by Joe Jeffrey
Online auction for ‘s***house crap caravan’ withdrawn by eBay after flouting guidelines
An online auction for a caravan described by its owner’s wife as suitable for dogging, affairs or murders has been retracted by eBay over fears of ‘encouraging illegal activity.’
The caravan, which was also described as a ‘rolling meth lab’ and placed up for auction by seller, Lindsay Butcher, from Northamptonshire, after her husband, Lee, purchased it following a drunken online spending spree. It attracted over 100 bids and reached over £80,000 in just seven hours before being taken down.
The listing for the caravan, which was also described by Lindsay as a ‘s***house crap caravan’, came with its own grubby sofa, foggy windows and deteriorated kitchen, was deemed inappropriate in accordance to eBay’s guidelines, prohibiting the description of illegal activities, as suggested within the auction’s description.
Of the online auction site’s decision to close the auction, an eBay spokesperson said: “While we understand this listing description was intended in a light-hearted way, it was removed as the description could be considered to ‘encourage illegal activity’ which contravenes eBay policy.
“We have reached out to the seller and very much hope they will re-list the item.”
Lindsay spoke on eBay’s decision, saying: “I need to get rid of it. I genuinely listed it so that someone would buy it.
“One day I went round the back of the office and there this caravan was. He said he thought he had told me.
“It is annoying as I actually want to sell it. I’d be happy with £150. It’s all completely true and it’s not the first time this sort of thing has happened,” she continued.
Despite the random, drunken purchase, Lindsay’s husband, John, remains pleased with the attention the auction garnered, saying: “I have a collection of things that I’ve gathered over the years. But I want somebody to just come and take the caravan away.
“I enjoy using eBay and I find it amusing that this has become news. I buy any old cars but sometimes put them back on eBay when I’m done with it.”
What do you think? Was this something that might have appealed to the caravanner in you or, for that matter, did you place a bid? Let us know in the comments below.
