online = gamble
are you feeling lucky my friend?

yes it is a slight gamble.. but as long as you pay through paypal, you will have them as insurance.

Also recommend that the dealer states that the plant up for auction is the plant you are bidding on.

If the seller has a high rating, I would say go for it. But DO make sure that you are bidding on that plant that is shown, if that's the one you want. I have bought a handful of plants off of ebay and had really good experiences with all of them, even when buying overseas. Be aware though that with plants like nepenthes, the pitchers will usually die back when you receive the plant and repot due to the trauma of shipment. Mine have usually bounced back in a matter of weeks though.