Every gamer tries to keep with the current trends. When a new game releases, they are there. When a new piece of hardware releases, gamers once again appear to spend their hard-earned cash. When a new generation of consoles releases, all hell breaks loose. Soon people are swarming all over the internet and attacking retail associates to get their hands on the new tech. Through all of that chaos, there is one type of individual that is almost universally despised… The Scalper. Scalpers don’t care about feelings, they don’t care about how much of a budget someone is on, and they certainly don’t care about the money someone tirelessly saved. They only care about one thing… Money. Many gamers are rising up again to tell scalpers to go away, but the real question should be, should it be illegal?
Everyone knows who a scalper is. They buy high demand items in bulk and then resell them at a profit on sites like eBay and Amazon. Currently, if someone doesn’t want to wait around hoping that they get one, a PS5 on eBay ranges from $500 (for the digital edition) all the way up to $1,500. What’s even crazier is that people are willing to buy them instead of wait until demand decreases. This fuels the power that scalpers have. So, the other question is how do we stop scalpers from gaining so much power and get consoles into the hands of people who deserve them?
Is It Illegal?
Scalpers on eBay are selling PS5 consoles for more than double the retail price.
In short, no. While areas have taken notice of scalping tickets, this type of law has not been expanded to stop people from scalping other items. Each year, items like consoles, collectibles, and games, get resold at higher values than they are worth. Companies do little to prevent this action from happening. So far, Sony has implemented an account access process on their website. This has made it so a person must have a PlayStation account in order to buy a system. Their website is also one of the few that has not crashed thanks to its online waiting room.
Other retailers like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy have not been as hard on scalpers. They require little to no proof that a buyer is a real person other than a simple CAPTCHA. This has enabled scalpers to more effectively buy products and stockpile them. Some of these scalpers have even been outlandish enough as to post pictures of their PlayStation and Xbox consoles stacked up to the ceiling. Thanks to these scalpers, and the pandemic, more people are noticing the difficulty and want to take action. But how do scalpers beat the lines so easily?
BOTS
Scalpers use Bots to get ahead in queues and buy multiple consoles before others.
Bots are something any normal person comes across when taking that online shopping journey around the mall that is the internet. ChatBots appear on retail screens to answer questions that people might have about products or shipping. Bots send automatic text messages or emails to confirm orders. They even send information about the shipping of the item, letting customers know that their product is on its way. The Bots used by scalpers are a little different.
Scalper Bots have one focus: get in, buy as much as possible, and get out before being noticed. The site, DataDome stated in an article that “Scalpers use automated software to position themselves at the start of the queue and snap up coveted items within seconds after they are released for sale.” That’s right, before someone gets in a queue, scalpers are already at the front of the pack. The use of bots allows them to mix up data signals and acquire multiples of the same item well before a normal person can get their hands on it.
Possible Hope
Sneaker companies have come up with different methods of defeating Bots.
Sneakers are a huge market, but why talk about them here? Well, like consoles, sneakers are bought and sold frequently. Limited edition pairs come out all the time and avid collectors try to snag a pair to add to their collections. These highly coveted items used to fall victim to the same treatment that consoles and other collectibles get. They used to be bought by scalpers and sold for as much as four times the standard amount. In the past few years, however, shoe companies have taken some interesting action against Bots.
Nike, a fan favorite shoe company, partnered with the restaurant Momofuku for one release. During this release, buyers had to scan a menu from the restaurant to prove they were a real person. Other companies have tried using their own Bots to help prevent the use of Scalper Bots. Some companies now use a raffle system to help get more real people on the websites purchasing their sneakers. That’s not all. Thanks to the number of Bot attacks the sneaker market has had, the government took notice and tried to sign into law the Stopping Grinch Bots Act of 2018. The proposed law would make it illegal to use bots to purchase high-value items for resale use. Needless to say, the law hasn’t gone through yet or we may not even be having this conversation. That doesn’t mean it won’t go through in the future.
The Best Defense
With the law not being on our side and scalper using every possible trick in the book to snag consoles before anyone else, the real question is why even try? Legislation may never come to declare the usage of Bots to be illegal. Not even stores are truly on a gamer’s side. Stores typically have an anti-Bot section in their agreements but never follow through on them. Gamers could get lucky like the sneaker world did and a pioneer of Bot technology may come to help ordinary people use Bots to even the playing field, but that may not happen either. So that brings us back to the question, why even try?
Brought about earlier this year and talked about in a recent article on GamingIntel, a new Chrome extension has been released called Octoshop. This extension tracks items online and gives notifications to the user whenever a selected item goes back on the market. Prices can be adjusted to avoid getting scalped items and the frequency that each site is checked can be adjusted to be constant or every hour. It is a great tool to use to help the ordinary person beat the bots. For the future, petitions have gone around to help get the ball rolling on the Anti-Bot legislation in Congress. Maybe we will all see a better buying experience by the time the next console generation rolls around.
