Is it ok for a seller to determine you as a fake buyer and cancel your bid without question?

[david_rus]

I was top bidder on an item, and the seller cancelled my bid and allowed it to go to someone else. When I questioned the seller, they responded with "I figured you were a fake, and wouldn't pay". Is this normal?, I'm not too pleased and am trying to understand how I can be ousted with one click although I am in perfect standing.

[marnotom!]

eBay doesn't encourage sellers from cancelling bids, but there's really nothing to stop sellers from refusing a bid for whatever reason.

For what it's worth, eBay members who use their accounts strictly for buying will have a perfect feedback record as sellers can't leave negative or neutral feedback for buyers, although if your seller were smart (or being truthful with you) he'd set up his Buyer Requirements to block bids from members with two or more unpaid item strikes in the past year.

[femmefan1946]

A seller owns his listed items until he sells them.

And he can refuse bids on a whim.

Many sellers have automatic Blocks set up to protect themselves from unwanted bidders /buyers. These include the Unpaid Item Strikes, bidders without active Paypal accounts, and bids from countries they don't want to ship to.

And some will cancel bids for more whimsical reasons. I've cancelled a bid from a bidder with a very vulgar ID, which led me to think he might be lacking in other social graces, like paying or leaving reasonable feedback.

Some sellers foolishly will cancel bidders with low feedback scores. Foolish because newbies are often enthusiastic buyers having just discovered the joys of a worldwide market.

Leaving feedback for your good sellers is the best way to encourage your own feedback. Cancellations like this one rarely happen to buyers with high FB.

[david_rus]

Thanks for the replies, this experience wasn't very good and left a bad taste in my mouth. I won't hold one bad seller against all the rest, when many others have been great! Just wish I was able to leave some negative feedback against this persons account as they lack professionalism in the way they do business.

[dmil8030]

Hello 'david_rus', 

<< the seller cancelled my bid and . . .  responded with "I figured you were a fake, and wouldn't pay". Is this normal? >> 

It will be of no consolation to you but far too often new users bid on all sorts of items and don't pay for them, not fully 

realizing the seriousness of placing bids on ebay.  The seller told you the truth, -- he assumed (erroneously as it 

turns out) that you would be another non-payer.  

It is annoying, but it is perfectly "ebay legal".  

<<Just wish I was able to leave some negative feedback against this persons account >>

No you don't.  You are steamed that someone cancelled your bid for being a newbie.  If you are a newbie who leaves 

negatives you will find you hardly ever get to place a lasting bid at all.  Save the negs for those rare times when a seller 

sends a broken item or the like and then tells you to jump in the lake.  

If you want a more acceptable profile, - why not buy a few cheap things that you were needing anyway?  

Kitchen trash bags, printer ink, fish food flakes, . . .   there must be something.  That will increase your feedback score. 

And if you do want to bid on something, try to place your bid as late as possible.  If you are able to be online when the 

auction ends, place your bid in the last few seconds of the auction (called 'sniping') and then immediately click the 

Pay Now and follow through.  The seller will have the cash in her account before she even knows who won.

[dark_phoenix9273]

Sellers are at incredible risk these days selling on ebay so you have to be careful not to give them any reason to distrust you.