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[StreetsofBeige]

They are a service to people who will spend the money and don't have the time or energy to get one themselves. There is an actual shortage for this product regardless of scalpers.

If people are willing to spend the money, it's fair game.

You bring up a good point. Supply is short and spread thin across stores. It can be argued these scalping hoarders (I remember an article saying some guy had 1,000 of them?) are doing people a service. Instead of gamers scrambling on different sites and notification emails, these guys probably have a central ebay account and will ship it to where you live.

Some of these stores have been dicks forcing bundles or curb side pick up. Some stores have store stock. Some have online. You don't even know how it gets allocated: store by store, or store vs online. Who wants to do curb side pick up in the cold and during covid? If you're someone who likes buying in person, probably sold out. Spread too thin across stores. If youre someone who likes online buying, spread too thin as stores got most of it. Walmart online probably sold out in 30 seconds.

The ebay scalper is like: Here I am on ebay. And there's 1000 other people down the list with a PS5. Some of us have 1 unit. Some of us have 100 units. Some got a ton of them. All there on one site. Will ship anywhere in continental USA.

 

[zcaa0g]

We all love capitalism, otherwise we would not have so many shiny boxes and electronics in a free market to war over.

Assholism on the other hand.

For the record, I don't agree with laws against scalping either.

Agreed. I could go for legalization of the scalping of scalpers though. I want 100 scalper scalps from every NeoGAF poster!

 

[MeatSafeMurderer]

Yes, I've done my own critical thinking and came to a reasonable conclusion based on facts. My conclusion is different then yours, but I'll have a discussion with you and put thought towards your words. You have no clue what my beliefs are. Capitalism is a social theory and has nothing to do with morals or ethics.

See I don't think your conclusion is reasonable. You owe almost everything you have to capitalism and the free market, whether you acknowledge it or not, which seems good enough reason to me to not hate either...but we'll just have to agree to disagree I think, because contrary to your assertion, I think I have a pretty good idea what your beliefs around this topic are. I've argued with people like yourself before and, to put it bluntly, I've found them to be willfully ignorant and unwilling to consider that they might be wrong. Maybe you're not like that, but I frankly don't care enough to try to change your mind.

 

[Desudzer10]

The ones i hate are the ones that open the box and then try to still sell it with double the price.

 

[Mr.ODST]

The ones i hate are the ones that open the box and then try to still sell it with double the price.

Someone tried selling me one like this for double the price, dont think they understand the prices are mainly for new ones.

 

[PaintTinJr]

There is nothing morally wrong with it.

They are a service to people who will spend the money and don't have the time or energy to get one themselves. There is an actual shortage for this product regardless of scalpers.

I think if we took a straw poll of religious leaders and politicians around the world - explaining scalpers are circumventing a system, by having insider knowledge of the order system interfaces of online stores, so they don't operate in buying consumer to business, but B2B - I pretty sure the de facto opinion would be that it is highly immoral to snatch a product out from a users online basket using bots.

And it isn't a service, if you artificially distorted the market to begin with, to create the need for your service. yet, again that's just semantically no different to any other parasite that adds less than zero value to the route to market IMHO.

 

[NeoGiffer]

 

[Werewolfgrandma]

See I don't think your conclusion is reasonable. You owe almost everything you have to capitalism and the free market, whether you acknowledge it or not, which seems good enough reason to me to not hate either...but we'll just have to agree to disagree I think, because contrary to your assertion, I think I have a pretty good idea what your beliefs around this topic are. I've argued with people like yourself before and, to put it bluntly, I've found them to be willfully ignorant and unwilling to consider that they might be wrong. Maybe you're not like that, but I frankly don't care enough to try to change your mind.

I'm not trying to convert anyone. I'm arguing that scalpers provide a service and it's basic capitalism.

 

[Werewolfgrandma]

I think if we took a straw poll of religious leaders and politicians around the world - explaining scalpers are circumventing a system, by having insider knowledge of the order system interfaces of online stores, so they don't operate in buying consumer to business, but B2B - I pretty sure the de facto opinion would be that it is highly immoral to snatch a product out from a users online basket using bots.

And it isn't a service, if you artificially distorted the market to begin with, to create the need for your service. yet, again that's just semantically no different to any other parasite that adds less than zero value to the route to market IMHO.

Scalpers do not distort the market more then any other rule or law in place. You have access to all the same tools and knowledge as scalpers. Get yourself a ps5.

 

[MeatSafeMurderer]

I'm not trying to convert anyone. I'm arguing that scalpers provide a service and it's basic capitalism.

Yes, and we fundamentally disagree. Creating a problem and then offerring to solve it is not part of Capitalism and is, infact, illegal in many industries because it's ultimately detrimental to the market.

