Thank you for an update. No one - I hope - seeks to intimidate you. My intention here [and I am a member like you] is to ensure [as far as possible] that everyone has a good understanding of the rules.
EBay works brilliantly as long as all understand how it works. One problem is that mostly it is automatic. It simply does not make exceptions for exceptional circumstances.
This is what eBay says about buyers retracting bids:
When can I retract a bid?
A bid is a binding contract that's active until an auction-style listing ends or you're outbid. You can only retract a bid if the seller significantly changed the description of the item, if you accidentally bid the wrong amount, or if you can't reach the seller. Retracting a bid for any other reason is considered an invalid bid retraction. If you're retracting a bid for a valid reason, you'll also need to make sure you do so within the bid retraction timeframe.
Keep in mind that you can't always retract a bid once it's made –if you're not able to retract your bid, you can also try contacting the seller to see if they'll cancel your bid for you.
When you can retract a bid
You can retract a bid if:
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The seller significantly changed the description of the item
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You accidentally bid the wrong amount. For example, you meant to bid £20, not £200. In this case, enter the price you intended to bid as soon as you've retracted the incorrect bid
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You can't reach the seller. For example, you sent the seller an email and it comes back undeliverable, or you tried calling the seller and the phone number doesn't work
As well as the above, timing is also important when retracting a bid:
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If there are 12 hours or more left before the listing ends, all of your bids can be retracted
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If the listing is ending in less than 12 hours, you can retract your most recent bid if it's been less than an hour since you placed it
Any other bids can't be retracted, but you can still contact the seller to see if they'll agree to cancel a bid for you. Remember, the seller isn’t obligated to cancel a bid so they may not agree.
I am uncertain why - when you contacted the agreeable seller - he did not simply deal with it!
The use of the word "career" in respect of eBay wqs ill-chosen.
@dougz64
