There just needs to be an easier way to buy bitcoins. I added it to my gamerholic site and a couple users were just confused on where they can buy coins. You have to click one link after another.

No, the current ecosystem of Bitcoin is just fine. You have to click one link after another because you just don't _know_ anybody who has bitcoins.

One day you will get robbed by one of these exchanges, and you will blame bitcoins (or the bad man) and swear to never work with Bitcoins again. But they will be just one link in a chain of exchanges that you've trusted each one, hundreds of times, to bring you music and movies for bitcash, and nobody will write an article about it.

I am a small volume user but I have never been scammed by anybody in Bitcoin, except for that Bitscalper fellow.

So what's the quickest and easiest way to buy bitcoins?

I'd vote mtgox, but they actually require to see your voter registration to allow trading into US dollars, my local currency, and I haven't furnished it. As well as state issued photo ident. You can buy them from me! I will accept either document as authentic proof, otherwise in #bitcoin-OTC on Irc.free node.net they are rather partial to the Gpg key as the mode for proving identity and tracking of scammers.

Don't you want to upgrade your currency, to the one where charge backs can not ever be issued against you, and its the whole world and science that keeps your money safe from hackers?

Bitinstant.com is the easiest. Just create a pending transaction on theie site (give them one of your bitcoin addresses, and tell them how much you want to buy) They give you a bank account #, and you just walk into that nearby bank with cash, fill out the deposit slip, and wait about 30 mins.

It depends on where in the world you are. http://howdoyoubuybitcoins.com/ may be helpful.

If only eBay accepted Bitcoin. Though that would open the door up to a host of new scams which eBay would be equally slow/unable to respond to and when they do, would probably only enable the scammers even more. Bottom line is no one there seems to give a shit anymore. Just stay away from that cesspool

And what about if the OP here was the buyer, and received a broken phone?

Then what?

Shouldn't the item be shipped to dispute resolution (or their agents). On confirmation of the ID of the item (eg IMEI match or serial number or whatever) they can asses the item against the description.

If the item matches then return to the complainant (buyer) at the buyer's cost + add a service charge. Seller keeps all their money. Buyer's account marked for fraud watch.

If the item doesn't match then refund the buyer with a chargeback, return item to seller at the seller's cost + add a service charge. Seller loses their money. Seller's account marked for fraud watch; selling fees increased.

Items not paid to be returned can be sold on to help cover admin costs for items that buyer's or sellers do not want returning.

Note that in the OP ebay claim to have assessed that the items didn't match the description and so buyer protection is invalidated. But they haven't checked and so are defrauding the seller in respect to this claim.

It's easier to find a seller to trust than a buyer to trust.

Edit for accuracy: It's easier to verify the trustworthiness of a seller than that of a buyer.