The Kings That Ended Scalpers
Scalping is not illegal, technically it’s only a small bit wrong from an ethical standpoint but everything else that’s it consists of is very legal and technically a human right, that consists of buying something and then being allowed to sell it because it’s yours. But we don’t like it for selfish reasons… The same selfish reasons that they’re buying them all and reselling them for a profit and we justify that… So let’s be less hypocritical a bit. Every single person bitching about scalpers can buy a raspberry pi for $40 and make their own aio bot script to get a console. If you are a gamer this should be very interesting to you and you’d have a decently easy time learning the script you need to code the pi to do the task that the scalpers do.
If you’re not a gamer then you’re either buying one to scalp or can wait til the gamers actually get one.
Buying from scalpers only allows them. To somehow overlook the humanity of being ethical and giving a shit to the greedy option that everyone is and only the scalpers admit they are.
Well I bought a raspberry pi. Watched YouTube tutorials on bot scripting and I Created my own bot script and got a series x and a PS5 the next day. For retail price.
It was so easy and I’m in my 40s… But I didn’t resell them. I didn’t open them… I gave them to a charity so a kid could have one that may not be around to see the supply level out. The charity even sends you proof that the kids recieve their new gifts.
I was even able to stay anonymous during the process because I didn’t feel like it was ok to get a pat on the back from a family that’s going thru so much right now and a simple good deed like that from me can cause a plethora of happiness in an otherwise gloomy situation that usually doesn’t have a happy ending.
I’m a huge gamer now. Every day, But, up until 5.5 years ago I was very involved in the goings on of the inner city streets and involved with a gang. So, some might ask me if I found religion and that’s why I was able to change my ways and do such nice things…
Nope. I’m agnostic, why believe in something that’s only a psychological tool made by mankind to keep mankind in check? False faith is just as bad if not worse than no faith… False faith feels worse tho when you realize the workings of human nature and the amount of fakery that we put each other thru every day.
So nope, no religion. I’m a self reformed gang member who does nice things because I actually do care about people and what’s right and wrong.
The reason I’m telling you this is because I think it’s importnt to know that us dirty gang members have your backs too. Not just charity kids.
Myself and 230 other street oriented individuals that taught themselves about certain types of tech, have been collaborating for the last 4 months on a program and other means, to return the natural order of good vs evil.
We’ve never been evil ourselves. Just very misled and very mistaken on what path to take in life. Right now we have actually found a path that makes us feel like we’re going to make a difference.
There’s a program that now gives us the address of every single buyer of multiple and mass quantity next gen consoles and graphics cards.
Some of us still heavily associate with the people in the street that aren’t afraid to go get those Xboxes and PlayStations. Scalpers are geeks that abuse their rights and gangsters sometimes have some geek in them but they also have a way to “handle” geeks that think they’re untouchable. I want to tell people and we have a couple hundred people doing what I’m doing right now on various sites complaining about scalping.
Within 90 days there will be a website up, on this site, a whole enormous amount of consoles are going to be available for retail prices and stock is guaranteed until there’s a leveling out in supply vs demand of Xbox series x|s, PS5, graphics cards and some other highly sought after things is back in effect.
These items will be scalper items but they will have never been scalped and this site will be up and running soon. There will be certain steps to purchase these items that ensure our safety and yours because why endanger the people who aren’t the true pieces of shit?
Human nature is funny. Greedy asshole always take and take and ruin things but eventually, there’s always someone bigger and badder than the pussy that preys on the normal folks, and they get bit in the asses by the bigger badder guy.
WE ARE THE BIGGER BADDER GUY and we stand with the people.
If gangs can get RPGs thru customs then you need to understand that we’re already on our way…
-Kings
Bryan Hill
You are all missing the actual crime. Scalping is not illegal. However, selling exclusively to scalpers, then promoting those scalpers on the same website is illegal. These bait and switch tactics have people going to Walmart, Target, Amazon, best buy, Sears, and more and are then redirected to scalpers in there “Marketplace”. These “legitimate” retailers are actually the scalpers. It gives people the wrong impression that they are buying from the retailer. They are working with the scalpers and they are promoting the scalpers. Walmart is a dirty scalper. Amazon is a dirty scalper. They are incentivized to support scalpers like stockx. First they profit quickly selling to scalpers. Then they profit again helping the scalpers to resell. The only way to stop this is to boycott retailers that promote scalping. It’s not just consoles, every hot toy is only available from scalpers. Retailers know it and play dumb. It’s ti,time, to end these corrupt retailers. This whole situation has convinced me to not buy a new Gen console ever. Maybe I’ll get the new Google system instead, but not if it’s scalped for more money. It is not about the money I could easily buy a 1k ps5. If that was the msrp I would already have one. I will never support scalpers somit looks like I will never buy a ps5.
Bryan Hill
I recommend reporting these corrupt retailers to the Federal Trade Commision, like I did.
