Out bid yet still won?

[red68rebel]

I bid for an item but was out bid. I decided to purchase a similar item. Now I find that the buyer who out bid me has retracted their bid and left me winning this item that is no longer needed. I have received an e-mail demanding payment although I had lost the bid. What do I do now for the best result on my behalf?

[red68rebel]

Further to 'Out bid yet still won?' eBay's own rules are clear; if the over bid is made within 12 hours of the end time, the new bidder must retract the bid within the hour. In fact the bid and retraction were 5 hours 8 minutes apart and the retraction was made just 15 minutes before the item ended. eBay Customer services have a call back service that enabled me to explain the problem and they are ensuring that a non-payment case will not be raised against me. It is unclear if the bidder making the illicit retraction will be contacted and made to pay or have a strike against them.

[nightnursekitten · Accepted solution]

Best option is to Pay for it and re sell yourself

Or be prepared for an unpaid item case to be opened, leaving you with a strike on your account for a year...2 of these would make buying here very limited

You are warned when you are outbid that if the sale falls through you could be the winner, and for that reason it is unwise to purchase elsewhere in the meantime