Drinking and shopping disasters: snakes, cars and a yak
It's the season to eat, drink and be merry, and at the same time, it's the crazy Christmasshopping season. If you put the two things together, what could possibly go wrong?
A survey by online marketplace Flubit.com has found that one in twenty of us have bought goods online after consuming alcohol. It means that two million people in the UK have gone internet shopping after drinking, and some of the things they have bought as a result are astonishing.
A separate study by Confused.com has revealed that the average we spend when drunk shopping online is £142, and while most people buy something fairly trivial from Amazon, almost one in five people have booked a holiday after a drink, and 6% have splashed out on a new TV.
Flubit found that the most popular time for late night purchases is in the early hours of Sunday morning - when it might be wise to turn off the computer, tablet or mobile phone and go to bed instead.
Tia Saunders, spokesperson for Flubit.com, said: "The convenience of online shopping and vast amount of choice available has seen a huge shift in consumer behaviour, with time traditionally spent in stores now being spent online. Shoppers can purchase almost anything from the comfort of their own home, day or night. While this makes life easier, our study shows that it can occasionally lead to regrettable purchases. We would advise people to avoid 'drinking and shopping' where possible, but if you're going to do it, make sure you're using websites which offer you the best deals."
The most expensive accidental drunk purchase revealed by the survey was a £6,500 Volvo, followed by a £1,700 return flight to the US, and a £300 personalised number plate.
Most unusual purchases
1. A snake
2. Two turtles
3. Grease Barbie dolls
4. Take That Greatest Hits on VHS
5. A horse head from Amazon
6. A plastic croaking frog
7. A didgeridoo
8. A compass cutter
9. A telescope
10. A garden streamer
Some of these purchases are impressive, and we can only imagine the surprise of the shopper who accidentally bought a snake when it turned up at the door.
However, late night spending can be far more humiliating than this. We reported last summer on the man who accidentally bought a Yak - for $3,000. Then there was the man who accidentally spent almost £2,000 at a strip club on his friend's stag night and was too drunk to remember any of it.
Fortunately for the man in question, when he started proceedings to take the strip club to court for taking advantage of him, they decided to settle out of court.
But what do you think? Can you compete with this list? What's the craziest thing you've ever bought after having a drink?
