it was a no reserve auction. Ebay emailed me back to state that they are not able to force sellers to sell....although i'd agree with you that if the opposite were true and i bid $40k for the truck, i'm pretty sure i'd be hearing from their legal dept right about now.
with EBay's inaction, the entire EBay motors is a scam in my opinion. there is no point bidding on a car (and taking a big risk buying a vehicle sight unseen) if the seller can simply walk away. of course i expect to end up paying less for the car than i would locally. that's the whole point of auction!
just got an 2nd email back from ebay motors as i type....
incredible. "bids place on ebay motors are non-binding!!!!!" holy crap!
here's the full email:
Dear Victor,
Thank you for writing back about the seller not honoring the sale of the
2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser that you recently tried to purchase on eBay.
Sellers can cancel transactions for many reasons and although it is discouraged, it is not against eBay policy. eBay is only a venue and does not guarantee that a seller will complete a transaction. Per our User Agreement, we state:
"We are not involved in the actual transaction between buyers and sellers. While we may help facilitate the resolution of disputes through various programs, we have no control over and do not guarantee the quality, safety, or legality of items advertised, the truth or accuracy of users? content or listings, the ability of sellers to sell items, the ability of buyers to pay for items, or that a buyer or seller will actually complete a transaction or return an item."
In addition, for legal reasons and per our User Agreement, bids placed in the eBay Motors categories are non-binding. You are encouraged to leave feedback for the seller to alert other bidders of your experience with this seller.
You should seek the advice of your attorney for further direction and guidance on the matter. I'm sure this was frustrating and I apologize for the disappointment. If you need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reply to this email and let us know.
Regards,
Cheri
eBay Customer Service
