Ouch! That kind of thing really hurts! :eek:

I've had more trouble with shipping than I've had with exchanging payment. I've only had one deal go sour, and that was a case of USPS losing an item shipped by a reputable business. I've done deals with the same seller since then, without problems. In about 65 transactions, I've sold a bunch of stuff on eBay, and bought a lot stuff, including a car!


If in doubt, use the escrow feature. Basically, you send your payment to eBay, who holds it until you get the item, and tell eBay you're satisfied with it. Then eBay forwards your payment to the seller. There's a service charge, but it's probably worthwhile in terms of securing your transaction.

When I sold my stuff, I posted that the escrow option was available. No-one asked for it. For that matter, I've never used it either, even when I bought a car in Hamilton Ontario, and had it shipped to Calgary, Alberta! Most eBayers are honest people, just like most people anywhere.