Unpaid item disappeared.

[pimpom_in1]

Although I'm posting this as a buyer, the nature of the situation is such that I thought I'd post here to get your insights as sellers.

I ordered a low-cost item on Sept 22 and opted to pay by online transfer, but could not do so due to the SMS ban. I sent messages twice to the seller, explaining the situation and assuring him that I'd pay ASAP. (He had already furnished his bank account details).

Now I'm ready to pay, but was surprised to see that the "need to pay" and "need to leave feedback" entries for this item had vanished from "My eBay". Another item from a different seller was still there.

I tried to revisit the item page but it shows only "This listing (.....) has been removed, or this item is not available." (I've deleted the item No. here).

The seller joined in July this year and has a total of 19 positive feedbacks, 3 negatives and 2 neutrals. I'm usually a careful buyer, but somehow failed to notice his poor feedback rating.

His membership still seems to be active but he no longer has any items for sale now. I know I could try to contact him, but thought I'd ask here first.

The item is a cheap, common one and is easily available from other sources, but I don't like to leave things unexplained. Should I contact the seller? Or should I just forget about the whole thing? What do you think happened?

[linusstudios]

Ya, you are right. Your seller has been suspended. Good that u didn't paid. otherwise you would be waiting for refund,,

[spl_ind]

@pimpom_in1...
I like the way you check your Sellers before buying. Use Toolhaus to check your Seller's Negative & Neutral feedbacks before buying.

[pimpom_in1]

Thanks for the replies.
@spl_ind - Yes, I try to assess a seller carefully before committing myself. However, I don't rely solely on feedbacks. I try to judge sellers' characters by reading between the lines of what they say, both in their listing and in their replies to my enquiry. It's as much the way they say it as what they say.

I've bought dozens of items from eBay, starting from eBay US before there was any significant online site in India, then Baazee, BidOrBuy, Yelam, and finally eBay India. Sellers didn't always leave feedbacks in those days, hence my relatively low feedback count.

Speaking of feedbacks, I've sometimes noticed power sellers exhorting buyers to buy only from power sellers. While this is technically sound advice, in a way, it's a bit unfair and simplistic. After all, they too had to start out as new sellers. If everyone followed their advice, new sellers wouldn't have a chance to build up their business.