There is not much trust in the world anymore. I really wanted an item on ebay, but it was in Canada, not US. The shipping estimater wouldn't work, so I contacted seller and included my email. Ebay rejected my email because of that. Ebay keeps very close watch! Long story short version- the seller worked with ebay and I did too. I really wanted this very rare and expensive item. The seller was permitted by ebay to call me directly. I took an act of faith and deposited my money directly to her PayPal account. Ebay knew we were doing this outside of them. The item was perfect and the woman has become a email friend. Ebay takes a percentage of a sale and sometimes it just isn't worth it for the seller. You will often see ads that are allowed by ebay letting sales save on shipping costs. I sent a check for a rebuilt sewing machine directly to an ebay seller. I was nervous but it turned out to be a perfect transaction and a wonderful Singer 301.