Ebay auction...

Yes you can finish an auction early, there's a choice of reasons you can use to do this from the drop down menu on eBay. In the circumstances and because you've only got low bids at the moment I'd suggest using the option that you made an error with the starting price.
However as it's due to finish on Tuesday anyway and you do want to get rid of it, hopefully the highest bidder can pick up before the weekend.
It's a lovely settee by the way, wish I lived nearer ?

Presumably the auction finishes before you go away?
Is it for collection only?
Will they be paying by PayPal or cash on collection?
Could a neighbour be around when it is collected?
Yes, you should sell to the highest bidder, but there are get out clauses so you can change your mind. You can just take it off eBay which would be a shame as you could get some ££s for it. You could edit your listing and say it has to be collected by X date, but then you should. Email the bidders and let them know.
If you contact the winner immediately the auction ends and say it has to be collected by X date, and if they can't you can refund them the money via PayPal. its not an insurmountable problem.

There are at least two charities around here who take usable pieces of furniture and sell them on. One is British Heart Foundation and the other for the local hospice. Would it be worth finding out if there is anything like that near you? By the way, they do collect for free. Cannot help with eBay, seems very cut throat to me!

Sorry, just read what you said about the fire label. D'oh!

Just looked at your suite on eBay, Tegan - I would have snatched that from you in a heartbeat if I didn't live so far away.
Keep hanging on, if you can. You've got a few bids there, so someone's obviously interested. As it ends tomorrow, the winner has plenty time to pick it up. Good luck!

It's shabbier in real life than it looks in the photo but is still far better than most of the sofas I've seen in charity shops. Because of it's make it's very heavy and is as deep as it is wide; also unlike most sofas these days the cushions etc are all attached. I was looking at a sofa yesterday in a charity shop window that had removeable covers and I bet when they're washed they're not as safe with regards to fire. Having only just signed up with Ebay [maybe my decluttering can now begin!] I don't want to get a bad rating from them [drummed out of Ebay; the shame of it....]

Why don't you go to 'revise your listing' Tegan, and add into the description, that the original asking price reflects the age of the item and the fact that it doesn't have an up-to-date fire safety label. That way, those who aren't too sure can stop bidding if they want to? Also add in that you won't be available for it to be picked up within certain dates. No-one knows your address, so you don't need to worry about security.

Once a bid has been made you can't revise the description . We actually bought something at an auction a few weeks ago and this is almost as nerve racking [probably more so!].

Tegan , don`t be tempted to pull the auction and I am not so sure you can edit it once it has bids , why do you want to anyway ? It can be picked up before you go away surely .
It is not worth getting bad feedback on your one and only item , you may not be able to sell on Ebay again . Pick up items are usually cash on pick up so your buyer will have the opportunity of looking at it first .

You have three different buyers bidding, Tegan, so the final selling price may go up before tomorrow.

You haven't said that it has no fire label. I don't think you can alter the description, but if anyone were to ask a question about that, you could answer that it doesn't and then it would be clear to anyone else. You couild plant someone to ask. The same with collection - you could plant somneone to ask how soon you would want it collected.

It loks lovely and comfortable. I am not surprised people are bidding for it.

Its a mistake not to put a realistic photo on, but its still a bargain. It has to be collected so there will be fewer bidders.
Let it go to the end. Most bidding takes place half an hour before it closes.
I find ebay people very nice and considerate and they will come when you want them to.
You yourself can't stop an ongoing auction but you can ask a friend - with an ebay account to put in a bid so high as to upset the real bidders. Then they -your friends have 'bought' it and you have to send them a bill etc etc.
But you still have the 3-piece suit to take to the tip.

Just state vintage and no current fire certs as people often buy to refurbish.

Charity shops are far too picky nowadays and reject even good items with fire regs as they 'don't think they will sell'..........thereby a lot of good stuff goes to waste.

You can amend your ad. or e mail buyer with more detail when auction ends prior t their collecting items.

this is such a great page....anything you need to know, they'll be a granny our there with the answer.

We will all be watching this tomorrow evening about 8.20!

I've put it on my "watch list" - that'll show up on Tegans info page, but I won't be bidding, so I won't be pushing the price up, sorry!

I've got it on my 'watch list' too! You might see hundreds of 'watchers' on your page now, Tegan (Gransnetters)! Some of the watchers WILL be prospective buyers, though, so don't give in and take it off!
The photo can be enlarged on the screen so that areas of the material can be looked at at close range. Don't be worrying - it's all quite exciting!

Tbf there is a god reason for fire certificates
Old upholstered furniture can give off toxic fumes . And charity shops ,like any other retailer, aren't allowed to sell uncertificated stuff its not a question of their being'picky' I think antiques are possibly exempt though

I've just had a look at it again. Just go to the photo and hold your mouse over it? You'll then be able to check out areas of wear. All I can see is a bit of 'bobbling' on the cushion edges and a bit of wear on the edges of the armrests. If anyone was particularly worried about that (which I wouldn't be!) a throw flung over it wouldn't detract from its beauty!

I do, up to a point, understand the reasoning behind why the charity shops can't take it. It's just that some of the sofas they do have often look so awful. The lady who is making curtains for us told me that, when you re upholster furniture if anything is nailed onto it [eg on chairs] it has to be fireproof; if, however it's, say, a cushion, it doesn't need to be. This is a problem with all the upcycling that's going on now [which I'm doing myself]. I hadn't realised that.

It's a lovely suite. I'd be watching it too if I could only remember my ebay password. It's been a long time, but looking at all the goodies on offer now will probably rekindle the serious ebay habit I had about 10 years back.

If you try to log in you might get a chance to reset your password. Most logins do that.

I think this could be the start of a new slippery slope for me . Trouble is, I buy things when I'm out and about realising that they're worth far more than they're selling for but then can't bring myself to part with them. Hence my cluttered house.

If you do what MargaretX suggests you will end up with a bill from ebay as it has sold. This is called shrill bidding and is very much frowned on and experience ebayers look out for this.

You can both stop an auction and edit it. Just go to your account page and click on the list on the right hand side of the listing and you will find instructions. They have to let you cancel it as you might have broken the item, or sold it elsewhere.

Ah but, Elegran, do I really want to get back in? On the other hand, I have plenty of stuff I could sell (much of it coming from ebay auctions in the first place).