You might have bought some items that you really loved (paintings, statues, etc), but they are big, fragile, or heavy. You really need to ship them to your country, instead of having to carry them for the rest of your holiday.

The merchant says no problem, and it seems like he’s honest, as he might show you some proof that he shipped tons of items overseas before. You pay, finish your holiday, go home and in two weeks you receive the delivery!

Problem is, the item is different: either smaller size, worse quality, or even slightly defective. There is no eBay return policy, the merchant is not a big name chain company, and you can’t catch the guy on the phone.

How to avoid: pay by credit card and keep the receipts. Best yet, take tons of pictures of the item when you buy it, until you annoy the merchant. In this case, chances are smaller that he’ll send you a fake.