Bryan Hill
Scalping is not illegal, this crime falls on the retailers. First they sell all the units to bots, even make it easy for them. Then they help the scalpers resell on their “marketplace”. Profitting again on the second upcharge. Then they try to extort money on a membership that has a chance to allow you to buy at msrp. Again still no official way to order one and wait. Do what I did. First give up on shopping for scalped items, don’t support scalping. Second, report the criminal retailers to the Federal Trade Commision. Third go on the retailers face book feed and post over and over how they have bait and switch tactics and work with scalpers. Bait is the always out of stock item, and switch is the resellers on the marketplace. Their is a crime, its not scalping, its retail fraud. Even if it’s not illegal we don’t have to buy, and we can cancel the business with social media. Guess im not getting a ps5 ever, and definately not from Amazon, Walmart, Target or anyone else supporting resellers on their marketplace. Oh well.
David LaMattina
Seriously I think this whole thing shouldn’t have to happen aren’t we all adults seriously! One would think we would get the message with the whole pandemic situation of the world trying to tell us to act right come together, and stop being so uncivilized about everything. Seriously you think you would start acting like a team and furthermore the government giving people stimulus checks they should have regulated it more because a lot of good it has done to our communities! Seriously and the one for people who had kids what a joke people probably bought more guns drugs and ammo to kill and rob people. Go out for Black Friday this time I don’t think so if you value your life people maybe you come together as one stop taking advantage of the system seriously it’s a joke how stupid people are nowadays had anyone ever gotten away with this type of crap a few years ago probably not furthermore it’s about time you raise your kids right stop being so stupid baby now making them bitchezz in society that’s all they come Karen to the world . Let’s see if they let this one slide I’m on airborne Army Ranger freedom to speak however I choose.
ANONYDON
honestly screw scalpers, they are the reason why its hard to get new gen consoles and I dont know where this idea came from but yall are just greedy, evil, and downright punchable. hoarding god damn consoles for no reason only to flaunt it in everyones eyes and then selling it? You can get robbed if they know you have that and they near you. all in all, Dont be a scalper unless you never touched a woman in your life
Joseph Jordan
They should make the bots illegal AF. It’s not fair for those of us who don’t have a lot of cash. I’m unemployed and gaming is how I stay sane. I’ve been praying someone would bless me with one, or barter since there is no way I can afford a scalper on top of the already high price. The only money I had all year was the last two stimulus checks. So not fair. Power to the gamers!
Bobby Bobberson
You’re unemployed, taking stolen money from “stimulus” checks, and are lamenting the fact that you can’t use it to get a console?
KYS
Some guy
your name is Bobby Bobberson that just removes all credibility to your statement
Vic
Force purchase to be verified through legitimate identification logged through dmv/gov id check. Limit to one purchase per month, boom fixed
Bryan Hill
Then the retailers can’t double profit. First quickly by scalper bots and then again helping the scalpers to resell on their marketplace. If you can piss off most of the consumers to make double profit should you? You lost my business Amazon, Walmart, Target. Anyone know a better retailer with a soul and a clue.
Principle PC
You want to deter scalping, boycott it for a couple of months maybe even a year. Very hard yes but it will either reduce prices, making scalping a non-viable business, or make companies notice because nobody is buying the games of their shelfs.
ANONYDON
But then you encourage scalping, which angers the people, which then someone wil get hurt sometime. So theres no right answer here.
Na man
A little birdy I know told me he bought from a scalper off amazon, then said he never got it. Scalper takes the hit, and maybe will learn a lesson
Damian
The *only* reason Ticket Sales Scalping is illegal in the states they are is because Tickemaster actively lobbied legislation so yes- it absolutely could happen it would just require silicon manufacturers to lobby similar legislation
chicken chaser
Let’s say for instance your going to mcdonald’s and the car in front of you buys all the burgers then set’s up shop selling his wares for double the amount. Do you still support scalping while you tell your kids, sorry we can’t eat here? Now not only does your family lose out, but Mcd’s also suffers the backlash on social media. The only winner here is the scalper while so many lose. Sad really.
Jake State Farm
Scalpers should be publicly beaten live on TV until every part of their soul is gone.
Joseph Jordan
Agreed
Aaron A Fleming
If it’s illegal to scalp venue tickets, it should be illegal to scalp consoles. Events aren’t currently happening due to the pandemic which makes these consoles a high target for entertainment purposes.
Aaron Donaldson
Not an essential item so why are you getting so pissed.
chicken chaser
I’m guessing you must be a scalper?
Connor Rohan
Neither are concert tickets? Scalping is immoral.
Mike
Just remember everyone, stupidity and evil doesn’t work. Sometimes it looks like it does for a little while, but in the end, bad decisions catch up to those who commit them. Sony, Microsoft, Target, Walmart, Best Buy and the scalpers themselves – they are all guilty of stupidity and recklessness and carelessness. And they think they are getting away with it for now because “who cares. We got what we needed out of it. The only ones complaining anyway are the losers who didn’t get one…” – Ok, we’ll see….
Just wait until these stores and companies are sitting on a stockpile of games and controllers they can’t move because no real people in their area have a console at home to go with them…Eventually, their “We don’t care as long as SOMEONE buys them” arrogance is going to catch up to them. YOU BETTER START CARING ABOUT WHO ACTUALLY IS GETTING THESE THINGS OR THE WHOLE THING IS GOING TO BLOW UP IN YOUR FACE!
