[R-390] Bad Overseas EBay Experience

[WF2U]

I've had eBay dealings with sellers from Austria, Germany, Italy, Holland,
Canada the UK and Australia and the transactions were flawless.
My only bad experience was with one "seller" from Australia. In June 2004 I
won an auction for an "Australphone" Australian made military HF
transceiver, and I transferred to the seller's bank account by direct wire
transfer $350 , which included the price and $218 surface parcel post
charges. I never received the item, the seller ceased being an eBay member
shortly after the transaction, and my repeated e-mails and registered
"snail" mails were never answered. So I'm out $350 and had no idea how to
try to either retrieve the money or get the equipment...

73, Meir WF2U
Landrum, SC