eBay users began complaining on message boards that auctioneering firm Catbecca had shut down operations while leaving some customers without products or refunds (http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?messageID=1002810438). Catbecca, based in Indiana, had run live auctions and used eBay Live Auctions to webcast them onto eBay. It had also advertised its mobile uplink truck that allowed it to catalog estates at consignors' locations.

A person using the eBay User ID Catbecca responded to the post, writing in part, "the last load of items are now out the door. So all customers should be ok at this time."

However, John Scherz, who was Director of Research and co-owner of Catbecca, told AuctionBytes that the final shipments would be mailed out this week. The company is no longer in existence, he said, and the building is being auctioned at the end of January to pay off the bank and remaining creditors.

Scherz, who is based in Alabama, said there was no way for customers to contact the company if they do not receive their items, since there is no receptionist. He promised to check back with AuctionBytes at the end of the week.

"We are in the process of final shipments within the next couple of days, Scherz said. "The stuff is there and boxed, we just had to verify that the items had been paid for."

Scherz said the company shut down because it had problems sourcing inventory at the necessary pricing levels, had found eBay Live Auctions had become more competitive, and had run into a "capitalization wall" after having purchased a building and hired more employees. Scherz said Catbecca auctioned items in the $10 to $50 range, and didn't have the money to get to the $50 to $200 range of items.

Catbecca had been selling on eBay under the User ID Catbecca since February 2000 and had accumulated over 30,000 feedback ratings from buyers, from a total of 5,911 unique users. In the last month, it received 54 negatives, 12 neutrals and 182 positives. Oddly, it left eleven positive feedback ratings for buyers on December 11.

eBay spokesperson Catherine England could not release any information about the auction house on Monday due to its Privacy Policy. The next day, eBay NARU'd (suspended) the Catbecca User ID.