Jonathan
Any website that is allowing this practise should be heavily heavily fined. eBay and any online reseller should automatically delist any console or any product that sells there item more than 50 percent more than MSRP on a product that has been out last then 1 year. Every instance of a product found could face a 500 dollar fine. Also the selling on console online should be immediately halted until sources like xxxxx have defined ways to stop bots from scalping.
Rob
The main thing I want to know, it how did ANY retailer actually ship dozens of consoles to the same address without questioning it? The best way to stop scalpers, would be to only ship them 1 console, and then refund the remaining purchases. Just like there are few laws protecting against scalpers, there are few laws that say a retailer has to sell you an item. Private businesses have that discretion.
Ari
an address can be made to look different an almost unlimited amount of times. 123 S dark Rd is the same 123 s DARK Rd
Dustin
That’s not really how that works. Data normalization is carried out on addresses pretty much universally. The post office and most carriers will just reject addresses that are improperly formatted. The issue is that scalpers will get friends and family, or even pay off strangers in order to avoid the shipment limits. It’s especially easy for places like apartment buildings that use a communal mail room. A limit on the number of units per address would absolutely slow them down, but it has to be a fairly harsh limit. The only way scalping gets stopped in its tracks is to kill their sale listings, prevent automated purchasing, and/or criminalize the practices that enable scalpers and price gougers.
jason clarence
I have no problem with scalping as a practice, if you buy a product you can sell it at whatever you want, it also gives an opportunity for those that otherwise wouldn’t have been able to acquire one a chance to.
But using bots to buy up the entire supply of a product to cause scarcity so that they can sell these product for outrageous amounts since they are the only ones with supply is unfair and should be illegal.
It’s also harming companies as well, companies like Playstation and Xbox sell their consoles at a loss because they can easily make back that loss by subscriptions or digital purchases. however if most of these consoles sold at a loss are stockpiled and aren’t in the hands of consumers who will actually buy those things they are loosing profit.
jonhdusomme
LOCK EM UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thecursedgod
there’s allot of laws that should be made the world lets bad people do bad things scalpers should get jail time. only legitimate retailers should be able to get stock to sell to legitimate buyers. with pandemic retailers should also set up a way to track people who buy a system and force 1 per customer online until there is full stock in stores.
Qx403
Could be considered price gouging during the COVID-19 Pandemic if somebody could convince their state attorney general it’s a necessity. People are stuck in their homes with little to do, so it may be a possibility if slim to be seen that way.
Kirtap
To be honest it should, or atleast there should more heavy handed approach towards it. It’d benefit Sony and MS, mainly Sony. Selling consoles is one thing, but recouping money on manufacturing costs is another. Not many are going to buy games for a system they don’t own and software sales are what recoup costs.
Maybe if the law reworked the definition of resale, extending it to even selling as ‘used’. Perhaps a product with a no resale policy can be sold as used after a period of time since a product was first released, like perhaps 180 days has passed. For PS5, There’d be enough consoles past the 180 day period that scalping wouldn’t be viable.
Perhaps stores could shorten the time window for a refund / not a full refund.
PS5’s would ultimately still just as well, but the difference is they’d be in more people’s hands and they’d get more money from software sales.
Nixie Knox
Nope. The manufacturers are stupid for selling them too low at launch.
jerome
This is price gouging to a T and price gouging is illegal.
Disenfranchised Customer
Producing an artificial shortage of a product (PS5 or Xbox Series X) through purchasing a retailers entire stock using retailbots. Then doing that on a global scale. With the intention of turning around and selling those PS5 or Xbox Series X consoles for anything above retail price. Is not impressive or cleaver or a good business model.
It’s taking away the opportunity from legitimate customers from purchasing a PS5 or Xbox Series X for their own personal use. Without having to pay 3x the retail price.
There is nothing wrong with a person wanting to own a PS5 or Xbox Series X on the day that it’s launched or released. People shouldn’t be labeled as “impatient” for wanting to own a product on the day of launch.
Retailbots remove almost every opportunity that a customer has at not having to pay more than the retail price. In my opinion that falls squarely under unfair business practices.
Which would leave it up to the retailers to be willing to put systems in place that would counter act and deter the use of retailbots. They would still sell their entire stock and would also insure that the PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles they’re selling wind-up being sold to people wanting to actually own them.
It would be an easy system for retailers to implement and would go a long way in improving customer loyalty to their stores.
Anonymous
Scalping should absolutely be illegal.
It’s a form of extortion. Using mechanisms like bots to purchase mass quantities of an item is a forceful means of obtaining that item.
It’s an illegitimate business model. Scalpers contribute virtually nothing to the economy since they produce nothing for the economy. Like pirates, they rely exclusively upon the production of legitimate manufacturers for their profit margins by cornering supply while they maintain zero influence on demand.
