My friends ask me this all the time. My advice to them, would you buy a car solely based on pictures and a description? I don't know about you, but when I buy a car, especially a used one, I want to check it out in person. I want to see how it drives, any problems with the engine, electronics (if applicable), etc. Anyone can make a car look and sound good through pics and a brief description, but all that doesn't matter if you can't even start the engine yourself, in my opinion.
I'm not exactly sure how ebay works in handling cars, but whenever looking for a used car I go to craigslist. I ask for a brief history of the car (any major damage, repairs, any service records, etc.), ask if a test drive is ok, and ask if I can bring it to a professional mechanic of MY choice for a check-up. This also gives me a chance to meet the owner and see if they actually cared for the car by giving it standard on-time maintenance, and believe me I've seen some pretty bad stuff when finding a used vehicle.
