Man tries to sell girlfriend on eBay as a joke, surprised by real bids

Talk about a Valentine's Day joke gone wrong!

A British man who recently tried to sell his girlfriend on eBay as a prank was surprised to find more than 50 people placed bids, with the highest bidder offering an insulting C$1,268 (£700).

Northampton resident Shaun Coles, 39, posted an unflattering picture of his girlfriend of six years, Debbie Moran on the auction website, listing the 54-year-old as an "old woman" and citing that she doesn't do housework.

For her part, Moran seems to be taking the whole experience in stride.

"It's just a joke that got a bit out of hand," Moran tells ITV.

"In all seriousness, I wouldn't sell her for anything," Coles backpedals.

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While Moran admits that she was "a bit annoyed" at first, she realizes that Coles "didn't do it maliciously."

Adding insult to injury, Coles listed his lady love with a "collect in-person only" and "no returns" policy. She also got a 100 per cent satisfaction rating by eBay users, who were presumably trying to play along.

Coles is far from the first man to have an Internet hoax backfire on him.

Also see: Childhood sweethearts die hours apart

Last November, one man got a rude awakening when he told his girlfriend of five years that he cheated on her as a joke. He set up a camera to capture her reaction to his lie, but she saw the camera set-up, played along, and then turned the tables on him by saying that she cheated on him. His reaction is priceless! Watch the viral video here.

Lesson to lovers everywhere: If you are going to pull an Internet prank on your significant other, let it be romantic -- not potentially relationship-ending!