U.K. Teen Buys $735 Photo of Xbox One on eBay

[Infernal Lawyer]

Oh, the comments. Of course everyone latched onto how old this guy was when he became a father. Because life choices have everything to do with getting scammed.

Personally, I just think this is one of these situations where almost all parties are partially in the wrong. This idiot should have read the fine print and contacted the seller instead of shrugging his shoulders, and the seller shouldn't have thought he would get away with selling a photograph in the console section, for the same reasons you don't sell a car in the computer printers section, regardless of whether the item is what it says on the description.

Good on Ebay for not putting up with the scam though.

 

[Dogstile]

Hey, the kid was overtaken by his hormonal urges and fucked up when he was a stupid teenager (we were ALL stupid teenagers once), cut him some slack. The way you people berate someone who is trying to be responsible for his actions is pathetic. He's being a good father and getting his kid an Xbox One, that's more than enough in this day and age where far too many kids don't even grow up with a father at all. Good on him, and I'm glad he got his money back.


....unless of course, the flip side of this story, is that this guy is full of shit and getting it for himself and just using his son as a sap story to gain empathy and get his money back.

In which case, fuck him.

I doubt it was for his son. Most four year olds can barely grip the controller.

 

[omega 616]

Aw, come on now.... A UK teen pays in dollars... Really?

This kind of shit has been happening for years, with iphone especially. I even remember a "case" on judge Judy with this exact story line, not about an xbone though.

This old news with a modern twist

As for the very conservative nature of this thread, remember age of consent in the UK is 16. Sure it's still under the age of consent but I'm of the opinion that a very strict age of consent is stupid. (I'm not saying let's start coaxing 13 year olds into sex but what's a couple of months before the age of consent? Like the day before they are 16 they are almost feral but when midnight strikes, they're high class?)

 

[jp201]

I don't think it was a con. If the seller said it was literally just a picture of an Xbox One, then so be it. The same thing happened when the 360 launched as well. A few people were selling only the box for the 360. They made it very clear that it was just a box, not the system, and people still paid absurd amounts of money for it. If the seller said it was just a picture and not the system itself, that blame falls solely on the buyer.

Now, if the seller didn't make it clear (which it sounds like it did say it was just a picture), then yeah, that's a scam. I would like to see the listing myself personally and see what it says.

When you try to sell something for $735 and the price is probably worth a few cents then yes we have a con. The seller was obviously trying to get a buyer who would think he/she was buying the actual system and scam him/her. You need to be acting in good faith when forming a contract otherwise it is voidable.

 

[rofltehcat]

I'm surprised at how many people defend the scammer, this is not a legal practice nor should it be. The buyers life choices aside, the intent to mislead and con is clear as day, one line saying it's a photo only doesn't change that.

I don't really think people are defending the scammer, just ridiculing the victim. If it is deserved or not I cannot tell but the little information about him given in the article doesn't make him look smart.
Both scamming attempts and people falling for them (because of varying reasons) shouldn't happen in a perfect world but there will always be people falling for even the plumpest scams.

 

[Sofus]

I have to wonder if the buyer learned anything from this or if he will remain as ignorant as ever.

 

[Kyogissun]

So let's run off through some key points here on this guy:
1. He had a kid at 15
2. The son that this xbox for is... 4 years old. Because as we all know, that's a GREAT age to start playing really accessible and easy to play kid intelligence level friendly games like... FIFA...
3. He paid 735 USD for a product that is typically 500 dollars
4. He bought the product on ebay

Let's even ignore the fact that he bought it 'for his son', that's EASILY a line of bullshit he spun (or was told to spin by the press) to drum up more publicity.

Scamming is horrible and the people who participate in such actions deserve to have their asses kicked. And while I WANT to say that this kid PROBABLY deserved to learn a lesson in not being stupid (Though after having that kid at 15 and this now, I doubt he will), it's good he got his money back.

But the problem I have here is stupid people getting told that it's okay if they're stupid, because they can find loopholes to make up for it and absolve themselves of any and all responsibility.

Why are people hung up on a 19 year old with a 4 year old child? He manned up and owned his shit at an age when most people would likely run from it. You judgmental people and your unqualified opinions.

That really doesn't change the fact that he could avoid being in the scenario he's in if he, you know, had better decision making skills.

It's GREAT that he owned up to his decisions, but please do not try and act like that wasn't a stupid decision. Hell, there are people who are twice his age and still struggle with being parents because, let's face it, parenting's not for everyone.

People are judging that factor because it ties into the other carelessness this article brings to light. Kudos on his responsibility for the big and important thing he did raising his kid but... Fuck, you think the guy would be a LITTLE more careful with his money considering he has a CHILD to care for!

 

[JoJo]

Wait, a 19-year-old is a "teen" now? ...what's the legal age of majority in the UK, again?

...and he's buying it for his four year old son? I...


...there are things about this news article. Things that are wrong, and in more than one way.

The legal age of majority is 18 over here in the UK, but the term 'teenager' and it's derivatives can apply to anybody aged from 13 to 19. That may be different in other countries.

 

[delroland]

Both scamming attempts and people falling for them (because of varying reasons) shouldn't happen in a perfect world but there will always be people falling for even the plumpest scams.

That doesn't justify blaming the victim. It's no less a fallacy (though obviously it is many degrees less severe) than blaming a rape victim for dressing "like a slut".

 

[Pebkio]

Who else but a scammer sells a freaking picture for 735 dollars. The guy is a criminal. Plain as day. And just because someone was dumb enough to fall for a scam does not make the scammer any less of an asshole criminal. But the guy is also a moron. His poor life choices mark him as a moron and it seems that four years with a child hasn't improved his decision-making skills in the slightest.

