Dad duped by Xbox One eBay 'photo' auction

A British father who bought a "bargain" XBox One on eBay was shocked to receive a grainy printed photo of one instead.

Peter Clatworthy, 19, spent a year saving up to buy a limited edition of the sought-after console for his son McKenzie's fourth Christmas.

But the student was duped last week by an advert which said "XBox One Fifa Day One Edition, Photo Brand New UK 2012" - referring only to a sheet of A4 paper.

The auction site seller even wrote "thank you for your purchase" on the back.

The student, from Bilborough, Nottinghamshire, said: "I'm absolutely gutted.

"I had saved up for months, just cutting back on things and putting money in a pot, £20 here and £10 there.

"It came in a brown envelope. When the postman gave it to me I kept asking him if he was sure this package was for me and he kept saying it was.

"As soon as I knew it was for me I realised it was a con. I pulled out a crumbled piece of A4 paper with a pretty bad picture of an Xbox One probably taken from Google.

"I was shocked but then I thought, I only have myself to blame because it does say the word 'photo' on the ad."

The father-of-one has since been refunded by eBay but will be unlikely to pick up another console - as it has almost completely sold out in the UK just two weeks after its release.

Normally selling for £430, the Xbox One is sold out in the UK until the new year yesterday on major online retailers, including Amazon, along with the Playstation 4.

Tessa Coates, Trading Standards Officer at Nottinghamshire County Council, said there were several ways for buyers to protect themselves.

She added: "We would encourage all eBay buyers to pay for their goods using PayPal to give them extra protection.

"PayPal states that if the item doesn't match the seller's description or gets lost in the post then it will give the buyer their money back.

"Our main tips for buying online generally this Christmas is make sure you're getting a good deal, know who you're dealing with and protect your personal and financial information."

Despite his experience, Mr Clatworthy said friends and even his mother have done little to console him.

"I told my brother and he was crying with laughter," he said. "So were all of my mates. It is quite embarrassing.

"Even my mum said I was a bit stupid considering it said it was a photo on the listing.

"This has definitely turned me off eBay and I don't think I will be using it again because of this.

"It has potentially ruined Christmas."

He added: "I emailed the seller and he told me it was a console - so he did lie to me."

An eBay spokesman said: "We don't allow listings which mislead, and will take action against this seller.

"Customers can shop with confidence on eBay as we guarantee you will get your item or your money back.

"Mr Clatworthy is covered by the eBay money-back guarantee and we will be contacting him to put things right."

- Daily Mail