dear buyer, lack of complete understanding of rules can make one appear very foolish here in forum where people have greyed their hair understanding n following rules.
yes rules are a bit complicated and exhaustive. hence all the more reason to divert some of the energies to read and understand them instead of expressing your anguish which i can empathise.
however people calling sellers or others cheats and frauds just at drop of hat is not a good thing. i wished how you would have reacted if the buyer was face to face with you. wonder if u still thought of calling names 😉
to summarise, all of us should watch our words, enhance our understanding of system and take appropriate steps to resolve issues.
FYI: there is no way seller can manipulate dates. whole system is automated. if u r lucky to get across an intelligent customer care at ebay, he/she can explain the full thing to you. i too can, but just not in the mood to do so 😄