Would you buy a wife on eBay?

Kay Hammond, the 24-year-old Internet entrepreneur who tried to auction herself off as a wife on eBay, has had her advert removed.

An eBay spokeswoman said that the "Buy an Entrepreneur Wife" item was taken down as soon as the company became aware of it, as it violated its "Safe Harbor" rules that dictate what can be auctioned on eBay. "In the past, we've had people trying to auction their souls or their virginity," she said. "These really aren't the kind of things that the company wants to be involved in--they're gimmicks really".

On a quiet news day, Hammond's story was widely reported on news sites across the UK. She had set her reserve price at 250,000 pounds (US$364,750), and was hoping to be snapped up by a suitably rich and healthy British UK resident 24-35 year old.

Since leaving school aged 16 with eight GSCEs, Hammond formed her own company--setting up Web sites and providing technical advice. In interviews, she has claimed to earn 100,000 pounds (US$145,900) per year, and was hoping to become a millionaire by the end of last year.