if you use a credit card instead of paypal, you wouldn't have been out of your money for 12 days, you wouldn't have been out of money at all
I cut up my credit cards 11 years ago, I have no need to borrow andI don't live so close to the economic edge that a 12 daywait for a refund of a few hundred dollars is a big deal. Not saying my way is the only way, but I'm happy with it. I like having the PayPal buffer between me and the sellers on ebay. I'd rather not be giving card info directly to them.
YMMV.