Teenager who bought Xbox pic on eBay given real One for free

I wouldn't recommend it as a life strategy, but doing something stupid can really pay off -- as long as you don't mind everyone on the Internet knowing you're a pillock. Peter Clotworthy Clatworthy, the Nottingham teenager who bought a photo of an Xbox One on eBay for £450, has been given a real console by his local games shop.

CEX, the second-hand trade-in store, leaped on the opportunity for some cheap publicity and offered Clatworthy a new Xbox One so his 4-year-old son McKenzie has something to open on Christmas day.

"This shows there are some nice, kind people out there and it's really overwhelming," he told the Nottingham Post. "I can't thank them enough.

"People are saying I've become an Internet celebrity, but I want it all to die down now."

Clatworthy, 19, forked out £450 for the colour printout last week because it was in the 'consoles' category of the auction site. "It said 'photo' and I was in two minds, but I looked at the description and the fact it was in the right category made me think it was genuine," he said.

eBay has also given him a full refund and banned the seller.

The Xbox One, like its rival the PlayStation 4, is now sold out across the country until after Christmas, with only online resellers offering the consoles for north of £500.

"As soon as any new technology comes out that is hard to get hold of, you are bound to get a scam," said CEX assistant manager David Drayton. "My girlfriend had heard about Peter's story and mentioned it to me. I’d heard of scams before but never something like this. Many people are looking to take advantage of people shopping online and trying to get something for Christmas in a hurry."

Have you ever been scammed buying something online? How desperate are you for a next-gen console before Christmas? Leave your tales of woe in the comments, or on our seems-legit Facebook page.