 

[Barakov]

PlayStation 5 Scalpers Aren’t Happy With Their Public Image

PS5 scalpers think the rage directed at them isn't justified.

www.forbes.com

Hey scalpers, get fucked and stay fucked.

 

[ShadowWolf712]

 

[DiegoAndrad]

Wait, do people actually think that if it weren't for scalpers PS5s would be readily available on stores for U$500? The ones responsible for the shortage are the consoles manufactures themselves, they announced too low a price, making demand higher than their production capacity. The only way to "stop the scalpers" is to increase the price so that the market doesn't need them to clear itself. Preventing bots from buying won't stop the scalpers and prohibiting scalping altogether would make shortages significantly worse, as it would work like a price ceiling policy.

 

[Kataploom]

As long as they don't prevent people from getting first need goods I don't see how they're doing something wrong... You all gonna get your toys soones or later, it's not like you're loosing on lots of next gen games... People get too emotional over things and forget they are in their right to buy and sell too and removing them from that right is a can of all worms you wouldn't even want to imagine (I lived it myself)

 

[Derktron]

No, shit what the fuck did they expect when they sell it over the MSRP price of $500. What am I supposed to feel? Sad?

 

[Aenima]

I find it funny that this POS is comparing his business model with what supermarkets do when they sell you milk. They are not the middle man because Sony, MS, etc use the retail stores as the middle man. Scalpers are the extra man, no one asked for.

 

[Madflavor]

They're scalping the fuck outta next gen consoles, in the middle of a pandemic, when many people are stuck at home and struggling with boredom and/depression. It's been three months since launch, and it's still neigh impossible for the average Joe to get a PS5 because of these people.

I can respect the hustle, but now is really not the time to be pulling this shit.

 

[Hawking Radiation]

This is why I GAF. Thanks guys

 

[Umbasaborne]

Person realizes they are a piece of shit, and they continue to be shit

 

[Pachi72]

“There seems to be A LOT of bad press on this incredibly valuable industry and I do not feel that it is justified, all we are acting as is a middleman for limited quantity items.” said Jordan, who co-founded The Lab, a private group that advises paying users on how to scalp (known as a “cook group”)
What a crock is shit.

 

[GreatnessRD]

I hate the people who buy from the scalpers a tad more. If you don't enable these whores, they're stuck with their products because then some stores will go "lol, tough shit. Keep your 50 PS5's".

 

[digitaltrance]

I will never support them.

 

[Virt McPolygon]

If someone is dumb/desperate enough to overpay for a PS5 from a scalper, they probably have something more important to spend their money on like child support, legal fees, or I dunno.. if you're young and dumb, maybe college.

 

[farmerboy]

Absolutely believe that if someone has something to sell, then they have a right to sell for whatever the market will bear. Good luck to them.

However, free access to the market is getting seriously manipulated when you have online sales dominated by bots, thereby inflating the market. A situation made worse by restricted supply.

Until that situation is sorted out, grow a little patience and wait. We didn't always get what we wanted, when we wanted.

 

[Kumomeme]

 

[drganon]

Fuck scalpers.

 

[Iamborghini]

As long as they don't prevent people from getting first need goods I don't see how they're doing something wrong... You all gonna get your toys soones or later, it's not like you're loosing on lots of next gen games... People get too emotional over things and forget they are in their right to buy and sell too and removing them from that right is a can of all worms you wouldn't even want to imagine (I lived it myself)

Selling your console or buying a bunch to make profits it’s not the same. One is your fundamental right to do whatever you want with whatever you own, the other is business practice.

 

[Iamborghini]

I couldn't give two shits about scalpers lol, I don't see a reason to be upset about them, they just make money out of stupid people, like gambling companies and I don't see people throwing a fit because of scratch off tickets

Maybe because someone gambling with his money doesn’t affect other people? Can’t say the same with scalpers, because they affect gamers with low budget.

But I totally agree, people who buys at high prices are stupid (or rich)

 

[Cravis]

I am sure Hitler probably wasn’t happy with his public image in the world but that didn’t make him any less of a piece of shit. Guess what scalpers? Doesn’t make you any less a piece of shit either.

 

[spookyfish]

I accept people’s right to re-sell, but scalper culture is pretty crappy.

 

[Starfield]

Well for graphic cards ij the EU basically every retail store besides thr larger chain stores is s scslper

 

[dave_d]

Wait, do people actually think that if it weren't for scalpers PS5s would be readily available on stores for U$500? The ones responsible for the shortage are the consoles manufactures themselves, they announced too low a price, making demand higher than their production capacity. The only way to "stop the scalpers" is to increase the price so that the market doesn't need them to clear itself. Preventing bots from buying won't stop the scalpers and prohibiting scalping altogether would make shortages significantly worse, as it would work like a price ceiling policy.

