Help in how to cancel an auction due to damage not in auction, ending tonight please

[chjwgordon96]

HI everyone, I listed a lamp, it is running out tonight, has two bidders, and another one asking questions, we just realized the base of the lamp, has a crack in it.  We need to find a way to cancel this so we can relist just the glass (fenton) shade, there were questions all along of whether this base actually was original, anyhow.

The only reason it will let me cancel is to sell to the highest bidder, who I know is only wanting it for the top anyhow, but it does have 17 watchers.  Any advice?   THANKS

[12345jamesstamps]

Doing a cancel you will get charged an eBay fee of highest bid...even though you cancel it and don't sell it.

Maybe other sellers can answer question : 'cancel...sell to the highest bidder'...I didn't think one can do that.

[nobody*s_perfect]

Alas, with less than 12 hours left, it is no longer possible to cancel all bids and end the listing.  

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/ending-listing?id=4146

BUT you can still cancel any and all individual bids, right up until the final moments of the auction.  I recommend that you start with the lowest bidder(s), then work your way up so that the two highest bids are canceled during the final minute (or even seconds) of the auction , to reduce the odds of ending up with a last-second winning bid.  Meanwhile, you can send messages to the canceled bidders to explain your reason for canceling their bid.

If all else fails and you do wind up with a winning bidder, you can send the explanation to them and ask if they want to cancel the transaction.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@12345jamesstamps wrote:

Doing a cancel you will get charged an eBay fee of highest bid... 

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IMHO, that fee would still be better than getting stuck with an unhappy winner or a cancellation based on "Out of stock." But with less than 12 hours left, that's not an option.

[chjwgordon96]

I thought that years ago, people could cancel the listing due to 'error in listing' as long as you relisted it.  Ithink it will be best to go on and sell to the highest bidder. 

[12345jamesstamps]

Sell to the highest bidder...then let bidder know about the recent damage...and maybe a partial refund.

[chjwgordon96]

HI, the system did sell to the highest bidder, I don't know why it came back saying I couldn't, cause she has already paid.  Thank you guys for your help, at least I learned a little something here.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@chjwgordon96 wrote:

HI, the system did sell to the highest bidder, I don't know why it came back saying I couldn't, cause she has already paid. ...

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You were told from the start, by eBay and by posters here, that you COULD end the listing at any time to sell to the current high bidder. What you can't do during the final 12 hours is to cancel al the bids and end with no sale. I hope it all works out for you both.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@chjwgordon96 wrote:

I thought that years ago, people could cancel the listing due to 'error in listing' as long as you relisted it. ...

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A seller can cancel an auction for "error in listing" or for no reason at all,  IF the auction has more than 12 hours left.

As you have learned, during the final 12 hours it is still possible to end the auction early in order to sell to the current high bidder. But after that 12-hour cutoff it's no longer possible to cancel all of the bids and end with no transaction.