Paul Barrington was given quite a shock when a £300 MacBook he bought from eBay turned out to be nothing more than a small box with a picture of the laptop inside it.
The 38 year old surfer from Ilfracombe was looking to start a wedding DJ business and so had decided to invest in the portable computer in order to run the software he'd need.
Selling his last surfboard, Mr Barrington headed to eBay to start looking for the computer.
“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.”
Sadly though it appears as though even long-term members aren't above pulling a scam every now and then and what Mr Barrington received couldn't have been less helpful.
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Speaking to the North Devon Journal Mr Barrington explained that while downhearted, he'd accepted the futility of the situation saying, “It doesn’t make any sense. I almost had to laugh.”
He has since spoken to eBay who are now investigating the incident. The company gave a short statement to the Telegraph saying:
“We were very sorry to hear about Mr Barrington’s unusual experience, we’ll make sure he gets a refund as soon as possible and investigate the circumstances around this sale."
“The overwhelming majority of listings on eBay coming from honest and law-abiding sellers.”