E-Bay For Dummies

I apologize if this has been covered before.
Okay, so I've only just recently reached a position where I can seek out figures that I've wanted for a while, and I've been able to find most of them at reliable online retailers like BBTS. However, there are a few that I can't find anywhere....except e-bay.
I have never used e-bay, and am chary(re: paranoid) at the prospect, as I've seen that it is essentially unregulated and thus has very little accountability for sellers.
So, my question:
What(if any) is a good way to tell if a seller is legit, or full of crap? The ratings seem to be worthless, and easily manipulated.
Any other information, things to watch out for, etc. would be greatly appreciated as well.
Thanks.
Okay, so I've only just recently reached a position where I can seek out figures that I've wanted for a while, and I've been able to find most of them at reliable online retailers like BBTS. However, there are a few that I can't find anywhere....except e-bay.
I have never used e-bay, and am chary(re: paranoid) at the prospect, as I've seen that it is essentially unregulated and thus has very little accountability for sellers.
So, my question:
What(if any) is a good way to tell if a seller is legit, or full of crap? The ratings seem to be worthless, and easily manipulated.
Any other information, things to watch out for, etc. would be greatly appreciated as well.
Thanks.
