Just wanted to weigh in on the discussion about problems buying on eBay.
My two cents is: if you're paying with Paypal, use your credit card rather than your checking account if at all possible. Paypal will try to convince you not to (they don't want to pay the interchange fee to the credit card company), but it's worth it, because you get two layers of protection rather than one.
I know this because I bought a bike off a guy who turned out to be a complete fink, and I say this knowing that he's been blasted on this very forum for selling things then either taking forever to deliver them or quite simply not delivering them at all, as was the case with me. I'm not sure the protocol of using names here, but for what it's worth, this seller is based in Chicago and seems to specialize in Raleighs and should be avoided like the plague.
Anyhow, I bought, for a fairly considerable penny, a Raleigh Team track bike that I had been in love with and that never was sent. Of course the seller stopped responding to my emails completely, and when I did research and found his phone number, didn't return my calls. Eventually I filed a complaint with Paypal, which ruled in my favor.
But that's where the problem arose: the guy didn't have enough money in his registered checking account to refund me everything I'd spent. I got about 3/4 back, which is better than nothing, but not all that great. Paypal basically said "tough," suggesting it was all they could do unless the guy voluntarily decided to give me back my money.
And this is where my MasterCard comes in. I complained to them and they opened an investigation, giving me a provisional credit for the difference. And after about two weeks, Paypal suddenly announced that they had decided to refund me the difference after all, at exacty the same time that my credit card company wrote to say the case had been resolved. I'm convinced that had I not made that second complaint, I'd still be out the cash.
Sorry to be preachy, but there is enough sketchy stuff going on in this marketplace not to be as protected as possible.
As for the bad seller, I still haven't heard a word from him. Sure wish I had that bike...
Ken Bensinger,
Brooklyn, NY