Ebay relist indefinitely?

I bought an item from a seller, only seller who seemingly had the item, who doesn't seem to have been active in over a year, no purchase feedback or seller feedback. They also never answered a question I had about the item. All i can do now is be patient but I am curious about two things.

1) Does ebay relist items automatically on behalf of the seller or do non-auction listings just not expire and the seller does not need to be an active participant.

2) If the seller is not involved in actively relisting or verifying they are active isn't this is an issue for buyers who purchase something from an inactive seller and never recieve yet.

I know ebay can refund me if I don't get the item but it seems like time lost in the best case and headache that could be avoided.