eBay Auctions – Reference and Guidance

How to Retract a Bid

Home Page

Value an Item Index

Best Bargain Index

eBay Shops Directory

eBay Auctions Reference

Website Development Methods

eBay Charity Auctions

LinSysMat Price Analysis

eBay Tips & News

Search eBay UK

Want-it-Now

Always think carefully before placing a bid because it’s rare for eBay to permit a retraction unless there are particular circumstances.

As a general principal, the winning bidder is obliged to pay the price that they have bid for an item and a contract to complete the transaction exists between the buyer and seller.

In certain circumstances you are allowed retract your bid:-

• The original item description has materially changed during the auction (and after you placed your bid) to such an extent that you no longer wish to purchase the item.

• You keyed in an incorrect bid amount by mistake, for example by inadvertently adding an extra zero to the price. If this happens, you need to enter the correct bid amount immediately after retracting your bid because otherwise you will violate eBay's policy and could have you account suspended.

• If you are unable to contact the seller because the telephone number they have recorded with eBay is unobtainable, or emails are “bounced” as undeliverable.

Even when the circumstances above permit you to make a retraction, there are additional rules about the timing of bids, retractions and listing end-times.

• You are not allowed to retract your bid during the last 12 hours of an auction.

• If your bid retraction was made prior to the last 12 hours of an auction and your reason for doing so was because the bid was incorrect, you are obliged to bid again for the amount you originally intended.

• When you place a bid within the final 12-hours of an auction, you are only allowed to make a bid retraction in less than one hour from the time of your original bid.

• If you retracted your bid within the remaining 12 hours of an auction, only your most recent will be affected – any earlier bids will stand and you could therefore still win the auction.

As an alternative to retracting your bid, you can contact the seller, explaining the reasons you wish to retract, and request a bid cancellation by the seller. The seller is not, however, under any obligation to grant your request.

Whenever you retract a bid, this is noted on your feedback record and eBay investigates too – so be very careful when you bid. We recommend you visit the eBay website for full details of their policies. Here is a quicklink you can use.

WWW www.linksmultiple.co.uk

Copyright 2005 LinksMultiple - all rights reserved. No part of this information may be copied or reproduced without prior written permission.

Please note: this page contains uniquely identifiable codes to trace unauthorised replication.