The "sold for" search in the sidebar will tell how much an item sold for and when. I don't believe that it reflects "adjustments" for disputed transactions. If I receive something that does not live up to the ad, I contact the seller and start a "what do we do with this situation" conversation. I never insult or insinuate, just state my reason for unhappiness. 98% of the time this results in negotiation and I get a agreed upon refund amount, often greater than 50%, sometimes as much as 75% (kind of "tells" how much the seller has in an item). Any experienced buyer/seller knows that if a call for assistance is made, EBAY will "fix" the issue, including forced refunds, block the perp from EBAY, etc. Most US sellers with very high "good business" percentages can be counted on for good service. Off continent, I don't know, I stay with North America only. I always contact the seller for description where I'm unsure..I've had sellers email a jpeg so I could check shutter actuations if they don't know how, etc.

All that said, I'd rather buy from EBAY than say Walmarts/Amazons 3rd party vendors - I've had some pretty ragged dealing with them, and not much help from wally/amazon for resolution.

Yes luck plays a part, but that goes way beyond EBAY. I'm an honest person, and do good business....if I get a feeling about a seller, I slow down and start checking.

2cents worth!

EBAY is an "auction" style venue...so it requires a lot of due diligence to ensure a good purchase at a good price. I'm quite successful at it (but that doesn't mean I haven't bought a couple of "turkeys"). It is easy to get cought up in a deal (auction fever) and end up paying an artificially higher price. When I decide I'm interested in an item, I look at all other sources, try to determine a realistic $$ figure, and bid based on that... determine my opening bid and how far it makes sense to go with additional bids. Product research and asking specific question of the seller helps greatly. Due to EBAY and Paypal rules and regs, most buyers/sellers are eager to resolve any negative actions with a reasonable solution. For instance, I bid and win a lens I want - but upon receipt it does not live up to the stated condition - so, if usable, I can either negotiate for price reduction, or simply return it for a refund. The downword price negotiation method works well if the item was simply overpriced for what it is (pay $200.00, receive lens, works but not as pretty as hoped for, negotiate downward and end up with a usefull tool for $75, or give it up and send it back). If a seller is uncooperative, they may have had poor judgement or simply bad intent...but the message is "buyer has recourse". Checking what items actually "sold for" is very important - gives a realistic picture of what things are actually worth. I never even start to bid until I have looked at all the aforementioned parameters....

Some things I've found interesting about the EBAY venue:
- You can tell a lot about the quality of a deal by the presentation / picture - number and quality / serial number easily seen / description and I always look at their other offerings to try and determine if they are a reseller, or just someone clearing out their closet.
- Lack or detail can be "lack of knowledge" or it can be "deception". Sometimes it can be hard to determine, and thats a factor all through life....poke at them enough and you will determine "go - no go".
- Don't Pooh Pooh pawn shops (Goodwill, and shops tied to charity can be OK, but often lack knowledge, or can't test an item, etc.), I've bought some very nice pieces at fair prices from them...they don't want issues, and (just an observation) seem pretty honest in general (not always the case with individuals) plus they are required in many states to run the numbers with local law enforcement to limit "stolen" merchandise - individuals, not.
- If it sounds tooo good - toooo cheap - or info is sketchy, move on...if seller responds in an uninformative manner...move on.
- Many EBAY sellers ship priority mail so you actually get the item quickly - even if it is free shipping. Much faster than Walmart for instance!
- To avoid "price runs" I never bid till the end of an auction, generally in the last minute.....no sense in bidding until the end, just put it on your "watch list" and wait till it is time. If you can't be there, pick your high dollar limit and bid, you either win or lose.
- If you don't like bidding, look for the "buy now" and "best offer" listings.

I don't know if any of this helps....but my message is "Don't fear EBAY", use it for the great tool it is...and use DUE DILIGENCE in your purchases.