Does eBay check Buyers reasons for cancelling bids?

[bluepink_cat]

Someone bid on one of my items then a few days later, cancelled it. The reason they gave for cancelling was "Seller changed the description of the item".

If I had changed the description, it would have been indicated below the Description tab and above "Item Specifics".

I could not have edited the description anyway as there was already a bid on it (his) but I didn't change it at all once it was listed, so I am assuming that eBay just accepts any cancellation without checking the reason.

I have no objection to the person cancelling, just the false reason and eBay accepting it, knowing, or should have known that it was not true.

Apparently anyone can see that a bid was cancelled and this could give a false impression about me or my item.

[*sparklz*]

No ebay does not check the reason but you can report the buyer for false bid removal.

[putney32]

NO ebay does not check the reasons, but as they only give the poor bidder 3 or 4 boxes to tick as a 'reason' many have to just tick one to get the job done.

I dont want it anymore  or

I cannot afford it anymore

are not options, however, I'd rather have a cancellation with a fib than a non paying bidder a week and a bit later.

[springyzone]

I would say you are right, but as primarily a buyer, I was really annoyed to read about what happened to bluepink cat.

In this case there was no other bidder, but I once had this very thing happen to an item I had been bidding on. The top bidder withdrew a bid (mind you they had made about 4 previous bids but they weren't counted as invalid) and withdrew it not soon after the bid, but a whole day after it.

That left me, unknowingly, as the top bidder and later on, winner of the auction.

I was furious as what if I hadn't looked back in. I had already checked twice after being outbid, what if I had gone on to buy from another seller? I'd be the one ending up in trouble with ebay, while the retractor flits around free as a bird.

It was very annoying. I am not sure how to stop it but surely ebay should be able to devise some automated system so that bids cannot be retracted for normal listed reasons many hours or days later unless there is evidence the listing was edited.

I can understand a seller would rather a cancellation than a non paying bidder, so okay, allow a cancellation for 'change of mind' if it is several hours later, but I think if they allow that, in that case they shouldn't hold the second top bidder liable, it should be a second chance offer if they win.

[*crikey*mate*]

Springy, when you place your bid, you do get informed that you may still become the top bidder.

[putney32]

when you bid ebay always advise you that you can still become the high bidder, so it would be foolish to bid on another auction within the few days until the end of the original item (or if you cannot wait it out, remove Your bid from auction #`1 before bidding on auction #2)

[springyzone]

I've never seen that. I am not trying to imply it doesn't happen, just saying I have never noticed it.

All I can recall is a message I get that says something like "You have been outbid."

Technically, you are probably right. But my bet is a lot of buyers would be like me. They would assume that if they are outbid and if they stay outbid for 24-48 hours, that they have lost the auction.

I once read the ebay rules about withdrawing bids. Now it was a while back so things may have changed, but it said there that if a person gave the reason for withdrawing a bid as  they made a mistake in the price eg typed in $900 instead of $90, they could withdraw it but were expected to then resubmit immediately with the correct bid and if ebay thought someone was bidding/withdrawing simply to suss out what the other person's highest bid was, well, there would be trouble.

That wasn't the official wording of course but that was the gist of the meaning.

In my case, the other person had several bids against me then when I walked away and did not outbid their last bid, they withdrew it over 24 hours later, citing 'made a mistake in the bidding amount'. What rubbish, it had gone up about a dollar more than I had had.

Plus they never submitted their 'corrected' bid.

In my view, ebay lets some people break the ebay rules with impunity. If I am outbid on an item, I shouldn't have to wait around for maybe a week.

Maybe you're right. If it happens again, I will just withdraw MY last bid too.

My problem was the auction had been over for a few days before I even found out I had won.

Okay, my ignorance on how it all works but I bet I am not the only buyer who would be stunned. I just assumed outbid meant I wasn't going to get it.

[bluepink_cat]

Thanks for the responses. It is interesting to see the discussion expand.

[haolove13]

Lately I have been suffering from people withdrawing bids because "they entered the wrong amount" This has now happened on six items and none of them have enteredthe correct bid amount.

does Ebay actually care about rules for buyers or is it only sellers who get victimised?

Is there a way to make a complaint about this practice as it is beyond my knowledge to work out how to make a complaint?

[*crikey*mate*]

top right of screen - "Customer Support"

click on "contact us"

follow the prompts and the links and Bob's your uncle.