I have been attending and buying and selling at auctions for abuot 35 years. It has always been my understanding that the "buyer beware" slogan holds true at auctions more than at any other purchasing venue. It is the responsibility of the buyer to preview items before they go up for bid. In the case of eBay, this closer inspection can be done through contacting the seller before bids are placed. If answers to your inquiries are not received it is then your decision as to wether or not to place a bid.

Even with decades of experience, I continue to bet burnt at times, in a world full of deception, liars, cheats, repros, an so on, it is inevitable. In the long run auctions have been good to me, as I am sure, they have for almost all of us. You just have to approach them with a bit of reserve and a keen knowledge of what you are about to bid on.....