It encourages localized monopoly-style trading. By today’s legal description of “free trade”, a single entity in an area can forcefully purchase the entire stock of a given product and sell each unit at ridiculously high markup in that same area. They are controlling trade.
some dude
A simple win/win solution to this problem is even if retailers are going to sell these, force a HUMAN interaction on every transaction. A human calls you on the phone to verify who you are before you complete transaction. You get a code/pass from Sony that you can use once anywhere. When its used the code and serial of the console are synched so you dont get to go buy more elsewhere (simply). As long as there is a way to buy online without a HUMAN interaction (not a captcha), this problem will persist. Its on both the manufacturer AND the retailers to fix this problem. Because of the way it is now, I will remember which retailers did this to me and vote with my dollars at those places for all future transactions not just video games. Talking to you Best Buy Walmart Target Gamestop, You do me wrong when i need you, well i dont ever need you again. Buh bye.
Gabriel
I personally don’t think it should be illegal based on the fact that there are so many other things that are marked up significantly from retail price. I’m talking about everything from antiques to gaming systems. The only reason that some of these nerds think it should be illegal is because they were a day late and a dollar short like myself, not willing to pay the astronomical mark up and now have to wait a little bit longer than wanted. I personally don’t care about the wait since it’s a gift for my kid and I have nobody to be pissed off at but myself since I dropped the ball. So if these nerds are willing to pay 2-3 times over retail, let em’. No, I am not a scalper. Not that into money.
Bob withers
The problem with scalping is that they use Bots to buy all high in demand items quicker than a person can get the web page loaded.
Tim
As one of those “nerds,” I was actually there for release and each restock on about 5 or 6 different websites. I am usually refreshing the page for at least 20 minutes before the console is actually stocked Every time I try to buy one, the site crashes, and the consoles are sold out within minutes if not seconds. The issue is not getting an equal chance alongside the immorality of cheating children out of entertainment to make a quick buck. And before you say “Get better internet,” I have download speeds between 15-20 MB/s on a bad day, so no, that isn’t the issue.
Nerd McNerdison
That is an awful take at a legitimate issue. Did you not fully comprehend the article? Do you need a “nerd” to break it down for you. These people are using bots to strongarm consumers from owning a product even at pre-order. Many people were trying on day one with full payment, but were locked out due to bot congestion on the sites. “Nerds” are passionate about the gaming community that these people are ruining and we don’t want you in it, your kid can come over though, he is probably a lot cooler and smarter than you.
Nickos
Actually scalping is a much bigger problem than you think. Think it like this, if scalpers own most of the PS5 and Xbox Series X stock then there wont be many people around playing all the new games released for these consoles. All these companies developing games for the PS5 and the Xbox series X will have a massive loss in revenue for the very obvious reason that not many actual gamers own the new consoles using them as intended (which is playing games), instead of having them sitting around stacked in a basement as its the case with scalpers. Even Sony and Microsoft will be affected in the long term because thats ruining their reputation. They will have to take some action against this eventualy. The only reason they havent done it yet is because they are under alot of pressure as they have to cover the massive demand for the new consoles. Once things settle down they will probably take lots of measures against scalping, possibly even establishing new laws against it.
Michael
theres not really a need to make this “officially” illegal, just dont buy from scalpers and the problem solves itself.
if you youre so much hyped for an ps5 console with barely any games released, that you buy it for 1k$ from scalpers, well,… blame yourself.
Its not like the ps5 is limited or something, there will come more.
people nowday just get too impatient, its the same for games.
only because of those overhyped peoles the scalpers methods work so well.
((simply buy consoles, and give them to overhyped boys who pay their last shirt to get their hands on a new unlimited console that will be produced more and more, while its price gets lower and lower.))
Manuel W Alvarez
Too late. People are dumb enough to spend $900-2000 for these consoles.
It was already announced even by the scalpers that they made millions dollars already, and the UK is trying to make it illegal for scalpers to buy consoles or anything thats gonna be scalped.
People are so stupid wasting money. Even if i had the money to buy a
console scalped, i would never give my money to them.
$500 vs $1200-2000, imagine all the games one can get with the extra monies.
John Cania
Just be patient everyone. The scalpers will be stuck with PS5’s that they will have to sell at retail price or they will be stuck with a bunch of PS5’s they can’t sell. Just be patient because January is right around the corner and there will be plenty after the hype is over. Purchase a PS5 from a reputable business and buy a warranty at check out. Sony will not repair or replace your PS5 without a receipt or proof of purchase. Just be patient people !!!!!
Aaron Donaldson
Did not Age Well
psy
you are the type of people that would ban a robot from shopping at the store just cause they can do things faster then a human can
no scalping consoles or using bots to purchase items faster then a human can should not be illegal and before you say i use such bots no no i do not and never will im old fasioned and dont mind waiting a few months or longer for them to be in stock again
psy
for example look at the futurama cartoon robots are capable of buying their own items to much more that they can do. ask yourself would you ban a robot from shopping at your store that seems a little racist in my opinion but we are not in that sort of future yet and are dealing with humans using technology to there advantage which does seem unfair buying items and reselling them at a higher price . which is considered commerce though there is exceptions to the rule such as alcohol that requires a license or reselling tickets. Generally, you can’t resell items that require a license either from the government or whoever owns rights to the item. it’s not illegal to resell an item that you have legitimately purchased. Once you have purchased something at retail it is yours to do with as you choose. https://www.entrepreneur.com/answer/226401
Fscalpers
Your one of those scalpers for sure.
