Originally Posted by Born2Sew
I definitely see where you're coming from. Having contacted them as you did, it sounds as though you had committed and all they needed to do at that point was invoice you so you could pay them. Sounds to me as though someone else came along and gave them the original price plus shipping and that left you out of the loop. If the seller agreed to sell to you at XXX price then, they should have done so. At the very least, they should have sent you a message and informed you that the item was no longer available. JMHO
This is not how ebay works. There is no "commitment" except through hitting the "Buy/Bid" button. Unless there is a "Best offer" option the BIN is firm. The only way for the the OP poster to receive the price negotiated is to click "BIN" and then wait for the seller to send an invoice with the adjusted price. If the OP did not attempt to purchase the item OFFICIALLY through the ebay buttons, then the item is fair game for anyone else. Some sellers list hundreds of items, and sellers receive questions and special requests all day long. It is not reasonable or expected to email back everyone who asked a question.
It is very simple to monitor an item on ebay.
Ebay operates on a very simple premise, "Put your money where your mouth is." THe person that does it first and best will get the item.