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Scalpers are the Scum of the Earth and Why Best Buy Sucks
- Thread starter Belfast
- Start date
Dr. Kitty Muffins
Member
Scalpers should be thwarted at every turn IMO.
Apparently you just weren't "motivated" or "dedicated" enough Belfast.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4879020&postcount=26
What a jerk.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4879020&postcount=26
What a jerk.
Moderation Unlimited
Banned
Screw the scalpers...bastards deserve the bad shit that happens to them. The joke accounts on ebay are already screwing up their auctions. I'm glad too. I feel for you Belfast even though I didn't plan on getting a launch PS3 anyway, and therefore, didn't stand in a Best Buy line for days like you did. It just sucks for hardcore gamers that have been dedicated to getting one and wind up left out in the cold.
My best buy did a pretty good job with how they handled the launch. They started the line 2 days in advance though which sucked and all the spots were gone by 6pm on the 15th when they handed out tickets, told everyone how many they had of each system (40/10). Once the people had their ticket they could go into the store or whatever but they had to stay on the property. They actually put up a port-a-john for people to use the restroom.
On the negative side I do think people were able to exploit the system as 2 people were talking about how they were getting 5.
On the negative side I do think people were able to exploit the system as 2 people were talking about how they were getting 5.
I don't think many retailers know the amount of PS3 they were getting until it's too late because the supply is so low. Otherwise, had retailers known weeks ago on the amount of PS3 they are getting, they just needed to hand off some vouchers to everybody who walks into the store to prepay for a PS3.
I personally think scalpers suck, but trying to regulate them with legislation would be worse than the status quo, so really the only option left is for people to simply roll their eyes and vote with their pocketbook, or in this case, keeping their pocketbooks closed.
It's sad market forces don't punish retailers for not having a more amiable and fair method of dispersal. As long as they sell out, they don't care, so the consumer has to make them care.
It's sad Sony doesn't get punished for this terrible launch. Honestly, I can't see how they profit from this - they're selling at a $400 loss what could be sold for $1000 profit, and people with less disposable income buy less games and accessories, which is what their business model thrives on.
At any rate, the band plays on, the song remains the same, and only gamers (and parents of gamers) remain to blame.
It's sad market forces don't punish retailers for not having a more amiable and fair method of dispersal. As long as they sell out, they don't care, so the consumer has to make them care.
It's sad Sony doesn't get punished for this terrible launch. Honestly, I can't see how they profit from this - they're selling at a $400 loss what could be sold for $1000 profit, and people with less disposable income buy less games and accessories, which is what their business model thrives on.
At any rate, the band plays on, the song remains the same, and only gamers (and parents of gamers) remain to blame.
Nameless
Member
Damn, that really sucks. I camped for 12 hours for a PS2 and though I secured a system, I vowed never to camp for a console again.. I can't imagine how 2 entire days must have been. But I don't still don't see why only the scalpers are getting all the flack. There wouldn't be as many if people weren't willing to buy the consoles for 4-5x what they're worth.
I've never sold ANYTHING on EB in my life, but I'll be honest, if I had the time and patience to secure a PS3, I would probably sell it. I make a 400% profit, and buy the system again in march(which is when I plan to get one as it is) when theres actually more than one quality game that I can't already buy on 360.
But as far as the Best Buy employees, I would honestly call corporate or regional to report that. I worked at BB during the PS2 launch, and they made it a point to let it be known how many systems they were getting, so people wouldn't be waiting in the cold for nothing.
Edit: :lol :lol :lol :lol at Scalpers getting owned on Ebay..
I've never sold ANYTHING on EB in my life, but I'll be honest, if I had the time and patience to secure a PS3, I would probably sell it. I make a 400% profit, and buy the system again in march(which is when I plan to get one as it is) when theres actually more than one quality game that I can't already buy on 360.
But as far as the Best Buy employees, I would honestly call corporate or regional to report that. I worked at BB during the PS2 launch, and they made it a point to let it be known how many systems they were getting, so people wouldn't be waiting in the cold for nothing.
Edit: :lol :lol :lol :lol at Scalpers getting owned on Ebay..
gamergirly
Member
Moderation Unlimited said:
The problems were here even before scalpers. There's MANY people who wanted a PS3 and there's VERY LITTLE consoles. If it wasnt the scalpers, it would've "campers". Then it wouldve been the "rich people"'s fault. It just goes on and on...... Most of us werent going to get a console this Xmas to begin with, every human on Earth knew that.
That's BS. The hardcore don't create the problem, it's the shortages. If there was adequate supply to meet the demand then none of this "problem" would be happening.Haleon said:
There really should be laws to cover this nonsense. Microsoft and Sony should have been prevented from launching their consoles until they have an adequate supply to at least meet a reasonable percentage of the demand.
