How did I win this EBAY auction????

[Belle5]

Half an hour before the bid was up I saw that I had been outbid by another bidder (you know the bid red "X" saying you have been outbid). So I decided to let it go and bought a different item. So, I get a message telling me I won the auction and pay now. So I go back to look at the item and sure enough, there is another bid after mine for the same amount??? Then it says the bidder had (0) feedback. First of all, they could not have bid the same amount as me. When you try to bid the same as someone else it won't let you do that. I wonder if the person was knocked off because of zero feedback and by default it went to me? I asked yesterday for the seller to explain and have not heard back yet. Any explanations and do I have to buy this? Should I contact EBAY?

 

[LisaNJ25]

could the seller have sent you it as a second chance auction?

 

[Belle5]

Nope. I do those all the time and am familiar with them.

 

[Lisa_M]

Could the person that bid after you retracted their bid? That is weird.

eta: If you don't want to buy it, email the seller and explain the situation. If they are adamant about buying it, escalate to Ebay. As long as you have the email stating you were outbid, I think you're fine.

 

[daughtersrus]

Do you have the email from them saying that you've been outbid?

If so, I would email the seller and explain that since you were sent the notice that you were outbid, that you purchased them item elsewhere and no longer need the one that they were selling.

 

[0hmyheck]

Was it a phishing email?

 

[DianeV]

FYI another bidder can bid the same amount as you but yours would take precedence since it was done first..not sure about why you would have gotten an outbid notice for this though

 

[Belle5]

I do not have an outbid email. That is strange. I just went to the auction to look at it and it had the "X" and the you have been outbid message. Hmmm... No leg to stand on there I guess? I can see how the zero feedback person's bid would show up as the same as mine if we bid at the exact same second but he bid many hours after me. He should not have even be able to bid the exact same amount as me since he should have been given a notice that he must bid at least "such and such$$". It never shows my bid going in front of his since I only bid the minimum amount. It shows his bid on top of mine. Go figure...

 

[Belle5]

Oh, I get it. I was a multiple item listing. A dutch auction. We both won. I guess I have to take the item then, correct? I still don't get why I got the outbid notice...

 

[cats mom]

I wonder if the person was knocked off because of zero feedback and by default it went to me? I asked yesterday for the seller to explain and have not heard back yet. Any explanations and do I have to buy this? Should I contact EBAY?

I think this could very well be the explanation. The seller should have used the option to automatically block 0 feedback bidders, but even if they didn't, I think they can cancel the bid if they stated no 0 feedback bidders somewhere in their terms.

I know I read about someone who had a similar situation and e-bay was not much help. IIRC their response was something along the lines of your bid is a contract and your options are to work something out with the seller or pay for the item (not an exact quote, but pretty close I think) That person had gotten the you have been outbid notification as well.
Does not make sense to me since once you've been outbid I would think you should be free to move on, but that was not the way e-bay saw it.

Hopefully you'll hear back from the seller soon and they will agree to mutually cancel the auction.

Edited to add:

Oops, didn't see the update about it being a dutch auction.
You can always e-mail the seller and explain the situation, but as far as e-bay is concerned you are obligated to complete the transaction.

Good Luck