Drew
They are all idiots.
Bob withers
Well said scalper.
Bob withers
Your thoughts are filled with doubled standards
drjoms
You make no sense.
Robots don’t and can’t have feelings by definition. As such they have no needs. So they don’t need to do shopping. Saying that you can be racist against robot is plain stupid.
You can emulate feelings perhaps, but who ever creates emulation is responsible for it.
Such emulation can not happen on its own. Human has to be involved.
With that said, I agree, scalping should be left alone. What’s difference between scalper and Walmart? They both are resellers.
Both sell valuable expensive good for profit.
Putting laws against scalping will potentially kill competition. If scalpers figure out more efficient way to deliver goods, they innovate. So killing scalping is killing innovation. Now I don’t say it does actually happen, but it potentially happen. Scalper may become a reseller overtime!
Remember, you don’t lose money because of scalper. You lose money because you fail to react to reality of market.
drjoms
And no, I am NOT a scalper, I am as annoyed by them as you are.
Iconoclysm
The law should be to make bots illegal, not scalping.
Annon
Please….I beg you… get fixed.. save our gene pool. DO THE RIGHT THING. Friggin scalpers.. …If u could, you would buy up all the water n sell it, wouldnt you? … too bad that act would get everything taken… i mean.. just as extortion and price gouging intersect with the continuing problem of ..you.. so does the guillotine and “cake” intersect with with
queen wheres-her-head.
whats next, hand sano and masks? what about food? ….oh…wait… hand sano and masks were scalped… i wonder how many have died because of you? So lets all be sure to add indirect mass-manslauter and even helping the spread of a deadly contigen. Prison sounds accurate.
Me5289
Is that robot buying all the milk and then sitting outside the store selling it for $20 a gallon? Think before you try to justify.
Anonymous
well dont you sound like one of those asshole retailers stealing consoles from everyone during a pandemic, were people are short on money because of being laid off, making the prices ten times higher just for profit, (basically scamming people). Here’s what you should have said to sound a bit better. “You can use bots for purchasing, but not for scalping in order to resale” As that would be a bit more morally acceptable. As for me, I think bots just shouldnt be allowed, because for me, who has a family member with A Glioblastoma cancer tumor, (who could die at any moment) wants a ps5, And because im short on money, and these asshole snobby retailers have made this impossible.
Dylan
If you are looking for a ps5 buy one right from sony not ebay amazon or anything and eventually the scalpers won’t make any profit because no one buys them
Anonymous
thats actually a very good idea
John Dorotiss
Don’t heed the hype. Sony will eventually flood the market with PS5’s. People with the life or death need for the console RIGHT NOW will have to deal with design flaws (the alleged coil whine, small and unremovable HDD, etc).This is what the scalpers are trying to push. I’m sure the ps5 Pro will fix some or all of these problems.
Dylan
If I remember correctly sony said that there would only be 2 designs of the ps5 the digital and the other one and they said they won’t be making anything other than those
Aaron Donaldson
did not age well
Austin
Just to throw this entire article into question. Scalping period is actually illegal in all 50 states. I have contacted microsoft as well as all retailers corporate offices and discussed why they aren’t stopping scalpers and their response was basically if you know who the scalper is take their information to the cops so they can be arrested. Problem is no one really knows who the scalpers are.
wacuco
Seems really simple to me, teach scalpers a lesson by not buying from them making them eat their loses. People in USA always seem to forget that the consumer really has the power to control the market, not the other way around. most of these acts capitalize in lack of discipline, and just plain stupid behavior for the part of the consumers.
Rigamarole
Price gouging (charging far more than a product is worth) and profiteering is already illegal in many instances in many countries. Its not a new thing. Scalping is (and always has been) a slimy and immoral practice driven by profit and the mere fact its NOT illegal. Make it illegal and the profit goes away, as will the motives of the scalpers. Heck I remember people being beaten bloody over freaking cabbage patch dolls in the 80s (look that one up!). People being assaulted, scammed and ripped off over “Tickle me Elmo”. Its ridiculous, and people are indeed scammed, assaulted and ripped off in each of these instances. Its a practice that needs to be thoroughly criminalized.
As for the retailers enabling this they need to make these in store purchases, one per customer until methods can be put in place to reduce the scalping and bot usage. Until then, let the scalpers rot. Dont give them a dime…unless its 10 cents worth of led.
Kill Them All
Any account selling a product that is marked for resell should require a verified physical address attached to the account and exposed to the public.
When scalpers start dying, people will stop scalping
Decent Human Being
1,000,000% scalping systems like they are doing, should be illegal. The idiots who keep buying from scumbag scalpers should also be locked up for helping to perpetuate this horse S4*7.
John Dorotiss
Ebay supports the scalpers for the consoles but Amazon does not. Ebay is just a 3rd class version of Amazon anyway. Boycott Ebay!!
