Losing patience with eBay

We all love it for buying and selling general tat, but I've been driven round the bend recently by trying to sell a high value item on eBay.

I guess it's a reputation thing. If you're going to be asking hundreds of pounds for something, the buyer is likely to doubt you unless you're a powerseller. I know if I was a potential buyer at that kind of price I'd be a bit sceptical. But it's also the constant scamming and timewasting that makes eBay a right pain in the posterior when it comes to high value goods.

My first winning bidder was a straightforward fraudster and, luckily, a transparent fraudster at that. Then I tried again, and again the auction was won - but this time by a chronic ditherer who ended up being unable/unwilling to pay.

So now I'm selling my wares by word of mouth instead. It's the only way to do it. If I was flogging an old guitar pedal or something similar I'd have no problems with going back to eBay, but when it comes to the serious stuff, I've just given up.

Anyone else got similar tales of woe? Or is it just me?