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iPlank: Woman duped into buying wooden tablet

Nearly two weeks after Hewlett-Packard said it would discontinue production of its TouchPadtablet, the tablet is getting at least one more go.

One reason was that the company experienced an uptick in sales for the device after it discounted the tablet to $99 a piece.

But many consumers aren't interested in anything besides the Apple iPad tablet. So thought one South Carolina woman, who was offered a brand new iPad at a discounted rate in the parking lot of a nearby McDonald's.

The original asking price was $300, but she played hardball, negotiating down to just $180.

The two men who sold her the tablet handed it to her wrapped up in a FedEx box.

Unfortunately, when Ashley McDowell of Spartanburg returned to her abode, she was shocked and appalled to find not an authentic Steve Jobs creation, but instead an imposter.

Sure, all the bells and whistles were there -- Apple logo on back, icons on front.

But alas, the tablet was made of wood.

Guess that's what you get when you expect more than old Big Mac wrappers from a McDonald's parking lot.

About the author

Mary Dooe is an assistant producer on the Sustainability Desk.
Margaret's picture
Margaret - Sep 1, 2011

It's up there with buying 'authentic' fake Rolex watches and eating mystery meat for supper...

Becky 's picture
Becky - Aug 31, 2011

Kinda funny -
Remember, "Don't take any wooden iPads."

Bekah

Becky 's picture
Becky - Aug 31, 2011

Yeah, it's true though - "Don't take any wooden iPads."

Becky 's picture
Becky - Aug 31, 2011

Yeah, it's true though - "Don't take any wooden iPads."

Michael's picture
Michael - Sep 4, 2011

This is an easy one - just put it up on Ebay for about 500 bucks. Someone will probably buy it, just for the novelty - not me, but somebody...

Rochelle's picture
Rochelle - Aug 31, 2011

Why did they even bother making the wood piece look like an iPad?

Greg's picture
Greg - Sep 1, 2011

Who is "they" ?

It wasn't Apple - that's for sure.

"They" was the criminal mind behind this.

Why would "they" say that "there is a gun inside the jacket, just put the money in the bag."

Because, That's the way THEY want it.

Jean E. Hughes's picture
Jean E. Hughes - Aug 31, 2011

Why would ANYBODY buy something sight unseen, from someone she didn't know and it wrapped in a package no less. I don't even buy from newspapers or Craig's list. I want to know what I am buying. How totally naive and dumb. Wake up and smell the coffee people.