Can you cancel an auction?


I was just wondering whether it is normal or allowed to cancel an auction before it is over. I don't want to do it myself, but I was recently following an item (hadn't actually bid on it, but was curious as to what it would fetch), and then it just up and disappeared several days prior to ending. I looked through the auction rules but didn't find any answers, and I don't have much auction experience on ebay or whatever. Any comments as to the rules or etiquette of doing this? I'm not upset at all, just curious.
karls
I don't know where Audiogon stands on this. There can be good reasons to cancel an auction. Something may have happened to the auctioned piece that changes it's original description/value. Removing a piece from auction because it was sold elsewhere seems a bit unethical. From time to time I see pieces here on Audiogon that appear to be both for sale and up for auction simultaneously. I also see items that seem to be for sale / auction on multiple sites. I think this is inappropriate. Perhaps Audiogon, like e-bay could provide a provision that would allow auctioned items to be available to the first bidder who offers X $. While this may seem moot, at least it provides the ground rules to prospective bidders up front.
i saw it happen on audiogon just a few weeks ago after the item had been listed for a week or so. then item then appeared in the "for sale" section a few days later at the going price. i don't know how audiogon could force a sale. i think what happens is some one makes a mistake in setting the minimum price to encourage bidding but finds there are few interested at the time and he doesn't want to take the chance that he will lose money. my guess, anyway.
If you have a piece up for auction, it's still yours until somebody wins it. I don't see any reason why someone couldn't cancel an auction without explanation before the reserve is met. After the reserve is met, I would frown upon this, although at the end of the day I doubt there is anything either a bidder or Audiogon could do about it.
Yes you can cancel an auction here. This is a relativly new feature at audiogon.
There is an option for the seller to cancel until the minimum has been bid. That option then disappears from the seller's menu. That is not explained in the rules but that is the way it works. Here are the rules.