Online auctions, and trust

Occasionally I buy or sell things on eBay. When I tried to do this today I couldn't - I can't list any items until I have set up an automatic method for paying their fees. This seems to mean pre-authorising PayPal on my credit card - which will only happen when I believe that it is a reputable and well-run organisation. While the pigs don their goggles and taxi down the runway I headed over to eBid.net

Looking good here, and my item is listed, but then I got an email. Apparently my account is unavailable until I have provided them with a scan of a recent utility bill and my passport/driving licence. There are very few people who I will trust with documents like that, and eBid aren't on the list

I'm going down to the supermarket to write out some of those little cards that they have...