I believe there is more than enough cause for the law to set guidelines on how products are introduced into the marketplace. The consumers have rights, and I honestly believe the best interest of the consumers has been stomped all over with these console launches.
gutter_trash
Banned
ebayers and scalpers are scum becaue they hurt the gaming industry on multiple fronts
-retailers with unsold software dusting around
-angry consummers unable to purchase a console by normal means
-3rd party developpers take the brunt of the punishment from unsold software
all of you who say Capitilsme this and that and that you are free to do what you want,,, you are blind the damage that this cause to the industy
-retailers with unsold software dusting around
-angry consummers unable to purchase a console by normal means
-3rd party developpers take the brunt of the punishment from unsold software
all of you who say Capitilsme this and that and that you are free to do what you want,,, you are blind the damage that this cause to the industy
mckmas8808
Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Jeff-DSA said:
Yeah because the ones that did get the PS3 today should have waited another 5 months. :sarcasm:
Pureauthor
Member
gutter_trash said:
Yes, because they toss their consoles into a black void in the Bermuda Triangle and not do something stupid such as, say, sell it to hardcore gamers.
Um, you can purchase consoles by normal means. Just get there earlier then them.
See point 1.
Nameless said:
That sucks dude. I agree about BB being a piece of crap store. I won't buy anything there other than small accessories. I definitely wouldn't purchase anything that required the assistance of a BB sales rep (yikes). BB employs the lowest caliber of people imaginable. I know you're not gonna get any PhD folks applying for a job, but they could at least try to hire decent people who seem to be at least a little enthusiastic about tech. When they replaced their previously decent tech support department with geek squad, that was pretty much the last straw.
As far as wanting the system badly, I can't blame the OP at all. I'm a gaming enthusiast. I love the feeling of getting a new console, taking it out of the box, fiddling with the accessories for the first time, firing it up, etc. If I hadn't gotten a 360 a month ago, I'd probably be more anxious to try to pick up a launch unit than I am now. Hell, I remember getting a PS2 on launch day (hookups at EB) and it was a great feeling. Even though there weren't any killer apps, solid games like SSX and Madden 2001 made the early purchase worthwhile.
I don't despise the scalpers at all, but I am rooting for them to lose. I'm hoping the Ebay market becomes saturated and the demand falls (I know its not likely but still).
vatstep
This poster pulses with an appeal so broad the typical restraints of our societies fall by the wayside.
You don't even need to have a job to begin with. As long as you have a credit card (which anyone can get), a scalped PS3 might net you more cash then you'd make in an entire year.Snah said:
Personally, I wouldn't waste up to three days of perfectly good vacation/sick time that I could use for something much more worthwhile just to make some cash. But I guess those are my own priorities.
I'm sure a lot of the scalpers are college kids with no jobs, supported by their parents, etc. Like I said, all you need is a lot of free time and a credit card to get a PS3 to throw on eBay.
goldenpp72
Member
Though im not really into the ps3, sorry to hear that, I know what it's like to bust your ass for something and not get a return 
Crackerman16
Banned
Does anyone know how to make fake eBay accounts without giving out a lot of information? I'd really like to make a fake account, but I know it's kinda hard.
Dr. Kitty Muffins
Member
Parch said:
Darn right we have rights. Yet everyone just overlooks it becuase this is about "games". I swear that Ralph Nader should look into all the crap the games industry does.
sidnotcrazy
Member
The real solution is for Ebay, and other auction sites to pull every single ps3 auction. Yes Sony sucks for not producing enough of a quantity to satisfy gamers. But maybe this would eliminate so many
opportunists.
CaptainABAB
Member
Parch said:
I hate laws that try to protect idiots from themselves.
If the law was enacted, the launch would be delayed until March. So why don't you wait until then, walk into a store and buy one.
I have such a polarized reaction to stories like this. On the one hand, you had a genuinely shitty experience and didn't even get a payoff. That's bad enough, but to have the BB guys treat you like that is even worse. Adding further insult is the douchebags scalping in line, preventing actual gamers from buying them.
A side note - the scalpers are not entirely the problem. It's the rich assholes buying the PS3's on Ebay that are the real problem. The scalpers - scum that they are - are just taking advantage of the demand that's out there. If people were sane and refused to buy at such ludicris prices, then the scalpers would have no motivation. If anyone buys a PS3 on EBay, feel ashamed.
