Ebay - Am I being naive here.....  

...
...some examples?

try this
angels with dirty faces,
Have low or no expectations of everyone and you will never be disappointed.

Waaaah!
that would really be too depressing 🙂
I was really more muttering along the lines of some sort of "professional courtesy". Dealers know what it's like from both sides of the line so why do some think that trading over the internet suspends any obligations?

can't name and shame....
but it goes along the lines of a last few seconds snipe bid then....silence.....long echoing silence. No reply to polite emails etc. Just silence.

.

best advice
so far....it's 2.35am here in the UK and after more than a few vodka shots I'm feeling goooooooood! Happy Christmas one and all!

Wow
Did "angels with dirty faces" just turn into Mark?

Oh, I know, I know!
Some dealers are jerks. Always have been, always will be. That's all. Maybe you've just had the bad luck to run into a bunch in a row.
p.s. Mark, it is no longer possible for sellers to leave negative feedback for buyers. Not even negative wording that is left as a positive, if I'm not mistaken. However, a swig of alcohol is still well within the realm of possiblity! Cheers!

Bit of a headache this morning....
Mark's advice does work....just need to find the balance between "I'm now calm and happy" and plotting evil revenge! Will be moving on with my life now...rant over!

Remember
to report them as Non Paying bidders
you get your listing fees back, and, I believe, if they get 3 strikes it prevents them from bidding.

Going through the process now, Robert..
so will get my fees back etc but I still want to give the guy a good slap for all the time wasting. I feel that the anonymity afforded by internet trading allows people to behave in a manner they normally wouldn't consider. Virtual trading is based on trust so it smarts even more when the most basic courtesies fall by the wayside...especially on quite a large sale.

Oh
I totally agree.
I've almost stopped selling on ebay because of the increase in non (and late) paying bidders.
It seems to have become a national pastime to either
a) watch auctions you have no intention of bidding on
or
b) bid, then not bother to follow through with the transaction.

Most of my non paying bidders
have been trade, not the public. What gives there?

...
...I feel obliged to contradict and qualify your statements about ebay.
I'm selling furnitures on ebay since more than 8 years, and I've never had any troubles with somebody, everything worked fine.
But I can imagine that the feedback of your offers is depending on the quality of your offers, sometimes it strikes me that an offer is made so bad and unkindly described so that I don't wonder at strange reactions.