Getting too many bid cancellations with no reasons stated

[krys888]

How are buyers able to cancel their bids without asking or giving reasons to sellers? I get these notices from ebay saying a bidder has retracted or cancelled their bidsbut no reason. I’ve started listing more auction items since sales have dropped the past few months with no sign of picking up, which is troubling. Seems like I’ve had bid cancellations on at least 30% of the items I list for auction. Getting confused.

[softersilk]

Stop running auctions and use fixed price with IPR (immediate payment required).

[castlemagicmemories]

You cannot challenge it so the reason is immaterial.  You could report the buyer but I believe Ebay has software that keeps track of retractions.

Over 80% of all listings are fixed price, IPR. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

Even if you were shown a reason, it would just be one of the 3 options that are shown when a bidder retracts, and they might not be honest when choosing the reason. The list doesn't include "Changed my mind".  Apparently word has gotten out, about ebay not really penalizing bidders when they retract.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

Even if you were shown a reason, it would just be one of the 3 options that are shown when a bidder retracts, and they might not be honest when choosing the reason. The list doesn't include "Changed my mind".  Apparently word has gotten out, about ebay not really penalizing bidders when they retract.

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I don't know if it is deliberate or willful or misunderstandings.  There was a recent thread by a buyer who said that all "professional" buyers that he knew retracted a lot, to find out what other's max bids were, etc.  If it wasn't allowed, then Ebay should not allow it.  He was advised that there are only three reasons and to discover a max bid or changed your mind aren't included so he would be choosing a reason that did not apply every time he did that, which he would have known having retracted so much.  I believe he was adamant that it was Ebay's fault.

[krys888]

What gets me is how many items I bought on auction but didn’t know we can retract our bids! I wouldn’t have bought several things if I’d known I can just retract if I change my mind. Why bother? This is so stupid.

[krys888]

Oh wow! I never thought of that! I don’t buy much on auction so am not that strategic or clever. But as a seller I’m getting tired of it to the point I don’t want to put up any more auctions. But I don’t know what else to do about the horrible drop in sales. Sigh.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@krys888 wrote:
What gets me is how many items I bought on auction but didn’t know we can retract our bids! I wouldn’t have bought several things if I’d known I can just retract if I change my mind. Why bother? This is so stupid.

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You can't change your mind, so feel better.  The three reasons that are allowed are:

Entered the wrong amount (you must enter the correct amount)

The description changed    (the description had to change)

Can't contact the seller       (you had to try to contact the seller)

Each reason has a qualifier.  

That's why one should be very sure before they place a bid that they actually want the item.  

[castlemagicmemories]

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@krys888 wrote:
Oh wow! I never thought of that! I don’t buy much on auction so am not that strategic or clever. But as a seller I’m getting tired of it to the point I don’t want to put up any more auctions. But I don’t know what else to do about the horrible drop in sales. Sigh.

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That's not being strategic or clever to me.  It's cheating.  It's auction interference and it erodes other bidders' confidence in the auction and may cause the seller to have those bidders bail and so he will get a lower price than if the listing was not suspect.  Others may think there is something wrong with the item or that shilling is occuring, so off they go.  It's very damaging.   And it can get those bidders on many BBLs.

[krys888]

I was for a year but sales dropped so bad last month that I started doing auctions hoping to pick up more sales but that’s turning out to cost more in shipping commissions than the final bids! Especially with so many retractions. Ugh.

[pargran3]

This is irritating but look at it this way. Would you WANT a game playing bidder or changed mind bidder to win?

Probably not. It can mean that a potential bidder has moved on. It is part of the headache of selling ... and not just here.

Radine

[krys888]

None of the retractions I got contacted me! None of those reasons apply! Its like a game or something that the seller gets screwed on. So tired of these silly games.

[krys888]

I can’t tell who the bidders are. How can I see that?

[krys888]

It gives the impression to the other bidders or watchers that there’s a problem or something. I can’t stand it. Lol!

[7606dennis]

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@krys888 wrote:
What gets me is how many items I bought on auction but didn’t know we can retract our bids! I wouldn’t have bought several things if I’d known I can just retract if I change my mind. Why bother? This is so stupid.

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While eBay does permit bid retractions for a limited number of reasons, changing one's mind is not one of them.  To choose one of the valid reasons but it not being the actual reason is still a policy violation, I believe.

Alas!  That having been said, eBay, in what seems to be an attempt to render their own rules useless without actually changing or rescinding them, has made it all but impossible for sellers to report the violation.  Something that Mr. Spock and any other Vulcan would find most illogical.  Of course, this is eBay so who can tell what is logical in this reality.