I would not call lyndal's comment rude or condescending. Rather, lyndal was pointing out that sometimes actively trying a few courier sites to see whether the tracking number gives a result may be useful.
I know, for instance, that more than one buyer has posted with accusations of tracking numbers being fake when it was not necessarily the case. Calling a tracking number "fake" is a conclusion; it is tremendously helpful if the buyer posts the various bits of evidence that they have rather than a conclusion that they reached, particularly if the evidence can provide other members here with avenues to check in an attempt to help the buyer.
(Re the "spoonfed" comment - I think that unfortunately we as consumers are sometimes reluctant to help ourselves, don't you agree? Sometimes we do seem to expect information handed to us, when it may not be difficult to access the information ourselves. Perhaps this is the lazy generation...? It's not flattering, but ... perhaps to an extent it is justified. We're probably all at fault with this to an extent. I freely admit for instance that I will for preference get a male to change a flat tyre, even though I'm capable of changing one myself. That's at least one example of my preferring to be spoonfed an inflated tyre situation.)
Of course, there will indeed be some occasions when tracking numbers are fake. I'm sorry that you had that horrible experience some years ago wtih a fake tracking number, the seller's fruitless promises, and the fake PayPal refund information. Your experience serves as a good warning to buyers not to be lackadaisical about checking the raw evidence rather than what's given in an email.
For example - one quick look at your PayPal account (logging in from a new browser window) would have shown you that there wasn't any refund. (I suspect that you would now always do so! I hope that it wasn't too costly a loss.)
I hope also that you've learned about the timeframes for opening a dispute on eBay, and/or through PayPal. It's always worth keeping your eye on the updated User Agreements that you'd be receiving from eBay and PayPal, and also on the Policy pages here on eBay which outline any changed timeframes and conditions.
If you continue to buy from Chinese sellers, it's also worth becoming educated about doing business with Chinese sellers. There are definitely differences involved, and there are certainly inherent risks. Also note that for high-volume sellers, you would probably be well advised to avoid any with a feedback score lower than 99.5%.
Make yourself as aware as possible of what protections are in place, and then you can protect yourself as much as possible in online buying. Sometimes the best protection is to say to yourself, "No. I'm not buying from this seller. Something is wrong here."
Re eBay and Chinese sellers, you'll be aware that they're registered on eBay.cn. Different rules apply there, because it complies with Chinese law, not Australian law. Just as here in Australia, the PayPal-only move was blocked some years ago because of Australian legislation and the submissions of many eBay members to the ACCC (you recall?), whereas in the US, it was a different story. We in Australia also see the following on listings: "Refunds by law: In Australia, consumers have a legal right to obtain a refund from a business if the goods purchased are faulty, not fit for purpose or don't match the seller's description." That's there because of our consumer legislation.
So... in China, it's a different story. Different legislation, different cultural expectations, different behaviours, and - I'm sorry - different action by eBay towards bad sellers registered in China. Once we understand this, it gives a new light to buying on eBay; it reminds us to be careful in our purchases, because some of our choices - if they have horrible consequences - can't be fixed or remedied by eBay. If you, for instance, buy electrical goods or electronic goods from China, and as a result of those goods not meeting Australian standards your house burns down, a child dies, you suffer horrific injuries, etc., you'll not have any sort of recompense by either the Chinese seller or by eBay. Nor is it likely that your insurance will cover you. If you'd bought from an Australian company, not only would you be covered by Australian consumer protection and assured of warranty, but even more importantly you wouldn't be subjecting yourself to the risk of an electric/fire disaster because what you purchase from authorised sellers in Australia is going to meet Australian safety standards.
