07-02-2006, 08:13 AM
Quote:Stephanie Marhefka bought several dresses and a laptop computer over the years on eBay without problem. But the psychologist says her last purchase was a disaster: She paid $700 for what an eBay seller said was a solid wood desk, plus an additional $40 for the Brooklyn merchant to deliver it to her mid-Manhattan apartment.
The desk she received in 2004 turned out to be damaged and made with veneer, not solid wood. The seller's promise to replace it never panned out. EBay's suggestion for remedying the situation went nowhere. Two years later, the seller's phone is disconnected and Marhefka is stuck with an unwanted desk...
Michael R. Dimino, a law professor at Widener University in Harrisburg, Pa., has made 30 or so purchases on eBay without incident. But his luck ran out last December...
Quote:...the final tip on protecting yourself on eBay? Just like in the stock market or at a gambling casino, don't buy something you can't afford to lose.
full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...00148.html