I had this happen once on a Mr Pinball listing... I sent payment immediately and for the next two months received promises, excuses, health issues, friend troubles, etc. I did a little due diligence before sending off my $100, but after a couple months there are no excuses left, and I as hard as I tried to be nice, I had to resort to strong words, for it was either laziness or a scam and I had to know. I did eventually get it, so perhaps some of the excuses were legit.

This is exactly what makes me wary about buying an entire pinball machine. Sending $5000 to some stranger in hopes that he ships something to you that resembles the description. I've turned down several great games due to this lack of confidence, but in general the community is small and success rate seems high, especially if locals are willing to help out.