I suggest that if anyone buys off ebay ask lots of questions about that item. I recently purchased 3 Lionel train cars off of ebay, the seller said they were "C-6" when i received them they had numerous things wrong with them such as: burn marks, rust, broken ends,and broken trucks obviously not a "c-6" rating mush lower like a C-3 or lower. The hassle i have been going through to get my money back off of this dead beat has caused me to wonder if it is worth buying off of ebay anymore, since this isn't the first time this has happened to me. I think i am going to do more purchasing from this auction site (choochooauctions) haven't had any problems here with quality.

You can't go wrong at choochoo auctions.com.They are solid,great items,great discriptions,great packing,fast shipping and the best service

I have the same experience. People find junk at yard sales or flea markets and pass it off as excellent condition. One guy told me it was my fault that I got ripped off because I did not ask enough questions about his car! Its a crap shoot on Ebay often now.

I have bought from ebay a few times and got a wrong sized item once, the seller listed it as O gauge when it was H.O. scale. From my experiance "ebay" is buyer beware!!

Lee

I buy all the time on Ebay. No more problems there then here. About the same. Guess I'm lucky.

Be extremely wary of ANY auction where you see phrases like "attic find", "selling for a friend or relative", "I know nothing about trains", "look at the pictures and you be the judge", "may be a reproduction", "selling as is, no returns". Run, don't walk from any auction description that contains any of these phrases. Ebay is full of stuff like this. It's not their fault. They say right up front, "buyer beware". If a seller is honest and knowledgeable, he or she will point out the flaws, describe accurately and offer a full refund if misdescribed.

I have been buying and selling on ebay for ten years now and it's been a largely hassle-free experience. The problem with buying is sellers who are clueless because they don't usually deal in train items or those who do and grade their items better than they are. If I have trouble determining condition I ask questions and/or request better photos. Most will comply and those that refuse I pass by. Even under the best circumstances it's still a crapshoot and sometimes you have to go with your gut. Choochoo Auctions is probably the better choice if you want to limit your level of frustration.

I also buy and sell on E Bay. I ask questions and for other photos, if I'm not sure of the condition. I also increase the size of their photos to 200% to 400% to look for defects. Also read their description, you would be surprise at how many buyers do not read the description. Check their feed back to see if buyers are happy with the seller and if you see a lot of unhappy buyers do not buy from that seller.I do not offer a refund because their are a lot of buyers who are scamers. Who only want to up grade their item or get your item for free with the help of E Bay and pay-pal. It's not only the small seller that you need to watch out for. Their are several very large train sellers on E Bay that you need to watch out for.But you must remember that you are buying something that you can't really see or hold until after you win the item and receive it from the seller. So ask questions , don't bid high, do not expect it to be a c-10 when you see that it is less and you will not be disapointed.

EBAY AND THE INTERNET IS GENERAL IS AN ASSEMBLAGE OF THIEVING *******S TRYING TO CHEAT AND STEAL FROM ANYONE THEY CAN