Sabien
This is not true in the slightest. The Series X is $1500 on Amazon. Luckily I got one launch day but I think it’s complete bullshit that people can’t get something they’ve been waiting for a long time to get because greedy bastards want to turn a profit. The only way to beat them is to not give in to the urges of buying the consoles until they build more stock to buy retail. I am incredibly lucky to have been able to even grab one from my local Walmart as it literally went out of stock in SECONDS. There’s a guy in my town who bought 5 of them and is now selling them for $600, but he just needs to make a little money and isn’t trying to rip people off, but these people with 20 consoles selling them at double and triple the price are disgusting.
Sabien
Just stick with the console you have for now and buy cross-gen editions. Then when you get the new console you have series x/ps5 versions too.
drjoms
Suggest Sony to allow pre order with pre payment. If companies know needs, they can produce as much as needed. There is your technical solution.
Jakey Park
This is so true. I think people who scalp them are scum of the earth and we need to rise up and put a stop to this. People….. DONT BUY IT FROM THEM. I think what we need to do is boycott the lil scum buckets doing this so they are poop out of luck and wasted there money, Its not fair to us gamers who actually want to use the system,. i will NOT pay almost double to value for a console it just wont happen.
GLEN METCALFE
SONY is directly at fault!Why wouldnt these be sold directly to people with existing ps plus active accounts.This way they would be distributed evenly across people who actually play the systems.This BS of people with BOT accounts buying up complete stocks is immorally wrong and SONY should be held directly LIABLE!If you dont play playstation you shouldnt be allowed to purchase one plain and simple!
Kill Them All
The solution is very simple. Start killing them. Nobody will scalp if they’re terrified to do it.
John Dorotiss
The IRS needs to take the reins on this and tax these scalper idiots. They can easily prove their profits are earnings and tax them. That’ll take a bite out of slime.
TERRENCE
Have patience everybody, eventually the consoles will hit stores for in store purchase.
AcL
This isn’t any different that it was 2 generations ago. If people put in the work to secure consoles legally at launch, or anytime for that matter, they own them and can do whatever they want with them. I spent 2 and a half hours spamming the checkout button on microsoft.com to secure my series X, and seriously considered reselling it, but some fedex employee tried to steal it while it was in transit and decided to keep to avoid the hassle of getting another. When pS3 came out I brave the elements for 3 days camping out at walmart to get one. I earned the $1100 I sold it for.
nobody asked what you did
wow thats crazy but i dont remember asking
Jakey Park
what sucks is i did the same and got screwed TWICE. It was available shortly after launch on walmart and i spent and hour doing the same and it delayed me until the item was sold out . not cool assholes use bots not fair at all.
GLEN METCALFE
your a straight up GOOF and should be sterilized!
ashley poole
I really don’t care! Its garbage to that,if it’s something you really don’t care about!
Chris Petkunas
The only way to stop the scalper from enjoying the profits from resell is to not buy for over retail price. Let these guys be stuck with their pile of inventory then have to sell for retail.
Decent Human Being
If only stupid A-holes would quit buying at scalper prices. They are just as guilty.
James
Its no different then giving money to panhandlers. Most of them use it as a panhandling business. I see plenty who claim they are stranded and then later that night go home on the bus. Its the idiots who pay, who are the problem. They think they are being generous, yet they they are feeding into the corruption.
Kurtis Weaver
I don’t think it”s immoral or unethical. It’s supply and demand and Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo drumming up free publicity. I haven’t been able to get an XBox console either and fortunately I don’t need to get one right now because of the way MS released a very compatible system. It stinks nonetheless, but as long as MS et al continue to produce the consoles in low qualities in order to generate hype, then this is what we will be stick with. I don’t care for the practice of scalping and I am on the receiving end of it, but you can’t blame the people who are taking advantage of the environment that was created by the companies.
IMO of course.
John Doe
Doesn’t make it right.
JasonGW
Actually, it IS right, and here’s why: at every step of the process, what you’re seeing are human beings exchanging value for value in a voluntary chain. No one is forced to participate, from the designers and engineers who created the device, to the software developers who built the OS and games, to the assemblers, packagers, graphic designers, marketers, ship and plane pilots and loaders / unloaders, truck drivers, stock clerks, cashiers, and ultimately customers, whether direct from the store or via the hands of a scalper–every single person along the way makes a voluntary choice to exchange their value for someone else’s.
And who are the scalpers, particularly of games consoles? Most are average people looking for an opportunity to earn a little extra scratch. When I was in college a few years ago, I knew a guy who paid his tuition by buying and selling Amiibos, Skylanders and other popular toys and figures. They were a passion hobby of his, and because his school schedule afforded a certain amount of flexibility, he’d use his time wisely. He’d bring a chair and camp out overnight outside a store, doing his class assignments on his laptop, waiting for them to open. There, he’d peacefully buy products from voluntary sellers, and go peacefully sell them to voluntary buyers for more than he paid. His customers were often people who loved the product but couldn’t justify waiting in line, either because they had work or family obligations, or whatever else.
