Covered by the Nottingham Post this week, 19-year-old father Peter Clatworthy spent £450 +£8 shipping (approximately $750) on a poorly printed picture of Microsoft’s new Xbox One gaming console. Seeking the console as a Christmas gift for his four-year-old son, Clatworthy fell for a common eBay scam in which the poster offers a picture of a popular, in-demand electronics product rather than the actual device. Another twist on the scam is to offer the empty box that used to house the device, again at an exorbitant price that matches the going rate for the actual product.
Interestingly, Clatworthy knew that the title of the listing somewhat deceptively stated the auction winner would receive a photo of the Xbox One rather than the actual console. He said that he bid on the auction anyway because the description had details about the Xbox One, the category of the listing was the same as other Xbox One consoles and seller’s eBay feedback wasn’t troubling.
After completing the purchase on November 28, Clatworthy received a printed photo in the mail with the message “Thank you for your purchase” written on the back. Speaking about the purchase after receiving the picture, Clatworthy said “I looked at the seller’s feedback and there was nothing negative. I bought it there and then because I thought it was a good deal. It’s obvious now I’ve been conned out of my money.”
Fortunately for Clatworthy, eBay was helpful when contesting the purchase and Clatworthy has received a full refund for the poorly thought-out purchase. Releasing a statement about the incident, an eBay spokesperson said “The seller has been banned from eBay. We have also contacted the customer directly to arrange the refund as promised.”
After the story broke on the Nottingham Post this week, Clatworthy has received a significant amount of feedback, both negative and positive, from the online community about the purchase. Clatworthy said “It’s been a mixed bag really. I’ve had people saying I’m stupid and I’ve been joking along with them. There have also been some people on the internet saying it’s horrible what happened.”
