OT: eBay's New Bid Retraction Policy
 

***If this has been discussed on here already, then please delete this thread - thanks ***

I received this email today:

Dear XXX,

We are updating our bid retraction policy for Sports Trading Cards, Non-Sports Trading Cards, and Collectible Card Games auctions. Starting December 7, 2021, buyers will no longer have the ability to retract bids on Trading Cards auctions without seller approval. Sellers’ decisions to accept or reject auction bid retraction requests will be final.

How the new auction bid retraction policy will work

Starting December 7, 2021, you will need to contact the seller via messaging on eBay and request a retraction if you want to retract an auction bid. The seller, at their sole discretion, will be able to accept or decline your retraction request. If the seller does not accept your request, your bid can still win or lose the auction, and you will be required to make payment on any winning bid you submit. We also inform buyers on our “Bid Retraction Policy” page that “a bid is a binding contract.”

As previously communicated in April 2021, if an item goes unpaid by the 5th calendar day, the seller may cancel the order due to non-payment. Regularly missing payments may impact your account. Check out our Unpaid Item Policy to learn more.

We appreciate your support and willingness to work with this new policy, as we anticipate our Trading Cards policy update will make eBay a more trusted and fairer marketplace for all. As always, thank you for buying on eBay.

As always, thank you for buying on eBay.
The eBay Team

This is great news. What do you guys think?

Sounds like good news, and something that should have been implemented years ago, but if you are a fumble-fingered bidder at the keyboard, the situation could get a little uncomfortable if you accidently add a digit to your bid near the end of the auction.

Brian

December 7, 2021 - a date which will live in infamy - the eBay shillers of the world were (finally) deliberately attacked by forces of the platform.

'bout time, in my opinion

Policies can sound great in a bubble, but what's the actual outcome? Lots more bogus "Not as described" returns.

That was my thought - as if there won't be retaliation against sellers who deny bid cancellations.

Instead, they should have a maximum number of allowed retractions. Everyone makes mistakes and perhaps it's fair to allow a couple of second guesses, but there's a reasonable limit and bid retractions should be an exception not a practice.

Good things about having to ask the seller is that it's no longer a simple, quick process and people are no longer assured that you can retract a bid.

Finally, eBay is doing something to help the Sellers. It would have been nice for them to send that notice to all members of eBay.

I agree and like your idea. In the meantime this is a step(small step) in the right direction

It also doesn't fix the shilling problem as obviously those sellers will allow the retraction. The more I think about it the more this is a nothingburger.

For someone who snipes manually, there's no chance to retract a fat fingered bid.
Not like there was before, since I usually try to get inside 10 seconds. But having the option however remote would be good.

And I've only had one or maybe two retractions ever.