Kids Parents Club

The parents of three-year-old Pipi Quinlan got a nasty shock when they found she had bought a $20,000 earth-moving digger on auction website TradeMe, tvnz.co.nz reports.

Pipi, who decided to play on the computer while the rest of her family were asleep, entered the Trade Me site that her mother was already logged on to, The Rodney Times reported.

With a few clicks of the mouse, she won the most recent auction listed on the site’s homepage – a Kobelco digger for $20,000.

“The first I knew about it was when I came down and opened up the computer,” Pipi’s mother Sarah told the newspaper.

The ban has been aproved by the Chicago City Council on a 48-0 vote and slated to take effect Jan. 31, 2010, spokeswoman for Mayor Richard M. Daley said.

“This is an important step in a landmark consumer protection initiative. This legislation will protect Chicago’s children and send a clear message to other jurisdictions considering similar legislation,” said Alderman Manny Flores, co-sponsor of the measure.

“We should err on the side of caution and not needlessly expose people to the harmful effects, especially children,” said Alderman Edward Burke, the measure’s other sponsor.