P.Pop
eBay's not all bad, as long as you're sensible.
The majority of people who were scammed recently, were caught out by their own greed. They didn't buy the items through eBay, but they received e-mails offering them a very good deal if they purchased the goods outside of normal eBay methods.
It's the old saying "if something looks to good to be true, it probably is"
As long as you're cautious, and follow the guidelines, you are generally fairly safe, and have a resonable level of protection.
I've been scammed twice in 3 years, and both times I received all my money back, (although it took a while)
If you were to report the person who was using a friend to raise the bids (shill bidding), there's a good chance eBay would stop them trading, as this is against their rules.