If I was spending money I couldn't afford to loose I'd either not bid on the item (and look out for something nearer at a later date) or make the effort to go and look before making the bid. For something at a throw away price, no I wouldn't care, I'd place the bid and keep my fingers crossed.
If I was interested in something I would ask my questions first. If the seller was selling something costing pennies I can appreciate that they may be inundated with questions and be unresponsive. For a capital cost item, and I appreciate that everyone has a different reference point , as a seller, I would make a more than reasonable effort to answer a potential buyers question. I see a bit of presale customer service as a method of increasing the bids on an item, unless obviously, if its a buy it now. If a seller isn't answering my questions, as a buyer, I would think twice about placing a bid - especially if its a lot of money.
If I was selling items on an auction site, and I do so from time to time, alarm bells would start to ring in my head if somebody who has won the auction starts asking questions that should really have been asked before placing a bid. I would certainly start to think about second bidders and keep them in my back pocket.
