Ebay bid canceled: Is this fair?

[Skyblazer]

Dear eBay Community Member,
The bid that you entered for the item (250567754113) has been cancelled. You can view the reason provided for the cancellation by selecting the (bid history) link from the individual item page.
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Above received via email from Ebay. The only reason given for the cancellation was: the seller removed the item.

Item was late model Day Date and it was bid to only around $9,000. There was no Reserve. Buy It Now was $15,950.

Is this fair? To my mind offering an item without reserve then removing it because you don't like the bid is gaming the system.

What say you? Would appreciate your opinions. Seller Sant Blanc is big time seller in Branson, Mo. USA.

[newmedia]

yes, its fair....you did not lost anything other than getting your hopes up.

[toph]

wrong- it is against ebay policy. BUT they seller could have removed it for any number of legitmate reasons that he could have made up withut having to prove.

[Safetrends]

Originally Posted by toph

wrong- it is against ebay policy. BUT they seller could have removed it for any number of legitmate reasons that he could have made up withut having to prove.

They will not do anything about it I have yelled at them for this and ignore me.

[TimeToGo]

Actually the bidding on the listing was ended by the seller. There were no high bidders. General War is a solid seller.

There is no telling why the listing was ended, possibly sold locally. Seller is straight forward!

[ChickoftheSea]

I have on occasion ended eBay auctions early with and without bidders, after the item on auction was sold locally. I believe as long as you disclose that the item is offered for sale locally, ending auctions early is a fair practice. Just my $0.02 worth (but I will take more!).

[Alcan]

Originally Posted by ChickoftheSea

I believe as long as you disclose that the item is offered for sale locally, ending auctions early is a fair practice.

Spot on. As an example, a lot of eBay auctions are from pawn shops who are also actively promoting the item locally. If it sells, the auction is ended.


P.S. How's the fishing down there lately?

[Safetrends]

The one I am talking about does not say anything about ending it early. What a piss off that they can do this and this seller has good feedback also.


I am finished with my rant.

[ChickoftheSea]

Originally Posted by Alcan

Spot on. As an example, a lot of eBay auctions are from pawn shops who are also actively promoting the item locally. If it sells, the auction is ended.


P.S. How's the fishing down there lately?

I haven't been yet in '10 - weather's been too dicey for me - but the reports from those hardier (more foolish??) folk, you can find good trout and reds in some of the usual places. Around here there is a thing called the "drum run" wherein red drum school up before the spawning season in Feb/March. That can be some fun action, so I'll be ready to hit the water in the next few weeks. Long answer to your short question - thanks for asking!

[ChickoftheSea]

Originally Posted by Safetrends

The one I am talking about does not say anything about ending it early. What a piss off that they can do this and this seller has good feedback also.


I am finished with my rant.

I am sorry you had a frustating experience with this auction. You might contact the seller directly to see if he still has the watch; I understand that he is a good person. That said, however, I will share that I e-mailed him last week about a watch he has on auction, asking if the one shown is the exact watch that is for sale and asking for a model number. His response was vague and did not answer my direct questions. I believe, if I were to actually "buy" the watch shown on eBay, I might not get that exact watch. I may deal with this seller eventually, but only after a direct phone conversation with confirmation of very specific details. That would be the only prudent course when buying on eBay: lots of due diligence.

[Welshwatchman]

It's no big thing IMO.

The offer was removed before the final whistle.

Seller probably had an alternative buyer without the extortionate Ebay and Paypal fees.

[Safetrends]

Originally Posted by ChickoftheSea

I am sorry you had a frustating experience with this auction. You might contact the seller directly to see if he still has the watch; I understand that he is a good person. That said, however, I will share that I e-mailed him last week about a watch he has on auction, asking if the one shown is the exact watch that is for sale and asking for a model number. His response was vague and did not answer my direct questions. I believe, if I were to actually "buy" the watch shown on eBay, I might not get that exact watch. I may deal with this seller eventually, but only after a direct phone conversation with confirmation of very specific details. That would be the only prudent course when buying on eBay: lots of due diligence.

