sellers who withdraw listings after bids are taken

[08.lukey60]

When is eBay going to stop sellers withdrawing listings after bids have been taken. Once a bid has been taken a legal contract has been formed and should be adheared to by both parties. It seems this happens when seller gets bids lower than what they think item is worth. Sellers,  please respect you buyers, there what you survive on.

[a_beautiful_room]

No, what we survive on is actually making a profit (unless you are someone just listing things from around the house)

The item belongs to the seller to do with what they wish, until the time it is sold - not when someone places a bid. If you bid at an auction house and it doesn't reach the reserve, it's passed in. Ebay doesn't have reserves for most categories, and sometimes sellers think an item will generate more interest and bids than it actually does, so they withdraw it from auction, and perhaps list it with a higher start price or a Buy It Now.

Ebay allows this - so the seller is NOT doing anything wrong.

If you are just bidding $50 for a $500 item, then I would guess you wouldn't find that the right situation either if you were the seller would you? Or are you saying it's ok for the buyer to pay one tenth of the right price, but not ok for the seller to find that unacceptable?

[thecatspjs]

Whilst a seller can withdraw their item from sale prior to an auction ending, also remember that a bidder has the ability to retract their bid too.  Kinda fair to me.

[putney32]

Whilst a seller can withdraw their item from sale prior to an auction ending, also remember that a bidder has the ability to retract their bid too.  Kinda fair to me.

absolutely not only fair, but the way eBay has the system set up. so nothing to report

as with all auctions, in real life, the item is not sold until it ENDS. (in the room the hammer falls). until it actually ENDS, the seller/ vendor can, and often does, withdraw from the sale.

[*sparklz*]

Once a bid has been taken a legal contract has been formed

Not worth a pinch of rubbish (not allowed to use the other word).

No one can force a seller to sell even if it ends as a sold item so there is NO leagal contract at all.

[phorum_junkie*]

A bid is nit a legal contract any more than offering an item for sale is.

They are both offers to treat, in other word both parties are trying to come to a point where they will mutually agree to buy and sell at an certain pric3e.

Until that happens there is no contract, binding or otherwise.

The item is the seller's to do with as they want and ebay will never prevent a seller from withdrawing an item or having the ability to cancel bids.

[coast_golf]

phorum_junkie is spot on, I agree that it can be frustrating (have had it happen to me on many, many occasions) but a bid placed on an auction does not constitute formation of a contract.

[08.lukey60]

It seems from the posts regarding this topic that no effort has been taken to read/study the laws covering contract of sale which cover auctions as well, take the time , people  might be supprised to find that there belief is so different fron fact. First rule to running a buisiness is to understand the laws covering this area

[flashback_deals]

If you buy from an auction house, the buyer wont know what the reserve is, auctioneers will quite often start lower than the sellers reserve to draw in some bidding and if it doesnt make the reserve, it gets passed in

same as on eBay. A seller may start lower than an amount they have in mind. if they feel it wont reach it, the seller can withdraw the item

Both are the same thing and I also agree a buyer can withdraw their bids, so does this mean the seller can put the buyers bid back on the item because it is a contract?

[coast_golf]

Lukey, yes of course contract law extends to auctions but until such time as the auction is completed, no contract exists. The contract is formed between the seller and the high bidder at the completion of the auction, not a minute sooner.