what to do about sellers who suddenly can't find the item?

Question

so annoying, right? you get a great deal and then the item is never shipped. does anyone ever investigate? can anyone help? thanks

eburtonlab · Answer

@chemosabe99

Although even an experienced seller can occasionally misplace an item, the newer the sellers are and the better the deals are, the more likely some sellers are to claim to be "unable" to find the items when it comes time to ship.

Cancelling as "out of stock" earns the seller a costly penalty from eBay.

Sellers that routinely cancel as out of stock don't last long on eBay. So if an experienced seller cancels as "out of stock", there is a good chance the seller has lost the item.

If the seller claims to have lost or broken the item just prior to shipping, but then cancels for another reason such as "buyer requested" or "problem with buyer's address", report the seller to eBay for cancelling for an inappropriate reason to avoid being penalized by eBay, and then leave appropriate feedback if possible.

Then find yourself a more experienced seller to purchase from.