If I add an item to my cart while browsing other items,...

[fold_belt_farms]

Is it okay for ebay to let other buyers remove an item from my cart and run to the register with it? 

I had placed the last item a seller had available into my cart. I browsed other items for a couple minutes, then went to check out. With said item still showing in my cart, after clicking " go to check out ", the item had disappeared, only to reappear if going back to cart. I then went to that sellers page and tried to add the item to my cart again, but the item was grayed out, indicating no longer available. I then went back to my cart, where the item still showed present in my cart, but not in the final check out screen (note the final order price did not reflect said item on check out screen).. I removed the item from my cart to see what would happen, going back to the sellers page, the item was still grayed out and no longer available for me to add to my cart again. 

So, I assume what happened is, ebay allowed another buyer to essentially steal my item that was in my cart, and run to the register with it to purchase, without allowing me the option to make the purchase first. Also note how the algorithm did not delete the item from my cart, only on the check out screen. 

IS THAT ACTUALLY WHATS HAPPENING HERE EBAY??? THIS IS DISGUSTING BEHAVIOR>

[fold_belt_farms]

Also, who's to say (besides ebay) that I too was committing the very same crime I here accuse someone else of committing (unknowingly of course, as ebay is the enabler) .. Nothing about that felt right.. Ebay, if you need to hire a new developer team lead, I've already offered my assistance in the past.

[fold_belt_farms]

If anything, a time out feature should be enabled where if a buyer holds an item in his cart for more than 4 hrs, the item is returned to the shelf, this stuff isn't rocket science guys, its 2024 for goodness sakes. Basic computer logic has been around for ages by now.

[lady_madonna]

@fold_belt_farms 

They did not "steal" it. You had not paid for it, so the item was still available for purchase.

When someone puts something in their cart, they do not have "dibs" on the item.

According to Ebay:

There are a number of reasons why an item could be automatically removed from your cart. For example:

• Someone else may have purchased the item
• The seller or eBay may have ended the listing early, or it naturally expired
• If the item was listed in an auction-style format with a Buy It Now option, someone else may have placed a bid
• You may have added the item to your cart on a different eBay site
• The seller may have changed their buyer requirements

[lisa5768]

@fold_belt_farms 

That is how an online shopping cart works on most sites. You can add items to it but until you check out and actually pay for them another buyer can purchase and pay for it. The same item can be in more than one person's cart, the first to pay gets it.

I do agree that when you went to check out it would be nice to have a message that an item is no longer available instead of it just not being there. You can send feedback about the cart/checkout using the comments link or the ? icon on the page.

https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/paying-items/shopping-cart?id=4360

[woodland_gnome]

Yes.  It is very much OK for other buyers to buy items that you have not paid for or committed to buy.  For all you know they might have added it to THEIR cart before you did, but they had to take the chance that you would "steal" from them.  Adding an item to your Cart does not commit you to anything and so should not make the item unavailable to other buyers until you pay.

Some Buy It Now's are not Immediate Payment Required  because neither the seller nor eBay have made them so (though I suspect fewer and fewer as time goes on and eBay is trying more and more to cut down on unpaid items).  If you click the BIN button and it gives you a confirmation page with a "Commit to buy [or purchase--I forget which]" button you can reserve that item by clicking the button (after carefully reviewing the page of course to make sure you understand the item and terms).

[gosimus]

@fold_belt_farms 

< if a buyer holds an item in his cart for more than 4 hrs, the item is returned to the shelf >    

I suppose, from the other Replies, that you understand now that the item remains on the shelf the whole time, anyway.  Adding it to your cart does not "reserve" it for you; it stays available for anyone to grab and run to the register with (that was a great image).   

[fold_belt_farms]

Okay cool LADY MADONNA, better hope I'm not in your town, If I catch you at the store with something I like in your cart, guess what. What is the point of the cart? Whats your IQ? Serious questions only

[fold_belt_farms]

Just because someone else does something does that mean you should do it too or that it makes it okay? Serious question.

[fold_belt_farms]

Well, it should be obvious that I understood this was happening as I figured it out in real time, I am just asking ebay if they seriously think their developers are finished or not. Because they are not.

[fold_belt_farms]

Just because someone else does something does not make it okay or mean you should do it too. What is the point of the cart then? Next time you are out shopping, think about this as you put something into your cart. Being online should be no different, everyone has the right to reserve their cart items for a period of time, whether that should be 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 10 hrs. Figure it out. Brainiacs.

[fold_belt_farms]

Thank you though, I think its asanine, as well as taking 14% fee for selling an item. EBAY

[fold_belt_farms]

Comitted to buy? It being in my cart is not commitment? Next time you are out shopping remember this, because If I see something in your cart I like, guess what is going to happen? Are you going to put up a fit? Better not. Being online is no different, time out rules should apply. It isnt my fault I'm thoughtful. But it is ebays fault for not being.

[house*of*paws]

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@fold_belt_farms wrote:

Okay cool LADY MADONNA, better hope I'm not in your town, If I catch you at the store with something I like in your cart, guess what. What is the point of the cart? Whats your IQ? Serious questions only

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May I ask why you think it’s cool to insult fellow members who took the time to respond to your post?

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Why do you want to know the IQ of people who actually know the answers to the questions they respond to?

I don’t know of any online selling venue that prevents the purchase of an item that someone else has placed in their virtual Cart.  It would be unfair to sellers.  

[mr_lincoln]

Hi @fold_belt_farms 

Until you actually buy an item it is not yours nor is it hidden from other buyers just because it is in your cart ... it very easily could have been in the other buyer's cart but they purchased it before you did.  And that is not stealing, it is simply making a purchase before another member.