A copy of the message telling Mr Pope his bid was successful

Lee Pope, 48, from Wrexham, paid �360 for four tickets to see Wales vs Australia in Cardiff on 15 September.

But the tickets never arrived and the seller has been suspended from eBay, who warned buyers to check carefully and report any suspicious listings.

Mr Pope said: "I would urge people to be wary. This guy seemed genuine."

He added: "I already know of five other people who have had the same thing happen."

Construction worker Mr Pope and three friends booked accommodation in Cardiff after securing the match tickets in April.

He was told by the seller that the tickets would be dispatched in July.

I'm sure there are genuine sites and sellers out there, but I would urge people to be wary Lee Pope

Mr Pope arranged for the payment to be made through PayPal, but said he did not expect the money to be taken until the tickets were due to be sent out.

He said: "This guy seemed genuine. I contacted him in mid July and he told me he was on holiday, but that everything was going to be all right. He gave me all the spiel.

"I had checked his feedback and it all looked good. There certainly wasn't anything there that made it look as though he wasn't genuine.

"He had been selling all kinds of tickets for various shows and concerts in London, it all looked okay."

He added: "Now I can't get hold of the guy, his phone always goes to voicemail.

"I contacted eBay last week and they told me this guy was no longer a member on the site.

We can confirm that on this occasion the seller concerned has been suspended from the site eBay

"I looked through the history and found other people who had bought tickets from him.

"I already know of five other people who have had the same thing happen, and that's without looking very hard. There must be others as well."

Mr Pope has since managed to buy two more tickets for the same match through a travel agent for �99.50 each.

He is still determined that he and his friends see the game live, and do not lose the money for their hotel bookings.

He added: "I'm sure there are genuine sites and sellers out there, but I would urge people to be wary.

"I also think PayPal should hold on to money until the goods are about to be dispatched, especially when things are bought in advance.

"But when I spoke to PayPal they said it was outside their 45 day cut-off point, and there was nothing they could do."

A PayPal spokesperson told BBC News Online: "Thank you for bringing this query to our attention.

"We are currently looking into the specific situation and once the investigation has been formally completed, appropriate action will be taken."

In a statement, eBay said: "When buying on eBay.co.uk it is important to always check the details of the listing as well as a seller's feedback rating.

"We encourage buyers to contact the seller if they have any questions before bidding on an item, including establishing an expected delivery date where event or festival tickets are concerned, and to report any suspicious listings to eBay though the safety centre.

"We can confirm that on this occasion the seller concerned has been suspended from the site".

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