Ebay munging item numbers?

OK, just been looking for some Ebay items and trying out Goofbay.

Here's an interesting thing.

Ebay item numbers are 10-digit. At least, all my completed auctions are
10-digit.

But when I look at my auctions still running, they have 12-digit ID
numbers. And Goofbay can't find them.

Putting the full 12-digit number into Ebay's own search window brings
up the item, though.

So the question is this - is Ebay introducing 'null' numbers to combat
Goofbay and similar programs? And if so, how does this work?

 

Ebay have recently introduced longer numbers. It seems to depend what
category you're selling in as the gorgeous Mrs Brooks has items selling
with different length numbers.

Goofbay tools has been severly cripled by ebay in the last day or so.

 

I'm not sure that it is in the sellers interest that that information is
public, and I say this as a buyer and seller.

 

Also from the beginning of June eBay have removed the option to
login/access login-required pages without using SSL (Secure Sockets) -
previously it was optional'.. and that has knackered Moosell another usefull
selling tool, so either eBay are bringingout their own tools, and don't like
competition, or they think all these tools make the sellers/buyers lives
too easy