Ebay-Scam?

Pollycat

Whats wrong with him wanting to collect?

Regardless of the fact that this buyer wants to pay by cheque on collection (not cash), the phone was listed on ebay with a delivery method of Next Day Delivery by Royal Mail.
Collection in person was, according to OP, not an option.

It would have been simple courtesy for this buyer to contact the seller PRIOR to making a bid, to ask if this variation to the transaction i.e. collection rather than delivery by post would be acceptable.

The seller could, at that point, have either agreed on condition that payment was in cash or insisted on payment by cheque and despatch only when the cheque had cleared.
And if the prospective buyer was not happy with those terms, the seller could reject his bid - which in hindsight, would have been the best thing for laalaa's boyfriend.

Polly