Will definitely keep an eye out, as I usually try to buy Australian to save on shipping... I want all of the australian ponies - back off! LOL, kidding.

So glad you got your money back, hun. While Aus Post has been bad in the past, I've been getting stuff rather quickly of late. Although they are the reason I don't really buy GC's anymore, I dare say they play happy sac with the parcels sometimes! Also there's rumours of them refusing to ship things with 'fragile' written on them, insured or otherwise, because they're so bad with handling.

Good luck searching for your new fireball, too.

I love finding ponies like that, but hate the waiting game!

I'm actually in a similar situation, I found a whole bunch of vintage stuff on Gumtree, which is like a general online trading post here in Australia. Thankfully I'm the only buyer, but it took aaages for that email to come through with the "yes, they are still available." I'm now waiting until Saturday to pick them up... It's really exciting, because the pics are so blurry I've only tentatively identified some of them... I can barely pick wings and horns and poses! but I think I have a complete pony bride, some newborn twin rockers, a couple of keypers, some sparkle ponies, Plushies, the g2 dainty dove playset and maybe even a princess tiffany. Hoping so, at any rate... So excited! There's also some vintage fakies.... eek!

It is as important to be a good buyer as it is to be a good seller on ebay!

For instance, I just received a winterberry in atrocious condition. Her listing said 'no major pen marks', but she has pen all over her. I considered leaving bad feedback, I was extremely disappointed, but then I looked at the listing and her feedback profile, and didn't. She'd left me good feedback, which usually indicates good faith. She'd had no idea who the other pony in the listing was, and the majority of the pen was on one side. Looking at the other listings, she was obviously a mother of several children, and the problems had obviously either been overlooked, or she'd described the wrong pony, as there were two listings for ponies, and as I bought both, I knew the other one was without major pen marks.

A simple mistake by someone who leads a busy life and it's a wonder gets online at all! Obviously not a collector, and obviously not malicious.

I left feedback for the good transaction, not the other. I didn't want to affect her 100% score for a simple mistake, or even bother her with the details. I paid next to nothing, I was happy regardless.

You really need to look at the seller when these things happen, and not jump right to ebay like a ninja. You can usually work it out with the seller, just use tracking just like you would with a dispute, take screenies/photos of everything as proof, and it usually all works out. A good feedback rating usually indicates good communication! I've never had an ebay dispute for anything other than items getting lost in the post. Even then sometimes the seller and I work it out, but I only buy replaceable items from those areas/sellers in future!

Oh, and put return address labels on everything, you never know!

I'm going with the maybe, dependant of circumstances. I've borrowed a colleagues phone to call my house phone when I forgot my mobile phone, and my hubby had fallen asleep and I had to get a housemate to wake him to pick me up from work late at night.. and I'd do the same for them, and I'd definitely allow it in an emergency.

I refuse to allow strangers to use my phone in a non-emergency situation. Use a payphone, or find a store with a phone, or ask a man, or someone less vulnerable-looking!

I'm so happy for you. Anyone would be MAD to send that precious bundle back, if I was buying G3's atm, I'd take her happily. and honestly, for three pounds? pfft, those girls often go for more than that.

My g3's are all over the place. Glue in tails, over symbols, smudged eyes, etc, slightly uneven hair is the least of their problems! Even some of the g2's had factory flaws, my Tipsy Tulip and Moonshadow both had tail pulls straight out of package, and I had two Cupcakes - Mine and a friend's, both bought and unpackaged together, but mine had amazing hair, hers was shockingly bad.

I'm a perfectionist, but seriously, I'd be scared to sell to her. When you know a pony, you don't nearly scrutinize it as much as you should sometimes... Thankfully I always take gazillions of photos, just like with my real horses before they go on a transport!

oh. my. gosh... gorgeous!!!!

I was actually dream-designing my pony rooms on the ikea site with the billy system, lol, thanks for confirming ladies!

I'm such a dag... I've picked the style of house, my shelving, storage, etc... just don't have the money, yet!

Marry that man! LOL!

Happy birthday and congrats on your wonderful presents - the lovely playset and discovering how fab your man really is!

My hubby has never bought me ponies as a special occasion gift, but has bought me some at markets and stuff, but we pay for stuff for each other all the time. He is tolerant, but not enthusiastic like your man! My bestie has two kids and still hasn't told her man what's in 'those boxes' in the spare room! You're truly blessed!

Unfortunately dirt inside packaging is pretty common in these G4's, because of gaps in the packaging. When the Promo pack with fluttershy came out, I had a hard time finding a clean one, every other pony had dirty wings! I was also disappointed yesterday when I grabbed the very last Lily Blossom to find that her swan was filthy.