Buying a Flat Iron without Being Deceived

After buying two Conair flat irons at my local discount store, I decided to purchase a higher quality one on eBay. I thought I had done enough research and read several of the guides written by salon owners and hair dressers on the subject. As you can also read in these guides, they frequently recommend the CHI straightening iron by FAROUK. Please be aware that an authentic Farouk Chi iron is trademarked, is of high quality, and will cost more than many of the brands available. What I didn't realize at first is that many sellers use the word "CHI" in their descriptions or titles when they are not offering an authentic Chi product. They are also offering a teeny tiny bottle of authentic Farouk CHI styling product with off-brand flat irons in order to be able to use CHI in their title and description. I decided to purchase a flat iron that is called "Chi" and paid about $35. for it. The word "Chi" is printed on the flat iron itself, but it is not an authentic Chi product. After reviewing many completed items listings by this seller, I discovered that they are selling these flat irons marked Chi for anywhere from $15. to $80. They shipped quickly and I am happy with the item so far, but I do feel that I have been mislead and want others to avoid that feeling. The knock-off flat iron I purchased is actually working well--much better than the Conair brand I previously used; however, eBay buyers should be aware of this mis-representation. If you realize that you are not getting an authentic Chi product and are okay with that, then you should not expect to pay more than about $30. including shipping, based on my informal research. If you are willing to pay more than that, go ahead and buy one of the nicer products that salon owners recommend including the Farouk Chi flat iron. I love buying and selling on eBay and hope that my experience will help you. Thanks for taking the time to read this and best wishes!!