breezinup - I appreciate your comments about the Bay, which I think - in part at least - is attributable to their 'ratings' system. That's why many Sellers (on the Bay) emphasize why, if the Buyer purchases anything that appears to be not as advertised or with a problem, to contact the Seller asap so that hopefully the issue can be resolved to both parties' satisfaction, thereby avoiding the all-important 'negative feedback' for the Seller.
Also, like you, I haven't had any real bad experiences on the Bay; but then again - I'm a very cautious prospective buyer and carefully review everything the Seller says (and shows). As far as the Forum goes, I'm a relative newcomer to it so I haven't bought (or sold) anything on it; but my wife already chides me that I've got too many trains! (lol)
