Check out the seller return policy and feedback..especially negative or neutral feedback to assess if the seller is reasonable.  Sometimes it is worth the extra money to buy from a reputable seller that has excellent returns or service after the sale.
Be especially wary of this wording:

"Not accountable for item other than proof of shipment if not insured."

That means the seller does NOT stand behind his product.
If he sold 14k gold and it ended up as gold plated and worn..you are screwed because you don't have insurance.

DUMBEST thing I ever read.Some sellers think they can pack fragile items badly and the USPS will cover broken shipments.
NOT TRUE. It had to be packed right to be insured. DUH.
Obviously for an earring that arrives intact the USPS would never ever ever ever cover a missing diamond.
THINK about it.
They won't cover a broken CD..but sellers also say no insurance they are not responsible...the last two words says it all.

Yes that is what the seller said right in the listing. This seller sent me a diamond earring.it was missing a diamond and he said "look in the box"
http://myworld.ebay.com/moviemate

It clearly said 34 channel set diamonds in the listing.
When I got the package (received intact) I looked at the earrings under high power lighted magnification.


There was a missing diamond.

I emailed the seller and he said to look in the box for the missing diamond.

HUH?

Basically the seller said since I did not buy insurance I was screwed.
Never mind the FACT that the USPS would not cover an item with a fallen out diamond...
 That is the stupidest and most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.
 
I did not buy a LEGO set...that needed to be assembled.
Always good idea to look under high power magnification..(HINT you can use two pairs of reader glasses as high power).
Some things are hard to detect with a naked eye.

(yeah..some jewelry here on Ebay and other cheap sites will also fall apart...they do a snap fit setting...not done by jeweler....).


I did suggest the seller send me a TOKEN  five dollar refund via Paypal.
That is a great way to handle merchandise that is ok, but not exactly what you expected.

Seller wanted me on my dollar  to return so he could see.
Since he already said no insurance no responsibility and no refund  I declined to return it..then I could have been out BOTH the money and the merchandise.  Seller already was proven to be a non-business person. Illogical.
If I sent the earrings back (which were lovely)  then I would have a credit card hassle.


I did try to get him to see my point of view...but he was unreceptive.
I kept the item...because it was not worth the hassle of returning them..and mostly because I loved them.
I gave the seller bad feedback after he sent numerous nasty emails.
ALL I ASKED FOR WAS FIVE BUCKS TO OFFSET A MISSING DIAMOND.
SELLER WAS TOO STUPID AND ILLOGICAL. WHAT IS FIVE BUCKS.
INSTEAD HE WENT ME EARRINGS WITH A MISSING DIAMOND AND A BENT POST.
AND WANTED ME TO PAY FOR RETURN SHIPPING SO HE COULD INSPECT THEM.

Far as insurance goes, THE USPS does not pay off.
If the item is glass and breaks they will say it is poorly packaged.

If the time is lost you must wait 30 days..then BOTH buyer and seller fills out paperwork.

Yes, if you are receiving jewelry, sometimes you may want to insure.WHY? because all the buyer has to show (assuming you paid via credit card or PayPal,. preferably BOTH), is that it was delivered. If stolen after delivery, you are out of luck. If it is expensive enough (over $250)..the seller is supposed to get signature confirmation. Sometimes it is wise to spend extra bucks to help insure a good outcome. Insure to me suggests MAYBE the USPS (or whomever ships) is extra careful.


Well, you do not really have all the protection under Ebay or Paypal that you think.
To prove the item is not as described, you have to pay an expert to get it appraised.
So that means you have to spend money..and ship it back, and oh yeah..if Paypal does not have money from the sellers account THEY WILL NOT PAY YOU ANYTHING.

Read the policy.

You used to be able to go through EBAY but they charge you $25..and you could ONLY get $200.

I would not presume to know the current policy and it changes...anyway.

But you are NOT protected...

PayPal is a safe way to pay...This means the seller does not get your credit card number. It does not mean they will send you quality merchandise. Or you will get a refund.

That is why the seller feedback is important...GOT to be 99 or higher..and from selling not buying.

Also look to see who buys. What is their score? If they have low scores then they are novice buyers.

Ebay is fun. I love it..but...morons like moviemate are out there. Protect yourself.
Weigh the options before you send back stuff to a seller. Always get a return receipt.

Good luck.