Buying telescope accessories and other optics on Ebay can be a great way to get excellent equipment at low prices. But beware of listings that have all the "look and feel" of a USA seller when in fact they are foreign. Recently I bought an item that was listed as being in Buffalo, NY. When I won the auction, I was directed to send my $$ to a Canadian address. When I did so, the merchandise arrived with postage and origination in Hong Kong!
I am not implying that anything shady was ongoing. My item was as advertised. But I would have been up the creek without a paddle if the auction was a scam. You cannot reclaim lost money from a seller on the other side of the world. Ebay has no rule requiring foreign sellers to disclose their product's shipping point or where their office is located.
My advice? If the item is more money than you can afford to lose, let's say $50. Email the seller before you bid and ascertain that it is in the USA. If not, and you have a very high feedback rating, insist the seller send you the merchandise first, and then pay when it arrives.
Afterall, it is not carved in stone than payment must precede shipping of goods. Mutual trust is what keeps Ebay working.
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