In Australia, eBay uses Bidder1, Bidder2, Bidder3, etc, to hide the names. I think the threshhold is around $200. The seller and an individual bidder can see the name only of that bidder.

But sellers who yank an item before an auction has run its course deserve some sort of negative feedback on them. BlueOrder is quite right in pointing out this anomoly. It's like a real estate agent, in the middle of the actual auction of a house, suddenly telling everyone it's off the market because a private sale has been made behind the scenes.

But all said and done, eBay has been a pretty good outlet for me (or should that be inlet because I am only a buyer?) because of the cheap prices and the fact I live in a place remote from regular bike shops.