How to Change Your Mind About a Bid on eBay
Though eBay typically does not allow bids to be retracted in any of its item auctions, there are select circumstances in which the company will make exceptions. The only instances in which you may withdraw a bid because you've changed your mind are: If the item description changes after you have placed a bid; or if you cannot reach the item's seller by email or phone. In the event that you have inadvertently typed in the incorrect bid amount--i.e., $800 instead of $80--you may withdraw your bid as long as you immediately reenter the correct one.
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Instructions
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Log in to your eBay account.
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Click the "Help" tab in the upper-right-hand corner.
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Go to the "Bidding & buying" section and click on "All about bidding." A list of "Top questions" will appear in the middle of the page.
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Roll your cursor down to these questions and click on "Can I retract or cancel my bid?" This will take you to a page with comprehensive policy information regarding bid cancellation.
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Look at the final paragraph of the center box--the one with the yellow title bar. There are three links within this paragraph.
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Click on the linked phrase, "Bid Retraction form."
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Fill out the auction item number and select your reason for retraction from the pull-down menu.
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Click the "Retract bid" button at the bottom of the page.
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Tips & Warnings
If the auction's end time is less than 12 hours away, you will only be allowed to retract a bid that has been placed within the last hour.
If eBay will not let you withdraw your bid, you can try to contact the seller and ask that she cancel your bid for you. This, however, will be left to the seller's discretion.
EBay frowns on bid retractions and indicates that its staff will investigate each of them. If found to be used inappropriately, a bid retraction can result in the loss of your eBay account. EBay is especially critical of bids canceled in the last 24 hours of an auction, which it says could be considered "shill bidding"--artificially increasing an item's value without the intention of buying it.
