeding_things]

Thank you for that great advice, and so timely - I really appreciate that. I was in a pickle.

From a 2014 very helpful community board post, it seems to me it is within eBay policy for bidders to remove bids up to 12 hours before the auction close - so my eBay bid retraction emails on as yet unsold items don't link me to the bid history on items, or any reason being required. It concerned me because I think the higher bid puts other buyers off in the meantime while the auction runs, and it distorts the auction process.

Then a bundle of retractions which happened on my current active listings, prompted an automated eBay message about "shilling" - a process I had never heard of - sent to me as the seller, which somehow implied I was involved in this unconscionable practice.

You've given me some ideas of how to find out / respond to this issue - I'll look at  completed auctions on past listings and then when the current listings close, to see who was the bidder that had withdrawn their bids, and, if it is the same buyer who withdrew, block them.

Again, my thanks.