Phil,

Your big mistake was in conducting this transaction outside of Ebay, thus depriving yourself of any financial or legal protection they could have offered. Been doing business on eBay since 1998 and have never chosen to transact outside of eBay during an active auction (as a buyer or seller). Several times I have made sales after an auction ended because the buyer missed out, and sometimes this has resulted in an even bigger sale because the buyer will buy an entire collection instead of just the single item! I have received numerous offers during an auction but always graciously decline (eBay now offers a "Best Offer" feature). You really have to protect yourself in every way possible! Very sorry that this happened to you and hope you're able to fully recover the funds...

Michael

[This message has been edited by ocomain (edited 03-14-2005).]