Partner Article

Man sells himself on ebay

AN UNEMPLOYED father has tried selling his skills for one year via the online shopping website eBay in a bid to support his family – setting no minimum bid.

Graphic designer Tristam Rossin, 36, of Cheshire, took the drastic action after being unable to find work for the past two months, and with his savings running out.

“I’ve a wife and three children to support, so this is a very serious venture for me – it is not a hoax,” he said.

He attempted to sell his skills as a graphic designer for 40 hours a week, for one year. His last role as a designer had an annual salary of £27,000, but he didn’t expect the eBay venture to lead to “anything like that”.

The advert selling his skills has now been removed by eBay, with the online giant saying the listing is “in breach of their policies”.

Mr Rossin says he would have worked for the full year whatever the outcome of the bids – which, before being removed, reached just £3,100.

He had said: “I have 12 years of experience, but I have only been working part-time as a graphic design in recent years as the family bought a campsite in France.

“We wanted to drink wine and have a good time, but we soon realised that this wasn’t going to be the case and I ended up working in design for six months of the year.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .