News >> Browse Articles >> Entertainment
Toddler Buys Earthmover in Online Auction
Associated Press / AP Online
May 22, 2009
WELLINGTON, New Zealand – A New Zealand mom made some online bids on toys before napping. Then her 3-year-old daughter took over and bought a bigger plaything than expected – a huge earth-moving digger for a cool $12,300.
Pipi Quinlan made the winning 20,000 New Zealand dollar ($12,300) bid on the Kobelco digger with a few mouse clicks at the auction site TradeMe while her parents slept, the Rodney Times newspaper reported in northern New Zealand.
“The first I knew about it was when I came down and opened up the computer,” said Pipi’s mother, Sarah Quinlan.
“I saw an e-mail from TradeMe saying I had won an auction and another e-mail from the seller saying something like `I think you’ll love this digger,’” she was quoted as saying in the paper.
Quinlan said she had made auction bids on several toy sets and assumed she had bought a toy digger.
“It wasn’t until I went back and reread the e-mails that I saw $20,000 – and got the shock of my life.”
She immediately called the auction site and the seller to explain what happened.
TradeMe reimbursed the seller’s costs for the auction and the digger was relisted.
© 2009, YellowBrix, Inc. 
ck_asdf
5 months ago
28 comments
Does TradeMe work like eBay? Do you have to actually type in the amount you're willing to put up for bid? if so ... I'd call bunk, as there's no way a 3 year old could know to click in the box, enter an amount greater than the current bid, then click "bid" or whatever.
That is, unless that 3 year old watched very carefully as her mom bid on stuff.
A two year old I know can use the television/satellite remote with ease, pops in/out DVDs, etc.
egaconsultant
5 months ago
2 comments
Too funny!
TCAM
5 months ago
6 comments
World's largest Tonka Toy purchase ... ever.
3much
6 months ago
374 comments
@mrpumpkinguy
You are right. TradeMe's developers should be extremely proud of their site. What more could they ask for? Site Usability = tick, tick, tick. Even a 3 year old could navigate it, with ease.....hmm I see a marketing strategy here. LOL
mona1313
6 months ago
14 comments
That's hilarious :)
money
6 months ago
74 comments
lol, very nice. A little business tycoon.
mrpumpkinguy
6 months ago
36 comments
TradeMe's developer's should be proud... what better validation can you get for one-click shopping?
TimC
6 months ago
586 comments
I don't buy this, I know that kids can get into things they're not suppose to, however, I feel the parents should be more responsible as to trying to prevent something like this happening. How do we know this isn't just a "Stunt" to get out of having to buy something they thought was a toy?
I guess things happen that are out of our control.
n2sin
6 months ago
72 comments
haha.. that kid rocks
Shawn263
6 months ago
76 comments
ROFL!