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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think this father shouldn't get a free Xbox One for making a mistake?

157 replies

Topaz25 · 10/12/2013 13:36

"A teenager who was scammed into buying a photo of an Xbox One on eBay for £450 has been given the real thing by an electronics store.

Peter Clatworthy, 19, was planning to surprise his four-year-old son with the newly released Microsoft console but received a picture of one instead.

The teenager, from Bilborough, Nottinghamshire, was given a full refund by eBay but still lamented that Christmas wasn’t going to be Christmas without an Xbox One.

But now a CEX outlet in Nottingham has stepped in and gifted him the video games system, which is sold out in the UK."
metro.co.uk/2013/12/09/teenager-scammed-into-buying-450-photo-of-xbox-one-on-ebay-gets-given-real-one-for-free-4223279/

OK, so he was scammed but the listing did say it was for a photo and he received a full refund from eBay. I think that's where this story should have ended. It's gone too far now. He shouldn't be rewarded for making a mistake and a four year old doesn't need an Xbox One! If CEX wanted publicity, they could have donated the console to a charity.

AIBU to think he shouldn't get a free Xbox One for making a mistake and he was trying it on by saying Christmas was ruined because he couldn't get a games console for himself for his four-year-old son?

OP posts:
BeyondTheLimitsOfXmasability · 10/12/2013 19:09

He's sold it and bought a ps4?

He has seen the error of his ways... Xmas Grin

Heartbrokenmum73 · 10/12/2013 19:10

Well, my ds was playing the X Box One when he was two months old. And it hadn't even been released!

So ner to all of you!

IamInvisible · 10/12/2013 19:13

He didn't say he'd sold it Beyond, he was saying he was going to buy a PS4 for him, because the XBox was obviously not for his DS!

tracypenisbeaker · 10/12/2013 19:13

Agree with the posters saying the donation would have been better made to a children's unit. Spread some joy in some otherwise bleak lives.

It's not like he didn't have the money to pay for it (they could have contacted him saying 'We have one in stock if you still want to buy for Christmas, but not as good a story is it Wink)

Original poster
Topaz25 · 10/12/2013 19:27

tracypenisbeaker, I agree with your comment, but I'm mostly just posting to say your username is awesome and made me LOL IRL!

OP posts:
JakeBullet · 10/12/2013 19:33

I am delighted that the XBOX One has been released. it meant that by going halves with DS's Dad that 7 coukd afford to buy DS an XBox 360 .....which have massively gone down in price.

DS will be 11 on 20th December though so a bit older.....and only wants it for playing Minecraft.Grin

JakeBullet · 10/12/2013 19:36

....but OP, you are being a bit mean. Its nice of CEX and a bit of free publicity for them too.

If he has since sold it on then perhaps the four year old will get a nice load of age appropriate gifts instead.

Original poster
Topaz25 · 10/12/2013 19:37

Good point JakeBullet. A friend's DP recently got a PS3 for £50!

OP posts:
Original poster
Topaz25 · 10/12/2013 19:40

Whoops cross posted I meant good point about the previous generation consoles being cheaper.

OP posts:
tracypenisbeaker · 10/12/2013 19:53

how kind OP thanks Grin

Original poster
Topaz25 · 10/12/2013 19:55

Thank you for brightening my mood.

OP posts:
TheDoctrineOfSanta · 10/12/2013 19:56

I have now heard of CEX.

I previously had not.

Score one for CEX.

needaholidaynow · 10/12/2013 20:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Topaz25 · 10/12/2013 20:09

I agree the seller is scum, they were obviously relying on someone misreading the listing but they are being investigated by eBay and the buyer was fully refunded. I just think that's where this story should have ended.

OP posts:
cantheyseeme · 10/12/2013 20:12

Am i missing something or didnt cex give him it because he couldnt buy one due to everywhere being sold out?

Original poster
Topaz25 · 10/12/2013 20:19

He could have bought one after Christmas, I thought it was ridiculous to say Christmas was ruined because he didn't get an console.

OP posts:
needaholidaynow · 10/12/2013 20:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cantheyseeme · 10/12/2013 20:22

I had planned what to buy dd well in advance and saved so if id thought id managed to buy it, have to wait for a refund after being scammed and then not be able to buy another because everywhere has sold out it would ruin it a bit for me too, im glad they didnt miss out in time for xmas Smile I would be WELL chuffed if i got a big fat freebie like that Grin

TheDoctrineOfSanta · 10/12/2013 20:29

But presumably the papers got hold of the scam story and it wouldn't surprise me if they cooked up a "do sad face and we'll get you a free one from one if our advertisers"

I don't think he chained himself to CEX looking sad till he got one.

Bogeyface · 10/12/2013 22:12

If he has since sold it on then perhaps the four year old will get a nice load of age appropriate gifts instead.

If you believe that then I've got a bridge to sell you!

Bogeyface · 10/12/2013 22:15

How easy it would be to make some extra bucks just by putting a misleading advert on eBay.

You can never con an honest man.

The ad clearly stated it was a photo, but the people that bid on it thought they were getting a bargain and were greedy enough to buy the glass ring instead of the diamond one in the photo. I have no sympathy for them.

If you can afford to spaff the best part of £500 on something that is a complete luxury then you should at least have the sense to make sure that you getting what are paying for.

The reason he got conned was because he was getting one over on the seller, who was offering (what he thought) was a high ticket item for far less than it was worth. As I said, you cant con an honest man.

Bogeyface · 10/12/2013 22:16

I should add that I dont think that ebay should ban the seller, they did nothing more than cash in on peoples stupidity and greed, and I am on the fence about the refund tbh. The ad was honest, the fact that the bidders chose not to read the listing is not the sellers fault.

MidniteScribbler · 10/12/2013 22:25

I don't really give a shit, but it would be a nice finale to the whole saga if the next article was about him donating a couple of hundred dollars to a children's charity to buy toys for children who are in need since he got his money back and a free machine.

I won't hold my breath though.

Original poster
Topaz25 · 10/12/2013 23:09

Bogeyface, eBay doesn't allow misleading adverts, which this one was as it was placed in the ‘video games and consoles category’ and clearly the seller was relying on someone missing the word photo in the listing. eBay couldn't let people get away with this sort of thing or they would have a lot of disgruntled customers and bad publicity. I think he should have received a refund but I don't see why he should get a free console just for falling for a scam.

OP posts:
Bogeyface · 10/12/2013 23:35

OK, fair enough! I am just shit hot on sniffing out scams and I suppose other people to be the same.

I once reported a listing that really was misleading. It was something like "Xboxbox" Cant remember exactly but it looked like a typo and was actually the box that an x box comes in. You had to read the ad really carefully to get that and the bids where in the £100's when I spotted it as it was similar to this one in that it was just after the Xbox 360 came out. Now that I agree was misleading.

But lets be honest, it was clear that you would get a photo of the Xbox and not the actual Xbox itself, at least I think it was. And the only reason he was pissed off was because he thought he had pulled a fast one over an unwitting seller who didnt know what it was worth.

I am not saying it is ok to try to deliberately exploit people, but the motto of eBay is Caveat Emptor, Buyer Beware.