This is why I raised the query / issue and started the thread.
Last Autumn in my 'buying spree' that I had on eBid, there were some items that I would have bought IF I'd have been able to suss out how active (or not) the seller/s were or are and when the sellers last logged in. For me, in a lot of cases, as I've been on eBid for a while, I know how active a lot are because of their regular presence in the forums so I knew that any purchase & payment is safe and I'm assured that it will be actioned. With other sellers, if they have a store, with a little chasing around, the last logged on can be found. However, for a new buyer coming to the site, this information should be plainly visible without having to 'dig deeper'. For sellers without a store, there is no hope - and for me, it put me off purchasing from them.