Retracting bids

[cara414]

Is there any way to prevent a bidder from retracting bids?  Seems certain bidders are running up the price until they can determine what your reserve price is set at, then they retract their bids. For me, this resulted in said bidder to submit several (4) bids, then was able to retract them all. 

[maxine*j]

I suppose it's none of my busines but I have to ask:  Why do you use a reserve, anyhow?  Buyers hate them, and they cost you a lot more in fees.  Why not just use that price as your opening bid, or offer the item fixed price with that as the Buy It Now price?

To answer your question, no, you cannot prevent anyone from retracting a bid.

[sanlom_16]

Play games with buyers (aka use a reserve), buyers will play back. 

[b4b4b4b]

Maxine, I wondered the same thing.

OP, let them retract.  Better than forcing the same and 'buyer' returning for (supposedly) not as described at which time you will have to pay return shipping if you want the item (or some item) back.

Tammy

[myescape]

Exactly they want to know what you want for the item to decide if they want to pay it

Add user to your blocked bidder list and they can not bid

[coolections]

No, people can retract bids. Why are you wasting money on reserve fees ? If you insist on using reserves just tell the reserve price in your description so people won't have to try to see what it is.

[simba6]

List as fixed price set to require payment right away. That solves most of those issues.

[releasethekraken_1]

That reserve costs you 7% of the reserve amount, even if it doesn't sell. What a waste of money.

[wesk_36]

If your reserve is not met and item is unsold, ebay still keeps the reserve fee.

It's a silly game in my opinion.

You have a secret price,

for a grill that I can buy today, for $50 less than the current high bidder.

+ I don't bid on reserve auctions; why waste my time bidding if seller won't accept bid anyway?

Where's the transparency?

Open bid at a price that you would sell it for.

[nocoolnamejane]

A reserve price was never meant to be a mystery.

Back when auctions still worked well and reserve prices were useful, many sellers would post it right in the description. I suggest you either do that or scrap the reserve entirely and start your listing at the minimum price you want for your item.