Grrr eBay

Up early to make sure I was on the last second eBay bidding on a DKW Hobby carburettor.  There have been 4 or 5 of us bidding over the past few days for this item which was located in Germany.

For a while I was highest bidder and was very excited, but late last night I received an email to say that I'd been outbid - so that was me set for a restless night while I fretted over what my maximum bid should be (A carburettor - and this one looked in good nick with the rubber breather pipe too - would be a major step forward for my engine)  And so I was up and on the computer with a half hour to spare and I placed my bid.
But horrors, I got the message that the seller had opted to NOT sell the part outside of Germany.  What!? I had been bidding for the last few days and never received that message before - in fact my bids had been accepted and were indeed helping to raise the bidding game.
Had this seller decided at the last moment to change his options on who to sell to? surely not.
Does the ebay automated messaging only kick in at the eleventh hour? surely not.
Have I got to set up an alias ebay account in Germany in order to be in with a chance of winning? surely not.

Whatever the case, I was pissed.  Winning a carb today would have put a spring in my step.  As it is now I shall have to mope around growling at everyone - Come on eBay, get your act together, you are making my family's life a misery