ok, last reply.
it seems alot of you are less cautious that I, but it's easy to criticize when it's not your money on the line. Sure, there is nothing immediately suspicious about the auction listing, but dig a little bit more and some curious things emerge.
here are the red flags:
1) the seller sent only one email 2 weeks after the auction close asking if I was still interested. This lone email from a juno account was the only contact I ever had with the seller. I replied that I did still wanted the bike, but needed some additional details about the bike to insure the seller did in fact have the bike in his possession. never heard back from the seller.
2) the seller refused (or couldn't) answer some very straightforward questions about the item.
I sent repeated emails during and after the auction close.
3) the seller had no activity on his account since 2001 and then 3 big ticket items all within a couple months in 2005. the only two recent positive feedbacks (in 2005) where for large items from a buyer no longer registered who also happened to recently sell similar items (all alloy wheels). have a look at those listings, almost identical even tho the sellers are different.
Subsequent to all this, I was contact thru ebay by winner of one of this sellers items. He asked if I thought the seller was legitimate and if he should send $1000 by Western Union. I gave him my honest assessment: no way would I send any money by any means to this seller.
Say what you want, but all of the above reasons point to hacked account or a shady seller. I should mention that I only left negative feedback after giving the seller ample time to return my emails. I've still not received any feedback from him.
I'm really surprised people are so quick to jump to the defense of this type of seller. Surely they wouldn't send their own money under these circumstances.