I have purchased a lot of things on ebay and have been very please with the transaction as well as the shipping. I go by the sellers rating and feedback to judge if I make a purchase. I especially read the negative feedback. Most of those need to be taken with a grain of salt when reading. Also, if the seller has other similar items for sale, i.e. other sewing or embroidery machines in your case. If you are purchasing from the original owner, if they have sold before read their feedback. If you are buying from a first time seller, get the ebay protection and pay with paypal.