Seller retracted my bid/closed auction/no reason given

[rmillercwi]

I was a few days into a 5 day auction for a Tonka truck. I was the only bid up until recently when I got a message from ebay saying my bid was cancelled and the auction closed early.

Is this ok?

If so, is there a way to leave negative feedback somehow?

[vickitouch48]

Hi,

I was the only bidder on two auctions (same seller) which the seller cancelled with less than three hours to end of auction.  

Why should the seller be allowed to do this?  

If the the seller wants a particular price for an item rather than 'unknown $ value"  they should use 'buy it now' button and get the price they want for the item.  

Can anyone tell me if a seller can cancel an auction if there is less than 3 hours til the auction ends?  I had bid on that item prior to the auction being cancelled.

[davewil1964]

This is a very old thread. It might pay you to open one of your own.

The short answer is 'Yes'. A seller can can cancel bids at any time. Although they cannot close an auction within 12 hours of the end time. The goods are theirs until such time as they are paid for and posted, so what they are doing is legal. it might be unethical, depending on why (item lost/mislaid/damaged), but it is legal.

[0408budlee]

when i saw that an item was sold i got it out of the cupboard to wrap for posting and dropped and broke it. so the bids had to be cancelled. as the item was no longer able to be sold. 

[springyzone]

Re: Seller retracted my bid/closed auction/no reason given

[ New ]

in reply to rmillercwi

on ‎01-03-2013 07:00 PM

One senerio that i am not sure has happened, but has me a little worried is a bid retraction.

If i am bidding on an item say my max bid is $100 and someone comes along and outbids me.

I think fine i havent won this item, and go on my way and find the same item with another seller and commit to buy.

Then there is a bid retraction from the buyer that outbid me, leaving me exposed as the highest bidder again,

Am i obligated to continue with the auction and make the purchase, even though thinking that once outbid my obligations to that auction were now over ?

---------------------

Short answer is yes, I have had almost the exact thing happen to me and I was put out, to say the least. The bid was retracted not minutes later, but the NEXT DAY.

I hadn't even been aware you could retract a bid that much later, thought you had to retract in a reasonable time.

The first i knew of it was about a week later when i had another look in ebay and found out I had won. Yes, I paid up, but I felt ebay itself hadn't been fair to me. I could have faced a negative feedback while the bid retractor walked off with no penalty.

As for sellers withdrawing an item after a bid.

It's annoying because people have entered.. not a contract, but a situation of good will. But it depends on why the seller withdrew it-perhaps it broke, something like that. Understandable in that case.

[springyzone]

One senerio that i am not sure has happened, but has me a little worried is a bid retraction.

If i am bidding on an item say my max bid is $100 and someone comes along and outbids me.

I think fine i havent won this item, and go on my way and find the same item with another seller and commit to buy.

Then there is a bid retraction from the buyer that outbid me, leaving me exposed as the highest bidder again,

Am i obligated to continue with the auction and make the purchase, even though thinking that once outbid my obligations to that auction were now over ?

---------------------

Short answer is yes, I have had almost the exact thing happen to me and I was put out, to say the least. The bid was retracted not minutes later, but the NEXT DAY.

I hadn't even been aware you could retract a bid that much later, thought you had to retract in a reasonable time.

The first i knew of it was about a week later when i had another look in ebay and found out I had won. Yes, I paid up, but I felt ebay itself hadn't been fair to me. I could have faced a negative feedback while the bid retractor walked off with no penalty.

As for sellers withdrawing an item after a bid.

It's annoying because people have entered.. not a contract, but a situation of good will. But it depends on why the seller withdrew it-perhaps it broke, something like that. Understandable in that case.

[kathleens7784]

It has been a rare occurance over the years to have an item withdrawn from sale at the last minute when I have been bidding but I've had it happen 3 times in the past week!  It IS frustrating because you put time and effort in to deciding how much to bid, perhaps even doing some research on the item, decide not to bid on other similar listed items, adjust your "mad money" budget in anticipation and perhaps even have it earmarked as a gift for an important upcoming event.  This coupled with what appears to be epidemic "schill" biddding has caused me to start buying from other sites as well when I hadn't considered it before.  I'm not having the FUN I used to have on eBay any more.  :o(