eBay is just a marketing tool for pinball sellers. Private pins nearly always sell and rarely get pulled "last minute". Dealers always look for naive and impulse buyers. If they spent more time understanding the market and the product they are selling, they wouldn't need to resort to manipulating sales.

Customers will always remember a bad experience. It is a buyer's market and there are a lot of sellers that want your money ! So do your homework and there will be bargains