Hello 'walking_dolphins',
You're right, it is frustrating when an auction we are bidding on disappears and we get a message telling us
the reason for it. I buy porcelains, and the first time I got one of those messages saying the item "was no longer
available", I thought it must have gotten broken. But after 5 of them (different sellers) I began to suspect that the
auction was simply not going as high as the seller had expected and rather than risk a low sale he withdrew it.
Silly, really, because auctions invariably shoot waaay up at the end when all the snipers show up and try to
grab it out from under each other.
Here is the link outlining when and how sellers can end a listing early:
http://pages.ebay.ca/help/sell/end_early.html
Sometimes a listing is an 'auction' but until the bidding reaches a certain price there is a "Buy" button showing.
If someone else wants it, that person may decide to just buy it to be sure to get it. That can be irksome but it is
perfectly okay.
<<eBay makes a point .... that the bidder is contractually obligated to buy if they end up with the highest bid>>
Right. I think the crux of this point is the bit about 'ending up' as the winner, -- and not simply having placed a
bid. Of course, you can't win an auction that gets withdrawn, but until an auction has run its course no one can
be said to be obligated to buy it.
<<I have heard no valid reason why eBay cannot include in Seller Stats how many items they have withdrawn
from auctions and how many auctions they have cancelled.>>
Well, then you probably won't hear mine either. 
I suspect it has to do with privacy, or things that are not
everyone else's business. There may be any number of reasons why a seller ends a listing early. But as you say,
it certainly deters bidders from returning to that seller, so I highly doubt any seller would make early endings a
personal policy.
At the same time, some sellers wish cancelled transactions were to be loudly displayed on a buyer's ID page.
There too, there may be many reasons for a cancellation, -- and not because the buyer changed his mind.
By not displaying all these details, ebay is not "hiding" negative information. It is neither negative nor positive.
If it negative information you want, try toolhaus. 
Truly, 'walking_dolphins', if you are annoyed about a cancellation -- don't let that spoil your fun on ebay.
Just try to avoid those types of situations. And the best way to do that is find Item Location from the left side of
the page when you do a Search. You can try Canada Only first, -- items bought in Canada will always come
quickly and without import/duty charges. Or even choose North America if you cannot find what you want
from a seller here.
The thing to avoid is not ebay, but Asian sellers on ebay. I don't like saying that but there are so many problems
from those countries and unfortunately some of their unfavorable practices lead people to think it is ebay
itself which is disreputable.
Shop wisely, choose your sellers thoughtfully, and you'll get a lot more of your ebay experience.
Happy bidding. 
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