seller withdrawing item prior to close.

Hiya Turnip,
You *could* place a small proxy bid on the item if you want to make sure it will finish. Keep in mind that the seller can still cancel the auction if they feel they arent getting a good price. They arent *allowed* to cancel the auction at all, but that doesnt stop them doing it.

Its a tuff choice, some will say that by placing a proxy bid you are showing your interest in the item and run the risk of other bidders being alerted to that fact and therefore starting a bid war....I personally, have placed many a proxy bid as well as a snipe. I have even ended on my proxy bid and walked away seriously happy with the price I have paid.

If you place a proxy and then AS snipes for you as well, you will get charged for that snipe if you win, even if you win on your proxy bid (small price to pay though). The end price wont increase unless you are in between increments (part increment) then ebay will only increase your winning bid by a small portion.

After all that waffle, I would email the seller with some bogus questions to let them know that you are indeed interested and will be bidding. Place a small proxy bid and then let AS do its thang. I gather you have placed your MAX bid in AS and you have made it an odd amount ($50.57 instead of $50)

Good Luck and let us know how it all turns out.

Lexie

I did a bit more reading and decided to place a min proxy bid and left my (much higher) snipe in place.

Not worried about the cost of he snipe as I have quite a few freebies lined up after giving details of AS to a bunch of IT people in the UK.

My main concern was to prevent the seller from withdrawing the item. He has had it on before with a fairly high reserve (as it didn't sell and the high bid was up there). I was surprised to see it again with no reserve and a low start.

Now that he knows it will sell, lets hope it doesn't disappear. Hope it's not a forgery too!

Didn't know items could be withdrawn from sale that easily as I would have done it myself a few times after selling at the opening bid.

You are s'posed to have a legit reason to withdraw/cancel your auction. But I see it happen all the time, so long as you dont make a habit of it, you can get away with it.

I havent ever cancelled an auction due to low end price, but I have cancelled to sell off ebay and because I stuffed up the listing.


> End Auction Early Link <
I have that saved in my favorites

Hope it all turns out well.

Lexie

I've had a few experiences with auctions ending early. One time I was watching an item that normally goes anywhere from high teens to mid-forties, depending on bid wars. I had placed an AS snipe on it, but of course the seller didn't know that. No one was bidding on it, so I thought I might get it much more cheaply than my snipe. I checked in a few hours before the scheduled end to find he had cancelled it. I knew it was because he didn't want to let it go for the starting bid. Sure enough, he relisted it in a few weeks - definitely the same thing, not another like it, either. Anyway, this time I didn't want him to pull it again, so, with much trepidation, I bid the starting bid on ebay itself, with a higher snipe placed on AS. Anyway, other people starting bidding on it then, and it went beyond my snipe. I wondered if it would have done that if I hadn't placed that first bid. What is it in human nature that makes us want what everyone else wants, and not want what everyone else doesn't want?

Today was another new experience. I was high bidder on an auction, some glassware I wanted to complete a set. I have been collecting this pattern, and the final price I bid was near the top of the range - I've paid a few dollars more a few times,to meet a listed reserve, but I've also paid less plenty of times. Anyway, the final report said "Reserve Not Met." I reread the listing several times - no mention of a reserve anywhere! I felt cheated! Didn't know sellers could do that.

Anyway, human nature IS funny. Philosophically, I believe in free enterprise and private property rights. That glassware or exercise equipment(in the first case)belongs to the seller, who can do whatever the law allows with it. But in my mind, somehow I had crossed the line and it was already mine, so I felt robbed. My economic theory is better than my sales resistance, I guess.