what happens if you win an item but you decide you don't want it? Are you obligated to buy it?

[pierrelebel]

"Are you obligated to buy it?"

Yes.

[pierrelebel]

As a reminder, before you completed the bidding process, eBay advised you:

"By clicking Confirm, you commit to buy this item from the seller if you are the winning bidder."

Which part of that sentence did you not understand?

[momcqueen]

What he said BUT you can always ask the seller to cancel the transaction. He or she may agree or they may not. You run the risk of (a) an Unpaid Item strike or (b) being Reported as a problem buyer and/or (c) being blocked from future transactions with that seller and others. Whatever the outcome, please do not take your frustration out on the seller for your own case of buyer's remorse. (Assuming you are the buyer.) All he or she did was list an item for sale. No one forced you to buy or bid on it. 

[tvango123]

I'm strictly a buyer here on eBay and I say Yes as well.  That's why they put a confirm bid or confirm buy button, you need to think about it...

The seller is not at fault, he/she may have lost a sale if it were an auction from next highest bidder?!?

[dawziecat]

Of all the craziness that has all but destroyed ebay for me personally, this is the worst!

Nuttiness on the part of buyers "winning" an auction and then deciding they don't want to pay!

It creates horrendous problems for the seller! Clueless buyers are probably unaware of the consequences.

1/ He is IMMEDIATELY liable for final valuation fees! This is NOT trivial for major items! (One of my unpaid items was a $3,500 camera lens!)

2/ He can't even complain about it or relist for several days.

3/ The suggestion, always offered, is just to get the #2 bidder to buy it. It is NEVER that simple! The #2 buyer smells a rat and thinks he is being scammed somehow or considers the seller's dilemma an opportunity to lower his offer.

The number one rule for a buyer on EBAY AFAIAC is FOLLOW THROUGH ON YOUR OBLIGATION TO BUY!!!!

Of course, do it often enough and you do get bounced. Many (most?) sellers use the option to block bidders with more than two unpaid items in a 12 month period.