Hello 'sammcbatman',
How long ago did you buy the item? What, exactly, was the content of the "error message"? You say the transaction "didn't work", but if you have been charged, then it would appear it did.
When you mouse over the phrase My eBay at the upper right of the page, you can click on Purchase History. Is the item there? If you have been charged for it, it should be. If it is not really recent, directly under the Purchases bar, click the word Archived.
When you see the item, there should be a bright blue dollar sign toward the right. That means you paid. Is that what you have? You say you checked your card's balance, -- but I would think statement information would provide more useful details.
You don't say when you bought it, but if the item is in your Purchase History with a blue dollar sign, - then the thing to do is wait for the item to arrive.
If it has been more than 4 weeks (there is a 'sale date' which will tell you when you bought it) and you have not received it, - you will want to have a look at the following link about Items Not Received:
http://pages.ebay.ca/help/buy/item-not-received.html
You have 45 days from when you paid, to file a claim for an item that does not show up. Best to file no later than day 43, some even say as early as day 40. Do not close the dispute until you have either your item or you refund.
If you just purchased it recently, that may not be necessary. You will, however, want to give it a few weeks to arrive.
