With many items having Buy-It-Now prices and many buyers using sniping software, there's nothing a seller can do to prevent undesirable buyers from coming along and placing a bid that ends the listing or comes within a couple of seconds of the closing.
Wow.. I guess I am an Undesirable Buyer then. Last time I checked an auction lasts for X amount of Time. Until that auction ends you are allowed to place a bid.
If my bid happens to come in just before the hammer falls and I beat your top price.. that's called an auction.
I think this makes me a smart buyer. I think people who put bids in large bids in early on auctions must have money to burn.
If you are a seller and you expect X amount for your item you can do 1 of 2 things. Raise the minimum starting bid to something you can accept or 2 put a reserve on your auction.
I "snipe" items all the time. Sometimes I win.. other times I don't. I can't count the number of items I have 4X or 6X the bid amount at the last few seconds. If I hadn't of "sniped" the seller would of received much less money.
I have also lost money many times on items as a seller as I believe in the $0.99 cent starting auctions. Sometimes it generates more bids but sometimes you lose money.
Let's face it Auctions are up for a week so people can find them over the course of that week. Most real bidding only occurs during the last few hours or minutes.
And as for feedback.. My opinion is LEAVE IT!
As I buyer I leave feedback when I receive and item so the seller knows I received it. As a seller I leave feedback as soon as the item ships.
Witholding Feedback because XYZ is silly and childish to me. If you have a problem with your purchase contact the seller and work it out. Don't just not leave feedback because you don't feel like it.
Well that's my 2 cents..