ATV SHOPPERS BEWARE!!!  I WAS SEARCHING FOR A HONDA ATV OVER THE WEEKEND WHEN I CAME ACROSS THE BEST DEAL EVER.  A SELLER HAD A TRICKED OUT HONDA 450R QUAD FOR $1999.00 BUY NOW, WHICH IS  A  FRACTION OF WHAT THAT TYPE OF QUAD WOULD ACTUALLY COST.  AS SOON AS I CONTACTED THE SELLER TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS HE PULLED THE ATV OFF OF EBAY.  I CONTACTED HIM AGAIN TO SEE IF HE STILL HAD IT AND IF HE WAS STILL INTERESTED IN SELLING IT. THE SELLER THEN CONTACTED ME OUTSIDE OF EBAY IN AN ATTEMPT TO SELL THE QUAD TO ME THROUGH AN EBAY TRANSACTION, WHICH I AGREED TO.  LATER THAT DAY I RECEIVED A PURCHASE ORDER BY EMAIL SUPPOSEDLY FROM EBAY. THE EMAIL LOOKED VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONES EBAY SENDS.  THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS IT ( EMAIL) NEVER SHOWED UP IN MY EBAY MESSAGES.  THE EMAIL STATED THAT I PAY FOR THE ITEM IN FULL AND AFTER I COMPLETED PAYMENT THE ATV WOULD THEN BE SHIPPED TO ME FREE OF CHARGE AND ARRIVE WITHIN 3 DAYS.  THE SELLER SAID EBAY WOULD HOLD THE FUNDS UNTIL I COULD VERIFY THAT I HAD RECEIVED THE ATV AND WAS COMPLETLY SATISFIED WITH IT. THE SELLER STATED THE ATV WAS BEING SHIPPED FROM THE U.K.  THIS  RAISED A RED FLAG IMMEDIATELY, BECAUSE WHEN I INITIALLY CHECKING OUT THE AUCTION ON EBAY THE DESCRIPTION STATED THE SELLER AND ATV WERE LOCATED IN SAN MATEO, Ca. U.S.A.  THE SELLER SEEMED TO BECOME FRUSTRATED AND CONFUSED WHEN I CALLED HIM ON THIS DISCREPANCY.  AT ONE POINT HE TOLD ME THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THE TIME TO ANSWER ALL MY QUESTIONS AND I NEEDED TO MAKE PAYMENT RIGHT AWAY OR HE WOULD SELL THE QUAD TO ANOTHER INTERESTED BUYER.  AT THIS POINT IS WHEN I DECIDED TO GET EBAY'S SECURITY AND FRAUD DEPARTMENT INVOLVED.  THAT'S WHEN I BECAME AWARE HOW HARD IT WOULD BE TO GET A STRAIGHT ANSWER FROM EBAY, WHEN YOU HAVE SUSPICIONS OR DOUBTS ABOUT AUCTION ITEMS.  IT SEEMS ALL EBAY DOES IS GIVE YOU A GENERIC ANSWER. ALL I ASKED OF EBAY IS FOR THEM TO CONTACT THE SELLER WHO WAS SELLING THIS SPECIFIC QUAD TO CONFIRM THE OFFER.  I GUESS WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH ON OUR OWN AND BIDDING AT YOUR OWN RISK.  " BE CAREFUL" BECAUSE IT SEEMS THAT EBAY  MAKES NO ATTEMPTS TO REMOVE OR BLOCK ITEMS THAT ARE REPORTED AS POSSIBLE SCAMS... 

UPDATE; AS OF RECENTLY EBAY HAS TAKEN SOME MESSURES TO PROTECT BUYERS.  A FEW MONTHS AGO EBAY STARTED KEEPING BIDDERS I.D.'S HIDDEN FROM EVERYONE EXCEPT THE SELLER.  THEIFS WILL NOT LONGER BE ABLE TO GET IN CONTACT WITH BIDDERS AND POSSIBLY DEFRAUD THEM. I KNOW THESE ARE ONLY BABY STEPS, BUT NEVER THE LESS THEY ARE STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.