# Why do ebay pages disappear at the end of the auction? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 15, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-ebay-pages-disappear-at-the-end-of-the-auction/496491 "2009-05-15T03:47:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-ebay-pages-disappear-at-the-end-of-the-auction/496491/1 "2009-05-15T03:47:14Z")
Recently I have noticed that the second the auction ends the page disappears. In reality it is sort of corrupted and most of it can still be found there by scrolling down. Also the winner’s name is not visible as it used to be. So what’s the deal with this? Why does ebay make the pages disappear and hides the winner? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-ebay-pages-disappear-at-the-end-of-the-auction/496491/2 "2009-05-15T04:49:14Z")
I don’t know what you mean by the page disappearing - I track auctions all the time, and I often search completed auctions. As for the winner’s name being obfuscated, it’s to cut down on several different kinds of scams and spam. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-ebay-pages-disappear-at-the-end-of-the-auction/496491/3 "2009-05-15T09:37:48Z")
> [@sailor](#): > > In reality it is sort of corrupted and most of it can still be found there by scrolling down. Here is a [completed auction from May 2](http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Franciscan-Atomic-Starburst-Teapot-Star-Tea-Pot_W0QQitemZ250413708704QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3a4dd1f5a0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A14%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50). They have added some ads for similar auctions at the top, but the entire auction is displayed below the ads. Is this what you mean? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-ebay-pages-disappear-at-the-end-of-the-auction/496491/4 "2009-05-15T09:39:43Z")
One thing that might be confusing the OP is that some sellers will host the images of the product on their own site, then delete the images as soon as the auction is over to save space/bandwidth. In that case, you’d see the still-existing auction page minus all the product images. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-ebay-pages-disappear-at-the-end-of-the-auction/496491/5 "2009-05-15T13:19:58Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Here is a [completed auction from May 2](http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Franciscan-Atomic-Starburst-Teapot-Star-Tea-Pot_W0QQitemZ250413708704QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3a4dd1f5a0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A14%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50). They have added some ads for similar auctions at the top, but the entire auction is displayed below the ads. Is this what you mean? At the top of that page it says > [@](#): > > This Page Is No Longer Available > > - This page may have moved or is no longer available > > Please try one of the following options: > Check the Web address you entered to make sure if it’s correct. > Try to access the page directly from the eBay Home page or site map, instead of using a bookmark. If the page has moved, reset your bookmark. > Enter a few words in the Search box below then click the Search button. If you prefer, click a link to visit a category of other area of eBay. > If you are in Help searching for a Help page, click the Back button to go back to your search results and select another Help page link. > Report this technical issue or view known technical issues If you scroll down it repeats that several times and if you continue scrolling _way_ down, past a lot of empty white space, you finally get to see the item and price it went for. What is the purpose of this? Why not leave the page as it was like they used to do? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-ebay-pages-disappear-at-the-end-of-the-auction/496491/6 "2009-05-15T13:37:06Z")
Are you logged in? In my experience, completed auctions do not show up for you unless you are. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-ebay-pages-disappear-at-the-end-of-the-auction/496491/7 "2009-05-15T13:48:22Z")
I am not logged in, and at the top it says “Vintage Franciscan Atomic Starburst Teapot Star Tea Pot”. Nothing at all about being unavailable. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-ebay-pages-disappear-at-the-end-of-the-auction/496491/8 "2009-05-15T14:05:58Z")
> [@](#): > > I am not logged in, and at the top it says “Vintage Franciscan Atomic Starburst Teapot Star Tea Pot”. Nothing at all about being unavailable. Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-ebay-pages-disappear-at-the-end-of-the-auction/496491/9 "2009-05-15T14:09:11Z")
Can you see the item closing price and description near the top? No long white empty space? I am using IE7. I wonder if that affects this in any way. I am logged in and get mostly a white page with that notice at the top and the semi-hidden page of the item at the bottom of a long, mostly empty white, page. It does not matter whether I am logged in or not I get the same thing. Even if I myself won the auction. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-ebay-pages-disappear-at-the-end-of-the-auction/496491/10 "2009-05-15T14:27:06Z")
There are two rows of “similar items” at the top, then the auction itself, which has the winning bid and all the auction info. No white space at all. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-ebay-pages-disappear-at-the-end-of-the-auction/496491/11 "2009-05-15T14:45:14Z")
> [@sailor](#): > > At the top of that page it says ? I don’t see any of that. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-ebay-pages-disappear-at-the-end-of-the-auction/496491/12 "2009-05-15T14:48:58Z")
Me either. Tried it in IE7 and Chrome. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-ebay-pages-disappear-at-the-end-of-the-auction/496491/13 "2009-05-15T19:20:15Z")
It happens in every computer I use. This must be a conspiracy. Everybody hates me.