It can certainly be frustrating, but there’s nothing immoral or unethical about what scalpers do. Not on any level. They’re engaging in peaceful, voluntary trade–and that’s exactly how you want humans to interact with each other.
John Dorotiss
You are a scalper
Decent Human Being
It absolutely does not make it right. “Making a little extra scratch” does not mean charging double, triple, quadruple or more for the consoles. There are literally financial laws against this kind of practice for every single market, except scalping. Laws around scalping are loosy goosy and need to be tightened up. John Dorotiss is right, you are a scalper scum bag and you will roast one day.
Kill Them All
You deserve to die like the rest of the profiteers
Kill Them All
Entrepreneurship is not to be confused with profiteering. This is why scalping essential items during a pandemic is illegal and stomped out by retailers and consumers alike. The problem is that fewer people buy consoles than toilet paper, and so these items are “free game”. Scalping is a crime against the humanities that drive commerce and if we killed the people that do it, nobody would try.
Gremlin
What you described is a courier system not a scalper. Scalpers arnt providing a service that is not already available via the store. Scalpers are just buying wholesale unnecessarily then creating an undue market demand because of selfish and needless desire to make money off people who simply wish to be part of the new wave. Similar to how a parasite is not a natural part of a being but can survive by taking from something else and simply enough can be treated by medicine. Similarly scalpers should be treated for by law and legislation.
Rigamarole
“nothing immoral or unethical about what scalpers do…”
Profiteering off people in a pandemic so their kids dont get their most wanted christmas present? Yeah thats immoral and unethical in entirety.
ashley poole
You’re wrong man! Price gouging is flat out wrong!
Nerd McNerdison
All of those people you mentioned literally have nothing to do with the argument at hand. You might want to glance over the article one more time guy. People are using bots as an unfair advantage against legitimate consumers. This isn’t a “little extra scratch”, this 2-3x it’s original price. Your friend went to the locations and waited and actually put in effort. It would be the same if he strong armed to the front of the lines or better yet had some sort remote controlled robot to do it for him. Scalping is absolutely despicable, and you aren’t going to convince anyone without a remedial education.
chazy
So for you, ticket reselling is also ok? A peaceful transaction?
The problem is, even if I’m rich, why do I have to pay a higher price for an item? Scalpers buy everything leaving me with only one option: wallet bleed.
Scalping is or should be ilegal for one simple reason: They’re buying in bulk, but they’re not wholesalers, they’re not paying taxes nor allowed to operate as such. They cannot provide warranty to their buyers. And a long list of reasons that I won’t bother to post.
You say there’s nothing immoral or unethical about this, but what about the people who can’t afford to pay that much? Scalpers are literally preventing most legit users from getting the item they want. If that’s not immoral and unethical then you have a serious mental problem.
That’s kinda like extortion, isn’t it? “If you want this you gotta pay me double or triple or even more…”. Now tell me again, what’s peaceful about that? Cuz I could 100% understand these practices if we lived in the middle ages…
cory
Thank god for your comment. I was really losing all faith in humans ability to use there brain over there emotions. Hearing these people complain about scalpers like there any diff then any other middle man shows how stupid the average person today is.
[email protected]
You sound like a scalper.
Kurtis Weaver
Totally valid responses. I think this is one of those cases where you “hate the game, not the player” sort of thing. Also, I am not a scalper and if I walked into a store and had the chance to buy 10 XSX I would not do that. I would also be glad to see people not sell a single marked up unit. However, I also don’t see it as amoral and it’s likely a smart move on their part. Why? Because they have something that people want and will pay for and they are using their own network and/or skills to get it. I’ve seen reports of Amazon drivers in the UK stealing units. That’s wrong. People buying up units and selling them for higher prices to people willing to spend the money… IE probably folks who have more money than you and I that dont think twice about getting Timmy his XSX at $1500US… I don’t see that as amoral. Does it suck? Yep. It sucks.
I can wait until spring to get one. Everything is running just fine on my One X.
nobody asked what you did
damn bro that’s so crazy
but when did anybody ask?
Decent Human Being
However, at a certain point of mark up, it is wrong and becomes a big ethical issue… unless you are a person of low morals, scalp for outrageous prices and probably guzzle contents of used condoms all day long.
ashley poole
I’m OK, with maybe a $100 mark up, but the prices right now are crazy! Consoles are not meant to be sold like cars. They eliminate the middle man, but scalpers have created the middle man
Iconoclysm
Your entire argument here is based on a myth that these companies create artificial demand. There has never been a shred of evidence that this is true and it’s been debunked over and over.
Arlene Robinson
It’s crazy when you want just one XBOX series S from places that advertise dates of these game systems for purchase, then I can’t get one because we have greedy people who buy multiple games then place them on a EBAY, AMAZON ECT.for 3 or 4 times the amount. It should be 1 per purchase so that others have a chance to get one. Be considerate of others greedy people.
Arlene Robinson
It’s so unfair when you have people like me who only need one at regularprice,but can’t get one because of people buying them all,to then post them for different apps for a higher price. It needs to be looked at by the company who allow them to buy multiple games. My grandson want one people. Be considerate of others