Buyer beware

When it comes to eBay shopping, I learned a very important lesson this week. Ask a lot of questions prior to bidding. If the the seller doesn't respond promptly, then be suspicious of the items for sale.

I recently won an auction for a xmas gift I was excited about. Turns out the item was a counterfeit and sold on the gray market. The seller didn't want to take responsibilty for this, but to his credit, he caught the forgery prior to shipping it to me. I'm waiting or my full refund, and hope it comes soon. His lack of communication led to me contacting him several times therefore I believe it put pressure on him to be more forthcoming...Anyways, I've been using eBay for a long time and this is my first problem I've come across...
Happy Holidays!