Probably. Either that or they think if there was just one more PS5 out there clearly they'd be the lucky one to get it. I'm sure theoretically there could be a massive cabal of PS5 scalpers that are colluding with each other to keep a tight supply like OPEC or De Beers or something like that but the chances that's happening are almost zero. In reality scalpers are reacting to a tight supply and if they really were buying up most of the units they'd soon be competing with each other to dump the units they bought before they get stuck with them. (It'd be a massive game of financial chicken.)

 

[Pallas]

No mercy for scalpers.

 

[small_law]

Wtf y'all don't like capitalism?

No capitalism, no video games comrade.

 

[eyesabitdull]

They're scalping the fuck outta next gen consoles, in the middle of a pandemic, when many people are stuck at home and struggling with boredom and/depression. It's been three months since launch, and it's still neigh impossible for the average Joe to get a PS5 because of these people.

I can respect the hustle, but now is really not the time to be pulling this shit.

This is my exact sentiment.

It's like kicking dogs while they're down. The world is bleak and boring as all hell due to lockdowns in place. I'm assuming many looked forward to getting a PS5 as a way to placate that boredom with a new console.

 

[mxbison]

Come on man, I have to pay bills and put food on the table too!

*buys consoles and GPUs for $50,000*

 

[jakinov]

Even if there weren't scalpers you probably still wouldn't have a console. There's been shortages for the last two generations too, where people will sell for higher. The consoles end up getting sold to a player in the end. The demand is there, it's just that the scalpers are seizing the stock and taking advantage of the demand.

At the end of the day these game consoles are luxuries/leisure. It's hard to feel bad that someone who wants a game console right away to play games they can probably already play on PS4. And it's hard to find a good reason why the people who didn't get one deserve one more than the people who are willing to pay more, the people smart or resourceful enough to automate buying one, diligent enough to buy it as soon as stock is available, or the people who had the foresight to try and buy it early..

 

[@gkTH]

So they expected gamers to be happy at their behavior then?

 

[Spukc]

Essentially every business resells their products. Tesco, for example, buys milk from farmers for 26p or so per litre and sells it on for upwards of 70p per litre. No one ever seems to complain to the extent as they are currently doing towards ourselves.

His mother should have swallowed him instead.

if you are fucking over other people be honest about it.

sony has retail fixed. That dude is a parasite.
He brings no service to the table. The farmer uses tesco to sell his milk. Tesco takes a cut from the profit.
The comparison makes no sense.
He would instead be hoarding all the milk from tesco and sell it at double the price. Not from the farmer you dumb fuck.

 

[mcz117chief]

This is my exact sentiment.

It's like kicking dogs while they're down. The world is bleak and boring as all hell due to lockdowns in place. I'm assuming many looked forward to getting a PS5 as a way to placate that boredom with a new console.

It is only "bleak and boring" if you allow it to be. I started an underground gaming club and after the initial period of caution and hesitation a ton of people are coming in now, playing D&D, X-wing, Warhammer 40k. There is also an underground restaurant very close by that the cops haven't found in over a year now

Maybe because someone gambling with his money doesn’t affect other people? Can’t say the same with scalpers, because they affect gamers with low budget.

But I totally agree, people who buys at high prices are stupid (or rich)

If you are on a budget you probably shouldn't be buying day-1 anyway. Either wait for a sale or a revision. And gambling absolutely does effect people WAY more than any scalping. Millions of families have been destroyed by gamblers, haven't heard of any one destroyed by scalping. Scalping is completely harmless.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Wtf y'all don't like capitalism?

Most people love it when they are the ones doing the screwing, not the other way around.

 

[Werewolfgrandma]

No capitalism, no video games comrade.

I'm not communist and that's a big ol' crock of shit.

 

[Soodanim]

It's the buyers I don't get. To be that eager to buy console that you would pay double to get one with no warranty if/when it fails is something I cannot relate to at all. More money than sense, those people.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

At this point i need to accept that people really think Capitalism is the ends rather than the means. I guess it is inevitable.

 

[phil_t98]

never a good look ripping fans/consumers off

 

[phil_t98]

It's the buyers I don't get. To be that eager to buy console that you would pay double to get one with no warranty if/when it fails is something I cannot relate to at all. More money than sense, those people.

peer group pressure on parents to get the kids the latest toy. the warranty will still be valid with sony from the day the console is connected online

 

[jroc74]

How about offering the console yall hording at a lil over regular price, or allow us regular folks to actually get one?

 

[Neff]

*goes to Tesco, buys all the milk, sells each bottle for a fiver*

I'm just the middleman

We provide a service

You'd provide a much better service by fucking off

 

[evanft]

Imagine whining about someone selling something for market value.

It's a fucking electronic toy.

 

[SpongebobSquaredance]

How about offering the console yall hording at a lil over regular price, or allow us regular folks to actually get one?

I think $100-$150 over regular prize is fair enough, but the thing is if there are consumers that are willing to buy for double the price, why should you do this?