I don't want to get started on a brand name flame war, but I read that and thought I woke up in Bizarro world.
There's nothing wrong with buying used stuff, it's the sight-unseen from a stranger aspect of it that's asking for trouble. One of my buddies deals back and forth on Craigslist all the time and has never had a problem, but that's because he only works with local folks whose real address he can determine and with gear that he can inspect before he buys it.
And eBuy is OK when you're buying some non-electronic and non-mechanical stuff that's hard to show pictures of broken. I got some fantastic deals on some good eyepieces for my telescope last year that way, for example. But anything with electronics or motors in it I wouldn't even *think* about buying unless I could check it out first person first.
G.