My daughter managed to break the USB cable for her Kodak camera (don't ask me how!). As our home is littered with USB cables with different connectors at the "not computer" end, I thought there must me some that fit - but no; Kodak has a very special proprietary connector at the camera end. After lots of searching, I found one online retailer in Sweden (and no brick&mortar shop) who had the cable. It would cost sek 200, about $32 + shipping.
Well, I'm getting warm searching eBay, and thought I'd give it a try, and sure - for $0.99 (+$4.29 s+h) I could get it from a seller in Hong Kong, universal_shop18!
So by buying from Hong Kong instead of Sweden, I saved at least $26 on a single USB cable!

While waiting for the computer I ordered from "Phantom The Scammer", I ordered keyboard stickers, as I, living in Sweden, might have trouble with the US keyboard layout.
Ordered a sticker set from  arik7648, that arrived at my desk within a week. Order confirmation, shipping confirmation - all went smooth.  Now, if I only had a computer to stick those stickers to...

Phantom1253 took my eBay virginity.
So - My first experience with eBay goes like this:
March 20, 2008, I took the plunge and ordered my long wished for Asus eee 8G from Phantom1253
$499.99+$40 shipping. Phantom soon contacted me (outside eBay) for an additional $25 for handling and insurance. OK, fine.
Hearing nothing, and seeing all his items for sale on eBay had vanished, I contacted him March 29. He promised me a tracking number later the same day. No tracking # arrived, and no replies to my more and more desperate messages until April 7. He now aplogizes, offers me a free SD card as compensation, and promises to ship and again give me a tracking # April 17. As I in the mean time have been in contact with another of Mr Phantom's customers, who really has received his Asus, I accepted the offer.
Much to my surprise (not) April 17 comes and goes, and no tracking number.
Since then: No sight nor sound of the Phantom. Basically the b*stard just took my $565 and disappeared.
April 21 I filed a claim with PayPal, to which Phantom's response is the usual nothing. As Phantom only carried a $200 buyer protection, I guess that's how much I can ever hope for recovering from this deal.
I've now discovered that Phantom1253 has moved on from eBay to other on line stores: www.route66perfumery and misterjelectronics.com are both run by Phantom1253. He may have other shops/scams going too, but can be spotted by his PayPal account, which is inlandempire11@gmail.com
He is also involved in various P2P lending operations.
Beware of this Internet Pirate.