A surfer bought a laptop on eBay for hundreds of pounds – but was sent a photocopy picture of it instead.
Paul Barrington, 38, fell victim to the scam after winning the auction for an Apple MacBook.
His winning bid was £300 for the top-of-the-range machine that can cost up to £1,500 when bought new.
But the bargain proved too good to be true when a feather-weight package arrived a few days later in a small, square box.
Paul, of Ilfracombe, Devon, had been forced to sell his last surf board to pay for the laptop and was hoping to use it to launch a new career as a wedding DJ.
He said: ‘I sold my pride and joy for a piece of paper.
‘It’s the first time I haven’t had a surfboard since I was 10 years old but I need a laptop so I checked the listing and the seller’s rating.
‘He’d been a member for a few years, so there was nothing to be suspicious about.
‘I was excited about winning the auction and just thought, ‘I’ve got a laptop so I can start the business’.
‘The package was as light as a feather. Why bother sending a picture in a box? It doesn’t make any sense. I almost had to laugh.’
He has has been in and out of hospital in recent months with a lung condition known as Bullous Emphesima, which has meant he is unable to surf and had to give up his job in child care.
‘The worst thing is, I’m trying to set up a business and this is a massive delay,’
Paul called eBay to report the incident and has been told he must wait several days before he finds out if he is entitled to a refund.
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