yeah I'm not sure about the limit search to amazon thing....I think I tried that before but couldn't find a way to do it
so yeah, the only way to get decent shipping is by amazon.com as the seller.
And I'd go with Amazon over ebay any day, unless there is just some peculiar unknown item that is for sale on ebay.
With amazon, I believe you are actually protected. If someone doesn't deliver, or delivers something not what is stated, something doesn't arrive...Amazon will actually take care of it. With ebay...you might be protected...And MIGHT is it. Even their little protection things are filled with holes. For example, ebay protection might protect you only if your credit source can sue ebay...otherwise you purchase under protection, and don't meet this and that...they'll laugh at you.
I once thought I was protected because they told me to pay through paypal, and paypal credit...so I thought I was double protected....turns out my bad, I used my bank to transfer funds to my paypal to pay for an item...and that let the scam go scott free.
Amazon.com hasn't failed me yet...and I'll plug buy.com too