This was a different Ebay seller, and when I did contact them they wanted 150 euros for a item that was bidding at 50.00 USD with a hour only to go.

[Dr.B]

Yes they can:

Canceling bids
In general, sellers shouldn’t cancel bids on their listings. However, there are a few legitimate reasons for doing so:

A bidder contacts you to back out of the bid.

You cannot verify the identity of the bidder after trying all reasonable means of contact.

You end your listing early.

Note: Bids cannot be reinstated after they've been canceled.


Reasons for ending a listing early

When you end a listing early or make other last-minute changes, buyers may feel disappointed. However, sometimes there is a valid reason why you need to end a listing early.

Reason

The item is lost, broken, or otherwise no longer available for sale.

As soon as you notice a problem, try to end the listing.

You made a mistake when entering the listing, starting price, or reserve amount.


Consider changing the listing or adding to the item’s description, rather than ending it. Learn more the requirements and steps for changing a listing.

If this doesn’t work, try to end the listing.


If you can’t end the listing

If you don’t meet the requirements for ending your auction-style listing early, your best option is to communicate with the bidders.

Before the listing ends: Contact the bidders, explain the situation, and encourage them to retract their bids. Alternatively, you can cancel their bids.

If the listing ends and there is a winning bidder: Contact the bidder and explain the situation. If you and the bidder agree to not complete the sale, you can file an unpaid item and indicate that you and the buyer have agreed not to complete the transaction. The bidder will be notified and can confirm the agreement.

[Safetrends]

Originally Posted by Dr.B

Yes they can:

Canceling bids
In general, sellers shouldn’t cancel bids on their listings. However, there are a few legitimate reasons for doing so:

A bidder contacts you to back out of the bid.

You cannot verify the identity of the bidder after trying all reasonable means of contact.

You end your listing early.

Note: Bids cannot be reinstated after they've been canceled.


Reasons for ending a listing early

When you end a listing early or make other last-minute changes, buyers may feel disappointed. However, sometimes there is a valid reason why you need to end a listing early.

Reason

The item is lost, broken, or otherwise no longer available for sale.

As soon as you notice a problem, try to end the listing.

You made a mistake when entering the listing, starting price, or reserve amount.


Consider changing the listing or adding to the item’s description, rather than ending it. Learn more the requirements and steps for changing a listing.

If this doesn’t work, try to end the listing.


If you can’t end the listing

If you don’t meet the requirements for ending your auction-style listing early, your best option is to communicate with the bidders.

Before the listing ends: Contact the bidders, explain the situation, and encourage them to retract their bids. Alternatively, you can cancel their bids.

If the listing ends and there is a winning bidder: Contact the bidder and explain the situation. If you and the bidder agree to not complete the sale, you can file an unpaid item and indicate that you and the buyer have agreed not to complete the transaction. The bidder will be notified and can confirm the agreement.

My seller was clearly in the wrong, just because they did not get the bid they wanted they stopped the bidding.

[Dr.B]

Originally Posted by Safetrends

My seller was clearly in the wrong, just because they did not get the bid they wanted they stopped the bidding.

You are correct my friend.
They canceled the bid because they were not going to get the amount they wanted. They should have placed a "reserve".
No question is was wrong....however allowed by Ebay.
You are probably better off dealing with a respected dealer.
Good luck.

Dr.B

[1watchaholic]

If you frequently buy or sell on ebay, you'll find the practice is more common than you think. Often as stated the listed item may be posted in a forum, or craigs list, etc. and if the seller gets a better offer, the sale WILL end early. Ebay is the last place most sellers want to frequent. After Paypal get a cut, then eBay gets a cut...what's left for a seller is ofter peanuts. Often people will make offers outside of going through ebay (Risky) but often happens. Chalk it up to nothing gained but nothing lost!