Multiple reality checks with this guy.
1) Buys a guitar with the wrong pics, 0 feedback seller and goes ahead and buys it anyway, knowing it's not right.
2) Uses USPS for shipping, they're the worst for signatures, ID, etc. You could be Nancy Pelosi signing for Donald Trump and they wouldn't care one bit.
3) Has so much online experience he makes a questionable (at best) buy, and is surprised when he gets scammed.
I'm sorry, Troglodite guy set himself up for this.
The rest of it for buying I agree with. I always use a credit card, not a debit card, and I never use PayPal balance funds unless I know the seller PERSONALLY, or is a friend.
This guy really set himself up for this, and frankly he's a few cans short of a six pack for making the purchase.
I've been buying online from eBay and using paypal/cc funds since 1997. I got scammed once for a Les Paul Jr. guitar case, but in the end, I wound up getting my money back from Fedex for returning it (wasn't a Junior case) it with insurance, and they got scammed when the seller said to deliver it to his side yard and leave it (dumb move Fedex). He claimed it got stolen but he was allowed to change the delivery location without asking me. I also got reimbursed by the credit card company, so I actually made out double, but it was a long hassle of forms, pictures, statements, etc.
Long story short, if it seems to good to be true...