I had the very same thing happen to me a few 
years ago- I wanted a certain cel very much, and 
the dealer offered to sell it to me for a certain 
price - I didn't have the money then but 
explained I could respond back in 2 weeks, after 
selling some of my other cels to try and save the 
money.  She agreed and two weeks later, I had the 
money, and e-mailed her.  She said that she could 
no longer sell me the cel because it had a crease 
in it.  I offered to buy the cel anyway but she 
said she wouldn't feel comfortable with that.  
About a year later I was chatting with someone 
about cels and we were looking at one another's 
galleries, and lo and behold, there was the cel I 
had tried so hard to buy.  
I feel sorry for you, I hope the cel is from a 
the same sequence and just looks very similar, 
but the possiblity exists that what you think 
happened, did.  Good luck!