The problem is that the seller did not give a reasonable effort into this statement (which he made of his own volition).
Yes, he could have dropped the negotiation after the first PM exchange but he didn't. He could have dropped it after the 2nd PM exchange but he didn't.
He dropped the negotiation (which he had committed to) as soon as someone else stepped up. That's like a slap in the face.
Personally (and I'm not a lawyer so anyone involved with contract law can speak up although I think at least one lawyer chimed in) I think in a court of law you could actually show that the seller did not honour his stipulation to hold the book until they could try to find an agreement.
And I agree, it was a learning experience.
Contractual Interference. I was hit with a 750k suit for something similar way back. I took a second chance offer on EBay. The seller backed out of the original deal with the winner. I was hit with a suit naming myself and the seller as the defendants. In the end, the seller had to make both parties, including myself, whole. The basis of the suit was that I was aware of party 1 selling to party 2 and I interfered with the purchase by buying it from party 1.
The price of the original item was 26k and was a collectable also.
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How did you get hit with "Contractual Interference" or for the matter of "Tortious Interference with Contractual Relations" when ebay separates its parties bids and keeps bidding anonymous?