There's the rub, eh? eBay is enjoying the pixelated fairy dust of being exempt from established business common law doctrines, not to mention regulations regarding auction sales because (1) of the internet novelty (that was, but is no longer applicable) and (2) because of it's hugeness.
It *is* an auction and eBay *is* an auctioneer, that's just the plain fact.
I wish that they STAY exempted from the burden of regulation, but not of common law doctrine. To that end they should seek to protect the bidder in the cases of withdrawn bids more than they do.
Complaints such as this article and mine do when heard again and again without a private market correction, do bring on governmental regulation.