A father who suffered from a mysterious agonising skin condition for two years has found it was caused by a banned toxic sofa he bought on eBay.William Harrington, 56, was delighted with his new reclining leather armchair, but had no idea it was from a highly poisonous batch of furniture that was also sold by Argos and the now-defunct World of Leather.Argos has recalled all the furniture, and in 2010 contributed along with 13 other companies to paying out £20million to customers who suffered painful burns. Poisoned: William Harrington 56, had been poisoned by a chair he bought on eBay two years ago But Mr Harrington's case highlights there is a risk some sofas still exist, and are even being resold second-hand. Argos is now investigating to see if the seller had previously received compensation and knowingly resold the toxic sofa. For two years, Mr Harrington suffered painful sores and an itchy rash all over his body, but he had no idea what had caused it.He told his doctor: 'My whole body feels like it is on fire.'Mr Harrington, a father-of-five, was referred to a specialist who told him he had been into contact with a dangerously toxic substance.
The property maintenance manager then discovered his armchair was from the batch of toxic chairs. The burns from the sofa were so severe Mr Harrington fell into a depression Embarrassed: He said he was forced to hide his arms and legs for fear of offending people The black leather recliner armchair had been withdrawn from shops after complaints of allergic reactions.But the eBay seller had failed to give Mr Harrington any warning when he bought it using the online auction website.Mr Harrington said: 'Every time I sat in that chair it was poisoning my body and I didn’t have a clue.'The leather chair made my skin go all prickly and hot, I couldn’t stop scratching, it was like someone had set me on fire.'The last two years of my life have been absolutely horrific. I can’t put into words what I’ve been through because of this chair.'I’ve been so distressed with non-stop scratching that I ended up on anti-depressants.'I have my own business and I have to cover my arms with bandages because I am so embarrassed at customers seeing the sores.
They look so unsightly.'I can no longer take my daughter swimming because I wouldn’t dream of letting anyone seem my body looking like this.' Now the sofa has been identified as the cause of his suffering, Mr Harrington has removed it from his house and his skin is starting to improve Mr Harrington bought the chair off eBay and travelled down to Cornwall to pick it up from the seller.He developed a rash after returning the recliner to his home in Ely, Cardiff, but did not realise his chair was causing it - until solving the mystery after 18 months. No one else in his family was affected because it was his personal chair.Mr Harrington’s GP confessed he’d never seen anything like his rash before. He was prescribed steroid cream and referred to a dermatologist.He then realised his desperate need to scratch got worse when he sat in his favourite black leather recliner armchair.Mr Harrington went online - and discovered the chair was of the same sort withdrawn from circulation after a court action against Argos and other retailers which resulted in a £20million legal action over the poisonous furniture.
He added: 'I bought the chair off eBay for £80. I didn’t have a clue this chair was going to cause me untold misery and distress.'Argos needs to get a warning out there, these toxic chairs are still out there and being sold to unsuspecting victims.'Thousands of people like me may be suffering terribly, and not knowing why. Just be careful what you buy on eBay.'The settees and chairs sold between £600 and £850 had been treated with a fungicide to stop them going mouldy in storage.They had been treated with Di-methyl Fumarate - a substance that has triggered violent irritant-related eczema in some people.It is so toxic that those who come into contact with it should wear protective clothing and glasses.Mr Harrington has since put the chair in the garage - and his skin allergy is slowly disappearing.In a statement to the Mail Online, an Argos spokeswoman said: 'As a responsible retailer we were extremely concerned to learn of the problems Mr Harrington has experienced with the chair he purchased second-hand 18 months ago and our priority is conducting an urgent investigation into this matter.'We have offered to collect the chair from Mr Harrington’s home for testing, however
, he has declined to release it. We have also asked Mr Harrington for details of the seller from which he purchased the chair so that we can cross reference this with our archive orders.'Without this information we are unable to pursue the investigation further and we urge Mr Harrington to assist with our requests so that we can try and resolve this serious situation for him as quickly as possible.' Furniture and Electrical shops You can find a whole range of items in our Furniture & Electrical stores at great prices washing machines from £60 Whether you're looking for a modern item, an antique gem or something chic, with a huge range to choose from, our shops are the ideal hunting ground. Pre-loved items arrive every day in our stores so you will always find something new! For even more great finds visit our eBay shop.There’s no way around it – you need extra cash. While selling blood plasma may have crossed your mind, there are easier ways to pad your bank account.
Have you thought about selling stuff that you no longer want or need online? From furniture to textbooks and even the most random knick knacks, you’d be surprised what people are willing to pay for the stuff you’ve long neglected. The hard part may be determining the best vehicle for getting your stuff into a buyer’s hands. Craigslist and eBay are two notoriously popular options, but which one is right for you? Apartment Guide explains the good and the bad of each.5 Ways to Save Money So You Don’t Feel the Pinch Ideal for selling locally. You can list just about anything for sale. Easy to sell large items. Your ad can be flagged or removed at any time. You may have to continue re-listing your item since ads are pushed further down the page as new ones are posted. Possible influx of email spam. Buyers that don’t show up. Sweep Away Bad Budgeting Habits with a Savings Plan Know which items sell well on the site. Furniture and technology are popular on Craigslist.
Smaller items like clothes, shoes and books are not. Avoid posting your phone number, address or photos of yourself. Use the auto-generated email address provided by Craigslist instead of your personal email. Meet with buyers during the day in a public, well-lit area. Bring someone with you. Do some research on how to spot counterfeit money. Ideal for items that you can’t or won’t sell locally, like clothes, shoes and books. Seller protection is available for most items. Bidding makes the price of your item increase, maybe more than expected. You can sell nationwide or even worldwide. Listing fees do apply. It’s difficult to estimate what shipping will cost, and you’ll be responsible if the package weighs more than expected. There’s a time limit. Possibility of negative feedback left on your seller profile page. Hard to sell large items. 6 Ways to Save Money on Your Apartment Search List items on days when people are most likely to be looking.