A Senedd member is being investigated for leaving a negative review on eBay for a pair of crystal sherry glasses priced at £9.99. The seller filed a complaint, alleging that the politician’s comments cast doubt on their “integrity, reliability and honesty”. The Senedd’s standards commissioner, Douglas Bain, launched a formal probe into the matter after the report was released on October 17. The dispute arose when the politician purchased two Waterford crystal glasses online and disputed their resemblance to the seller’s description, prompting a scathing review.
Despite the seemingly trivial nature of the disagreement over the glasses, Mr. Bain found the complaint valid under rule two of the Senedd’s code of conduct, which mandates members to be truthful. The seller expressed concerns that their eBay reputation could be damaged by what they perceived as dishonest feedback from the purchasing member. At the core of the conflict was whether the glasses, bought in January, bore an etching of the word “Waterford” or an image of a seahorse.
Throughout a year-long investigation, an independent expert was enlisted by Mr. Bain to examine the item. The glasses were advertised as a “stunning” pair of Waterford Kylemore small liqueur glasses in “super” condition, with no signs of use. However, upon receiving the glasses, the politician was dissatisfied, claiming they were smaller and unsigned compared to the description. Despite the seller’s insistence that the glasses matched the description, the Senedd member ceased communication.
Following a series of events where the seller tried to resolve the issue by offering replacement glasses and the Senedd member breaking one of the original glasses, Mr. Bain’s appointed investigator found no etching or marking on the remaining glass during an examination in April. Despite the seller’s rejection of the findings, an independent expert later determined the glass to be genuine Waterford crystal. Mr. Bain concluded that even if the feedback was factually incorrect, it was honestly given, with no evidence of deceit or fraud.
The Senedd’s standards committee, after deliberating on the findings, ultimately agreed that the member had not breached the code of conduct. The office of the standards commissioner, with a budget of £133,992 in 2023/24, noted a sharp increase in complaints received, with 84 deemed inadmissible. The specifics of the investigation highlighted the importance of truthfulness and honesty in all interactions, even over a seemingly minor online transaction.