Ally,
Sounds like the seller is either having second thoughts about auctioning off his aunt, or feels that he didn’t get enough for her.
Personally, I’d not give out a phone number, nor would I have a valid one on my ebay account.
Probably not an issue, but if you are a new sniper, be sure that you have turned off AS’ InstaMail option. That feature causes more sob-story aunties to pop up than anything else on ebay.
I wouldn’t threaten a seller, as I feel threatening anyone can backfire, and is usually unnecessary, but if the seller has a perfect, or near-perfect, feedback score, they are probably very reluctant to have that jeopardized. A negative has a much greater impact on a seller than on a buyer. If they sense that you aren’t going to allow them to talk you out of the deal with some guilt trip, then you will most likely prevail.
But, remember, once the negative feedback missiles have exploded, although the two of you can go thru Mutual Feedback Withdrawal, a neg should only be used when negotiations have failed.
And, sometimes people just need to be reminded of their obligations. ebay is a business, and unless auntie was specifically mention in the auction, her involvement is no-involvement. If it does turn out that the seller is disappointed in the selling price, then they should have put a reserve price on the auction (of course, putting a price tag on an aunt can be a bit dicey, unless the aunt is an in-law).
