My advice-- use escrow.
I sent off a payment for a new PJ (on eBay) and only just discovered that I have made payment to a guy who has evidently had his identity stolen!
I am still trying to sort things out but, in retrospect, I should have realized something was up when the seller did not want certified mail, etc.
eBay's fine print also states you cannot report fraud until 30 after close of auction. I paid the day after auction closed. I included payment for next day UPS with the seller promising to send the PJ immediately upon payment. He acknowledged receipt, kept moving the shipment back three days in a row, and then stopped replying to any communication. That was almost two weeks ago. I don't need any more time to realized that I've been scammed.
This same seller has also defrauded another buyer in San Jose and probably would have nailed another buyer if we had not all started talking to each other about this sellers odd payment requests.
Live and Learn!
Bill