Good restoration is meant to be invisible, which is exactly why the question has to be asked rather than inferred.
The questions
"What has been repaired, replaced or restored?" Ask it every time. A seller who answers specifically — "the right rear foot is a replacement and the glass is modern" — is a seller worth bidding with. Non-answer: "It's all original."
"Can you show the underside and the back?" Repairs, replaced parts, old labels and marks are all there.
"Is it original, repaired, restored or married?" The trade's four words. A married piece — made from parts of more than one original — is legitimate to sell and a serious misdescription when undeclared. The vocabulary.
"Can you measure it on camera?" Scale in a photograph is unreliable, and this is the category where buyers most often find that out after delivery.
"Has it been refinished or polished?" Removing an old surface removes value and cannot be undone.
"How is it getting to me?" Heavy, fragile and awkward is where delivery goes wrong. If it is collection, the terms are agreed before you bid. How pickup works.
What protection covers
Undeclared restoration, a married piece sold as original, measurements that are materially wrong: seven days from delivery. An honest "I do not know how old this is" that you chose to bet on is not.
Questions people ask
Is woodworm a deal-breaker?
Ask whether it is old and inactive or current, and ask to see it.
Should I ask for a valuation?
No. Ask what the seller knows and how they know it.
Can I ask for more photos mid-show?
Yes, and a good seller has them ready.
More: buying antiques, what one is worth.