ALDI customers have condemned “disgusting scumbags” selling the store’s charity soft toy on eBay – for more than ten times the price.
The “rare” Kevin the Carrot doll went on sale in the UK this morning priced at £2.99 with some stores across having fewer than 30 to sell.
Greedy shoppers have been accused of buying up the entire store and then selling the toys on eBay for £30.
The character became an instant hit after debuting in the store’s Christmas advert earlier this month – appearing to mock high end department store, John Lewis.
In the clip the cheeky veg appears to be poking fun at the fuss made for the highly anticipated advert – with social media branding resulting the excitable carrot as the winner of Christmas ads.
The budget supermarket this morning launched a Kevin the Carrot cuddly toy with all proceeds going to children’s charity, Barnardo’s.
But customers have been left fuming after finding out many stores across the UK sold out of the 25cm doll in the first half an hour.
Becca Gibbs wrote on the store’s Facebook page: “Aldi can you contact eBay and stop the little scumbags buying the whole lot and putting them on eBay please, it’s a charity product for goodness sake. Let Christmas be about glad tidings not profit making.
“I think it disgusting that scumbags are buying these to sell at 10 times the amount and Aldi should contact eBay as it is a charity product.
Emz Goodband wrote: “I’m babysitting today for a friend and was looking forward to going to store tomorrow to pick up a Kevin the carrot for my boys.
“I guess I won’t bother now if Aldi hasn’t limited the amount you can buy because they are now on eBay for a massive profit. Disappointed.”
Natasha Lawless said: “Just been in Manchester Market Street one and watched a woman buy every single one – 26 in total – obviously going to sell them on Ebay.
“Unfortunately they did not put a cap on them so she was allowed. Staff on the till were gutted because they wanted to buy them for their kids. Hope people don’t feed into it and buy them at silly prices.”
And Bernice Hancock wrote: “Ebay should ban people selling these on the site for their own gain. Disgusting as Aldi sell them for Charity.”
Ebay have 232 listings for Kevin the Carrot dolls on their UK sales website with most being sold for around the £20 mark.
One seller who listed “Kevin The Carrot – Official Plush Toy Aldi – Rare” this morning starting at £19.99 with 29 days to go for bidding.
The description reads: “A brand-new, unused, unopened and undamaged item. A soft and cuddly plush toy version of Kevin, the star of Aldis Christmas TV advert.
“If you have seen this years Aldi Christmas advert. Then you will have met Kevin, this adorable little Christmas carrot desperate to meet Santa.
“If you already love him, then why not get your hands on this Kevin The Carrot plush character. What adventure will your little carrot get up to?”
Another listing is selling Kevin for £19.90 and promises to wrap him in bubble wrap for delivery to ensure a “safe journey”.
In Aldi’s 2016 Christmas advert, released on November 11, Kevin is shown sitting in front of a television while a narrator is heard saying: “Carrot was waiting, his head in a tizz, Oh golly, oh gosh, how exciting is this?
“The thing he’d been waiting for all through the year was finally happening, yes it was here.”
Kevin then gets over excited about the department store’s Christmas advert and starts hyperventilating as he screams “John Lewis”.
The clip sparked hundreds of messages on Twitter from fans who said they preferred the advert to John Lewis’ one.
