So you're basically saying that you'd rather MA carry on being unhelpful buttheads, but give us some crappy bug-ridden system to save people from their own stupidity instead?
I really don't think it happens enough to warrant a safeguard. MA's policy to restore them before was better. Just them being reasonably helpful was nice. Item locking leads to added layers of protection, added confusion for noobs, and you still have risk of making a mistake. As many people say - the repair and TT interface look pretty similar too.
But none of that is the point IMHO. MA need to loosen up, and provide some decent service for a change, then none of this would be a worry. Sorry, I think we'll have to agree to disagree.
When you're talking about big amounts of money (which EU items generally are), the company who is in charge needs to take some responsibility - a duty of care if you will. It's not a lot to ask. If it costs them some overhead, so be it! They are raking it in.
You should be able to play from day to day without the worry that you might lose a few thousand bucks down a crack. They are virtual items, goddamn it. They are NOT irreplacable.
If MA weren't lazy unhelpful butt-monkeys, this poll would have never been created in the first place.