I've always wondered about that (has never happened to me) - when a seller is auctioning off something worth a bunch of $, and for whatever reason (people don't see the auction, etc.) the highest bidder gets it for pennies on the dollar. That sucks for the seller, but that is the way it goes. It should be the highest of crimes on eBay if the seller refuses to honor that sale. It is, in essence, a contract.