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.

When you can retract a bid

You can retract a bid if:

  • 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

Note: When the listing is ending in less than 12 hours, these options are only applicable for up to 1 hour after making the bid.

When you can't retract a bid

Bids can't be retracted for any other reason than those listed above. On eBay Live, all bids are final and cannot be retracted.

If you're not able to retract your bid, you can try contacting the seller to ask if they'll cancel your bid for you. However, the seller isn't obliged to cancel the 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 or bidding on an eBay Live auction.

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