My original SEVERAL bands came from a different vendor that shall remain nameless...they were TOTAL GARBAGE and I had to fight for a refund... so when I bought this one I had some pangs of worry that the same thing would happen and now 2 years later...not one iota of trouble. I love this Raphael.
It's worth a shot! My friend saw a listing on eBay from them with a "Buy it Now" + "Or Best Offer". She put in her best offer and got a few hundred $s taken off the price. I hear that they're really good to deal with.
I have purchased from SP. I found them easy to work with and their pieces are authentic. Should you ever find that a piece is not as advertised, it can be returned.