Won an auction by mistake - help please!

[Elmersnewfriend]

Hi,
Rather stupidly I left my phone unlocked while I was watching an auction ending. My son (7) was playing around and bid - it was for a large item which I would have paid about £300 for. - he bid £2,450 and "won" it for £1,000.

I have apologised profusely to the seller and do totally accept this is my mistake. I think the seller accepts it was a genuine error, but how do we proceed now? How can I get this all cancelled so that the seller won't get charged a fee? Do I have to retrospectively retract the bid or does the seller have to do something? Or is the second chance bidding thing for someone else an option, and if so what needs to happen?

I know I have been a total idiot and am feeling awful about it all, just want to do the best thing I can do now (rather than just ignore the payment request or anything like that).

Thanks so much in advance, any advice gratefully received. (other than keeping phone out of reach of children, clearly)

Just ask them to cancel the transaction. He can't make you pay...

Get the seller to send you a cancellation agreement. They will get their FVF back and can then offer the item to an under bidder (if any).

Thank you both SO much. I am feeling awful about this , been on eBay for over 10 years and now how shit it is to be messed around like this.

Sorry - I should have said. - do they do all that via the resolution centre? He is telling me I need to retract the bid (which I can't do). And he says there were other bidders , so of he cancels my bid can he then offer to another bidder?

Thanks again.

You don't need to retract your bid. I don't think you can once the auction has ended anyway. He needs to send you an agreement to cancel. He should get his fees back straight away and then be able to make a second chance offer.

Thanks very much, I really appreciate the advice.

I've done this once and you can cancel it, I think eBay only get snitty if you do it a few times..

Thanks Harold - I really hope this never happens again, it's been stressful! (and I assume very frustrating for the poor seller).

Yep, you can't retract your bid after an auction has ended! He needs to send you a cancellation notice.

My friend's son found his dad's Ebay account open when he was about 7 and fixated with buses. He typed in "bus" and ended up winning a 70-seater coach for £severalK. Parents found out when the Winning Bid email pinged up in their inbox.
The seller and Ebay were very understanding, but we all said she should honour the bid to a) delight her son, b) piss off the neighbours by having it outside the house and c) "just think of the holidays you could all take in it" .

just get them to send a cancellation request - and if they are really awkward and file non payment against you one strike on your account for non payment won't make a jot of difference.

Harriet that's really funny, guess I should be grateful it wasn't a bus then!

Well I have advised the seller what to do but still no cancellation request - I guess I'm still in limbo until he does do that. Bit weird though!