I'm going to be incredibly harsh and say that the man shouldn't get a refund (except, I guess, it's Paypal company policy). But also, the person who put a picture of an Xbone up for sale in the category and for the price of an actual Xbone should be tracked down and put on trial for criminal charges.

Wait, a 19-year-old is a "teen" now?

Sorry, not really about the article but do you even read the words you're typing out? Yes... a nineteen-year-old is still in his teen years... a teenager, if you will. Don't be so foolish...

 

[CriticalMiss]

I'm surprised at how many people defend the scammer, this is not a legal practice nor should it be. The buyers life choices aside, the intent to mislead and con is clear as day, one line saying it's a photo only doesn't change that.

Actually eBay probably would have given precisely zero shits if the picture was listed in the right category. As long as the listing clearly says it is a picture and someone buys it then it is their fault for not reading it thoroughly. The worst you could call it is selling a copyrighted image.

The guy admits that it said it was a picture, but bought it anyway. Brains mustn't run in his family.

 

[EightGaugeHippo]

Why are people hung up on a 19 year old with a 4 year old child? He manned up and owned his shit at an age when most people would likely run from it. You judgmental people and your unqualified opinions.

Thank you!

Now I don't want to assume anything about this man based off the small amount of info, but since everyone else seems to be I'll let myself off.

The fact that he has that money to spend (or throw away as many people on this thread suggest) on his son, means he's got a job and is supporting his family, if a man gets berated for that then we are truly lost.

I'd like to see how well the people slating him would deal with that sort of situation.
Teen pregnancy is a big issue in the UK, and a large amount get either aborted or put up for adoption/raised by grandparents.
The fact that this man has owned up to his responsibility at such a young age is enough to earn my respect.

OT:
As for the scam, this sort of thing happens all the time. While you do have to be careful what you buy online, eBay seems to sort this shit out fairly well from what I've seen from this and a few other cases.

 

[VoidWanderer]

Good for Ebay giving this guy a full refund. That is positive customer service especially during the holiday season. Nobody should be taken advantage of or lose that much money during this time of the year.

I really disagree. It actually stated that it was a photo of the system. It stated that it was not the system, if he had read the description properly and used his brain, he wouldn't have gotten screwed.

He should be minus the several hundred dollars, so he will pay attention next time.

 

[SilverUchiha]

"I bought it there and then because I thought it was a good deal"

How? That's paying at least $200 more for what was already the most expensive next gen console. That doesn't make any sense to me at all.

 

[AstaresPanda]

the dude is 19 and has a 4 year old kid ? sums it up to be honest. Really you should see some of these people its amazing they get threw the day without killing themselves. God i hate my country

 

[Varrdy]

The fact that he has that money to spend (or throw away as many people on this thread suggest) on his son, means he's got a job and is supporting his family, if a man gets berated for that then we are truly lost.

Actually, the article quite clearly states that he is a student. While I know that students also hold down jobs (I did), I think it's fair to say that he will be getting state help to care for his son.

OT:

What I wont do is question his parental skills as I don't know him personally. Yes 15 may be too young to be a father but as has been pointed out it's clear he is doing his best. I used to work with a complete and utter divvy who I hated but he worshipped his son and was a good Dad so people using his apparent lack of brains / common-sense to judge him as a father is bang out of order. The fact he is a student makes me think that he's trying to better himself and who can honestly complain about that?

But...

The guy admitted that he saw the text that said the auction was for a photo and that he had doubts about it and yet he STILL coughed up the cash. Had he lost his money it would have been harsh but sometimes it's the only way people will learn. I am also going to call BS on the fact that it was "for his son" - 4 year-olds are not into video games! 4 year-old children are into biscuits, cartoon pigs and getting snot everywhere.

With that in mind, I grudgingly admit that would still rather see him get his money back because I loathe scammers and con-men/women (let's not be sexist!), especially when they prey on people at this time of year. I know it's nothing new and I've seen it all before. These "people" know that other people go a bit ga-ga over the latest gadgets and are willing to pay over the odds for them. While I generally think that someone who camps out for an iPhone or is willing to fork out £450 for an XBONE when they have misgivings need help, I will always also think that I would like to set fire to the scammer in question.

Someone mentioned a Judge Judy episode in which two women sold a "phone" which turned out to be a picture of the phone. I think I saw the same one and, although the description said it was a picture of the phone, it was buried in text and they also included the stats of the real phone, which gave the weight, dimensions etc., which is where they fell flat as the photo had none of those attributes and the duped buyer won her case. The disgruntled seller kept on repeating that they said it was a photo but they were clearly on the make and while I agreed that they (the buyer) should read things more clearly, I was also doing an imaginary "ass-hole!" chant in my head.

I suppose the lesson that needs to be learned (although quite how it's not sunk in yet after so long is beyond me) is that if something seems too good to be true, it is.

At least he can say he didn't fork out over $7000 for the box, as one report on this mentioned as a comparison.

 

[blackrave]

Ah, classical eBay prank.

Also 19y old buys console for 4y old son?
There is just so much wrong with this.
And of course I'll buy that he "bought it for his son"

captcha: creative process
dammit, stop making fun of this guy, only because he was "creative" at 15y

 

[wooty]

I knew people in this country were getting stupider, and this is a sad case. Paid over the odds, a child at 15 and he chose an Xbone......very very sad indeed

Plus, "Clatworthy acknowledged that the eBay listing stated that the item was in fact a photograph"........riiiiiiight. Well, we'll be seeing this guy on Jeremy Kyle in a few years I guess, he has all the signs and potential of a future specimen.