UK woman claims she is sexually harassed on eBay

McPherson says she was targeted by men online. Photo / Ebay / Amazingle

A UK mother-of-two who models clothes to sell on eBay claims she receives dozens of lewd messages every day from men using the site.

Katherine Macpherson from Salisbury in Wiltshire takes revealing photographs of herself in the garments before putting them online to make some extra cash.

But the 42-year-old said eBay needs to do something to stop her being bombarded with obscene responses from men.

Macpherson told Alex West of The Sun people need to "control themselves", and claimed one man repeatedly sent her naked images, while another said he stumbled across her page as he tried to buy a tractor.

She said she had also been targeted by groups of men who use the site to find women and has been sent photos of genitalia.

"One person who sent me several unanswered messages and then became more insistent before sending me a picture of his penis was on my blocked bidder list and should not have been able to contact me but somehow still managed it.

"I reported him and was informed by eBay that if they received any more complaints from other users they may consider suspending his account."

Macpherson, who has two sons aged four and eight months, told The Sun: "There is sexual harassment that is being ignored and virtually condoned.

"I sell dresses and other clothing which I think is better marketed by being pictured worn.

"The eBay community's answer to this is that because I use myself as my model that 'I'm asking for it' and 'what do you expect'."

A spokesman for eBay said: "This is something we call member to member communication.

"eBay take this very seriously and if there are any allegations of harassment that is something we will look into and take action on.

"We will look into this specific case and investigate it."