I agree with Eeyore. I have bought and sold hundreds of items on e-bay and it CAN BE a matter of caveat emptor. As for photographic items I have been lucky but have heard stories of those who haven,t. Think about it. Expensive items that can be sold five times over - a nice scam. As Eeyore says watch the price and the goods could be damaged
or damaged or lost in transit, so insure against loss should you go down this avenue. If the seller will not allow you to collect the item - run a mile! Always check the seller's feedback espescially with an expensive item. Remember items from abroad can be charged duty and can work out dearer than you would pay in this country should H M Customs collar you plus should you be lucky and evade the duty there could be problems when you go on holiday when the item has a serial no. where duty has not been paid. Finally when you buy from a recognised retailer or someone you know you are getting a bona fide item not a copy.
As for the Bigma I have only recently acquired mine (from Warehouse Express) and I am most impressed. When I opened the package I was amazed at the quality of the engineering then picked it up! It was heavy. It needs a lot of light but with a tripod it can still produce beautiful bird pictures on a lousy day. It took me a while to get to grips with it but now I am over the moon with it! One word of warning keep the strap around your wrist. I dropped mine and the cost of repair? £205! But I still love it. I've just posted a couple of images in the
Gallery which take 48 hrs to show so check those when you can and if
a beginner can produce those then the lens speaks for itself. (That's if I've done it right!)