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.
Are you a seller looking to cancel a bid? Read our article on cancelling a buyer's bid
When you can retract a bid
You can retract a bid if (Note: these options are only applicable for up to 1 hour after making the bid 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. In some categories, such as Trading Cards, bids can only be retracted with the seller's agreement. Remember, the seller isn’t obligated to cancel a bid so they may not agree.
Retract a bidTip
When bidding, double-check that you've entered the correct amount – especially when making a last minute bid.