[markinnaples]

I've bought and sold several cars and motorcycles on eBay. I've never done an in-person inspection, but I guess I've been lucky as everything I've gotten was as-stated by the seller. I use PayPal for the deposit generally because if you use it in conjunction with eBay, you get certain guarantees regarding the transaction and the funds sent. A lot of times the seller has their preference or requirements for payments, but I prefer sending them a bank check. I work in banking and sending a wire generally gives you the least amount of recourse as once the wired funds are gone, there is limited possibility of getting them back (which is why international scammers always request a wire transfer). At least with a bank check, there is a trail of where the money went and sometimes a little time to play with before it's cleared and the funds are gone.

One thing I watch (hasn't been mentioned but I'm sure everyone pays attention to this) is their feedback on eBay. That is very telling. Bad, limited, or no feedback are huge signs of a seller who may not be able to be trusted and probably not worth working with unless you can do the in-person inspection. And obviously, if possible, get the in-person, friend or paid inspection done as that's the safest but I've done OK with not having them done. Probably just lucky as there are a lot of scammers on eBay.