My experiences on eBay have been mostly good ones, and I buy a lot of different types of things on eBay. I have met many delightful, caring people who really value their reputations as members of the human race, not just as sellers on eBay. But I would certainly think twice, now, about buying an expensive instrument on eBay if I didn't know the seller or know someone who had dealt with them in the past.
Kenneth W. Longfield said:
Looks like you are reading this correctly Jan. As usual, buyer beware! It pays to know with whom you are dealing in these transactions. One of the reasons I have stopped buying off of eBay.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
--
Jan Potts, Lexington, KY
Site Moderator
"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke
.....but in the world of buying and selling dulcimers, if the instrument arrives crushed because it wasn't packed adequately by the seller, then it's too bad for the buyer--because the freight company may say it wasn't their fault; it was a poor packing job, and the seller has your money and unless they just happen to be really great people (which most dulcimer people are), then you're out of luck. 
Up until now, the seller has had great motivation to spend the extra money on sturdy shipping cartons, adequate bubble wrap, etc. But now they can do minimal packing and then say, "Hey, if it was broken when you got it, that's not my fault."
that the seller wouldn't be held responsible for their packing of these fragile, expensive instruments!