A mum looking to create a spook-tacular Halloween display thought she'd come across a bargain when she spotted a 'life size' zombie statue on eBay, advertised for just £13.39. Dawn Simmonds, 60, admits she hit 'buy' without giving the listing a thorough read, and so was in for a surprise when her less-than-frightening purchase actually arrived.
According to salesperson Dawn, she couldn't stop laughing after opening the miniature parcel that arrived the very next day, revealing a 'comically small' three-inch figurine that looked more like 'something you'd put in a plant pot' than a terrifying Halloween display.
After taking a second glance at the listing, Dawn realised the dimensions clearly specified the figure measured 8cm tall and 20cm wide, she'd just been too excited to see it the first time around.
Dawn, from Bristol, said: "I'd gone out and had a look and saw a small square packet in the porch. I thought 'I wonder what that is? I can't remember ordering anything else other than that zombie'.
"I was expecting something so much bigger, I thought 'what have I ordered now?' I was none-the-wiser until I unwrapped it and saw what it was. Even when I took the polystyrene off the top I thought 'whatever is it?' until I spotted the zombie. I started laughing when I saw how small he was."
She added: "In the pictures, it looks a lot bigger. I didn't think it would be quite life-size but I didn't think it would be comically small. My jaw was on the floor, imagine my disappointment [when I saw it].
"I took a picture and sent it to my husband Nigel, he was laughing. I also put it on Facebook because I found it so funny. Everyone on Facebook was laughing. Someone thought I'd been scammed, but I wasn't. If I'd read it properly I would have realised, I've been refunded for it already."
Dawn had assumed the 'dolls' house-sized' statue, which is sold by various eBay sellers as well as other online retail platforms, would be about 36 inches. She had intended to use it in a planter in a way that would appear as though the monster was 'crawling out of the ground'.
A huge fan of decorations, Dawn's Halloween display is said to be 'getting bigger and better each year', and she's still on the lookout for a suitably large zombie. Going forward, Dawn has urged others to make sure they check the dimensions before they buy, making sure to ask if it doesn't say.
She admitted: "I didn't read the listing properly, I just got really excited and bought it. I probably will now for about a year and then next year I'll be like 'shiny, I'm buying it'."
An eBay spokesperson stated: "To avoid getting a fright this Halloween, we recommend that buyers read the product description carefully before purchasing any item."
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