2 min article

Retracting a bid

If you've made a mistake when bidding on an item, you can retract your bid in certain circumstances.

Whenever you place a bid, you're agreeing to buy the item if you win the auction. However, in some situations you can retract your bid.

Retract a bid

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 (Note: these options are only applicable for up to 1 hour when the listing is ending in less than 12 hours):

  • The seller significantly changed the description of the item
  • 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
  • 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

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.

Tip
When bidding, always double-check that you've entered the correct amount – especially when making a last minute bid.

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