I purchased gift cards for two massages at a local spa for $140. When my guests went to use their gift cards, the spa had quietly gone out of business. Do you have any advice for me to get any of my money back? The spa was Alexia's, 6254 S. Dixie Hwy., South Miami.

-- ANONYMOUS

I turned to Penny McCrea, one of the wizards behind The Miami Herald's Action Line, which addresses all manner of questions. If the spa filed for bankruptcy, you can file a claim with the trustee, she said.

(To confirm local bankruptcies, go to miami-dadeclerk.com/dadecoc/ and click on Search Recorded Documents. Keep checking for a while as there's a backlog, advises Monika Leal, our news research editor.) But McCrea notes that even if there's a bankruptcy, you'll have to get in line for your money, and that line might be very, very long.

''Unfortunately,'' McCrea said, ``if they're out of business, there's not much you can do.''

So sorry.

VICTORY FOR eBAY

On this side of the Atlantic, at least, eBay is safe for now. A federal court in the Southern District of New York has ruled against Tiffany & Co. in a long-running lawsuit claiming the online auctioneer is accountable for counterfeit merchandise it sold.

eBay didn't fare as well in France, where it lost a similar case brought by luxury goods maker LVMH. The U.S. case meant more to eBay, since this is its largest market and damages can run higher.

BLACK EN VOGUE

A colleague asked where she could find copies of July's Italian Vogue.

The issue is in hot demand. It showcases black models and black talent exclusively.

I called the News Cafe newsstand on Ocean Drive. ''Normally we carry it,'' manager Janka Kostovcikova said of the magazine, which costs $15.95. ''But we haven't received any.'' Base, on Lincoln Road, also stocks the publication. But they, too, are awaiting a shipment. In New York, meanwhile, fashion lovers are gunning for the issue, which is expected to sell out.

So much for the theory that there are few black models on runways because the public isn't interested.

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