To think eBay sellers shouldn’t be allowed to pull listings?

[CoffeeWithMyOxygen]

Twice in the past few weeks I’ve been bidding on something on eBay only for the seller to then announce they’ve either sold it elsewhere or they’ve decided to keep it after all. AIBU to think this shouldn’t be an option? When you place a bid on eBay you have to agree that you’re committed to paying that amount if you win the item. Surely it’s only fair for sellers to have to agree something similar and commit to actually selling the bloody thing once a bid has been placed? I know this is hardly the pressing issue of the day but it’s so annoying to think you’ve found a good deal only to have the seller decide to play silly beggars. I’ve sold stuff online myself and it’s never occurred to me to take it down after people have bid. The one today particularly annoyed me as she said her husband has persuaded her to keep the items - why would you wait until people have bid to have that discussion??

Disclaimer: the baby is teething and also managed to throw up in my hair today so I reserve the right to be a bit too upset about eBay

Of course thay should be allowed to pull a listing.

They may have any number of reasons to do this- changed their mind, realised the item is damage, sold it privately.

They have a right to do this if it is within a specified time frame.

I don't think you are being unreasonable. Unless you have put a reserve on the item, it should be a binding contract that in listing the item, it will be sold to the highest bidder and you cant just withdraw it from sale

They may have any number of reasons to do this- changed their mind, realised the item is damage, sold it privately.

But by that logic I should be able to withdraw a bid, but I’m not. How is that fair?

you can withdraw bids though

@Chocolatemouse84 This is how I see it - if you’ve listed something on eBay then my most basic assumption is that it’s actually for sale. It shouldn’t be so easy for sellers to just waste everyone’s time.

I withdrew an item once - I broke it accidentally. Of course you need to be able to withdraw. Or should I have sent it anyway - broken?

You can retract a bid, as long as it's longer than 12 hours before the listing end. (When I last checked)

@lovethatjazz is correct - you can with draw a bid upto 12 hours before the auction closes

But don't you get bad feedback if you retract a bid?

I withdrew an item once - I broke it accidentally. Of course you need to be able to withdraw. Or should I have sent it anyway - broken?

To be fair I’d say this is the exception that proves the rule. Item broken? Yes, withdraw it. You’ve randomly decided to no longer sell it? Too late, people have bid in good faith.

I retracted a bid once and it never affected my feedback.

I sell on eBay occasionally. ..I thought once someone had bid on something I had to go through with the auction. I'm really careful if listing on multiple places and if someone asks and it's also on eBay I always check before agreeing to sell. Any bids and I remove the advert from other places.

EBay keep records of cancelled listings - especially ones with bids on. If sellers do this more than a few times they get a warning, if they keep doing it they can't trade anymore.

It is a necessary thing though, so long as not abused. I'm a regular trader and have on ocassion broken items or realise I've misrepresented something in the wording/ images.

There may be lots of valid exceptions though.
Say you listed an item and made a mistake, you described it wrongly, put in the wrong model number. Or your OH came in and said he wanted to keep it.
I think the rules are good ones on ebay.

You can retract bids.

Equal terms for seller and buyer.

Hope the day gets better OP. Teething and puke shampoo would have me feeling pretty pissed off at things for no reason too.

I had to cancel a listing for a book because my cat ripped the cover off. I also dropped something I had listed and damaged it so had to pull it. I realise you are frustrated and having an awful day but I don’t think it happens that often, you were just unlucky.

Like RippleEffects I regularly trade and sometimes my item is listed for sale elsewhere (Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace) and rather than wait for an Ebay buyer I'd prefer cash on collection rather than lose profit via Ebay, Paypal and Post Office fees so I will end the Ebay item. But these are Buy-It-Now listings and not auction ones so I suppose no-one's time has been wasted.

wonders off again

I guess I’m being a bit too grumpy about this, probably because it’s happened twice in a row. Personally I wouldn’t withdraw an item for sale unless I’d broken it (the excuse of the OH wanting to keep it is daft to me as we’d have discussed that before I listed it) but I appreciate that not everyone sees it this way.

That’s just how the law on auctions has developed.

Hope the day gets better OP. Teething and puke shampoo would have me feeling pretty pissed off at things for no reason too.

Yeah, the puke shampoo may be the real issue here. New question, AIBU to think my baby shouldn’t vom on my head?

Bid retractions show on your feedback page. I sometimes check a buyer out if I am unsure and that would not be a good sign if there were many.

If the seller cancels a listing with bids on I think they now get charged a fee, am not sure as I don't cancel my listings with bids, however I have in the past found an item has been damaged and asked the potential buyer if they still want it, sometimes just for the postage cost.

Buyers cannot receive bad feedback, so no worries there

EBay are now introducing a system where if they suspect you have pulled a listing to sell on another site or because someone offers to buy it now through PayPal then they will charge the seller the fees they would have paid if the item sold through EBay. Little consolation but still something to know they will be charged for being inconsiderate and pissing you off in the process