My other reaction is - two days in line for a launch PS3? You knew the launch allocations were sparse, demand was sky-high and after the 360 launch and pre-order auctions that profiteering would be at an all-time high. And honstly, is there a launch title you want that badly, so much that camping for two days is worth it? Resistance looks amazing, but....two days camped out?
I can't relate, but I do sympathize.
A side note - the scalpers are not entirely the problem. It's the rich assholes buying the PS3's on Ebay that are the real problem. The scalpers - scum that they are - are just taking advantage of the demand that's out there. If people were sane and refused to buy at such ludicris prices, then the scalpers would have no motivation. If anyone buys a PS3 on EBay, feel ashamed.
My other reaction is - two days in line for a launch PS3? You knew the launch allocations were sparse, demand was sky-high and after the 360 launch and pre-order auctions that profiteering would be at an all-time high. And honstly, is there a launch title you want that badly, so much that camping for two days is worth it? Resistance looks amazing, but....two days camped out?
I can't relate, but I do sympathize.
Crackerman16
Banned
sidnotcrazy said:
I wish this would happen, but eBay would never do that. They're profiting waaaay too much off of system launches. Unless Sony, MS, Nintendo works out a lucrative deal with eBay (which they won't), this will never happen. Plus, there's alternative auction sites out there.
Also, S/MS/N are benefitting from all the hype scalpers/moron buyers create for them. This is the new form of advertising for system launches and the 3 console companies know this. Why do you not see PS3 commercials 24/7? Because the media have been doing free advertising for Sony already. All the freaky, weird PS3 commercials aren't made to make consumers want to buy the system. It's there to make people REMEMBER the commercial/brand.
Sucks that you didn't get one... but think of it this way. Even if you did manage to get one, you're still paying $1000+ for one (or whatever price it's currently going for). Planning on keeping it is just a choice to not make the profit... it's the same as paying for the "market price".
Opportunity cost, guys... opportunity cost.
Opportunity cost, guys... opportunity cost.
There is nothing even remotely wrong with the scalpers or what they're doing. They're legitimate gamers, for the most part, not scum, not douchebags, not bottom-feeders. Most of them are probably more dedicated gamers than most of GAF, where people talk about games more than actually playing games.
It's cool that you guys all feel you can pick a convenient and easy target for your desperate need to vent with name-calling, because I suppose that is easier than noting the actual problems here (this is what happens when demand massively exceeds supply) and the fact that the scalpers are irrelevant to the whole thing -- the PS3s are going to be bought be people waiting in line for days no matter what, as a consequence of the high demand; whatever happens to the purchased console afterwards doesn't matter, because even if you ban all scalping, it's still going to someone who's willing to wait in line for days (IE, not most of you).
It sucks that Belfast's experience was so bad, and yeah, he's got a legitimate gripe, seeing as he waited and other people, who were still in line ahead of him, get theirs. But most of you people aren't even willing to make the sacrifice he did and don't have any standing when it comes to the insults you're tossing out.
And no, I'm not a scalper. I have a job.
It's cool that you guys all feel you can pick a convenient and easy target for your desperate need to vent with name-calling, because I suppose that is easier than noting the actual problems here (this is what happens when demand massively exceeds supply) and the fact that the scalpers are irrelevant to the whole thing -- the PS3s are going to be bought be people waiting in line for days no matter what, as a consequence of the high demand; whatever happens to the purchased console afterwards doesn't matter, because even if you ban all scalping, it's still going to someone who's willing to wait in line for days (IE, not most of you).
It sucks that Belfast's experience was so bad, and yeah, he's got a legitimate gripe, seeing as he waited and other people, who were still in line ahead of him, get theirs. But most of you people aren't even willing to make the sacrifice he did and don't have any standing when it comes to the insults you're tossing out.
And no, I'm not a scalper. I have a job.
Nameless
Member
ethelred said:
Not all of them. I know several people who don't even own a console, who were trying to secure PS3s just to sell. Like I said I really don't have a problem with scalpers, but it DOES suck for the industry when people who aren't even gamers are scalping systems. The majority of REAL gamers who are selling their PS3 are going to be putting a good bit of the profits back into the industry anyway, which is a good thing.
Nameless said:
Yeah, but even the small percentage of non-gamer scalpers are still selling it to gamers, and those gamers (the ones with enough disposable income to drop thousands of dollars on a gaming platform) are still going to be buying software to go along with that hardware.
There was lots of 360 scalping, and its software sales, even early on, were fantastic.
No harm is being done the industry here.
Snah said:
What?
Dude. I wait for 3 days to get a playstation 3. I get 30 dollars an hour, and work a 9 hour day. For those three days that I took off work, that's 270 dollars that I miss out on pay. I get my playstation 3 for 600. I put it up on ebay, and I sell the system for 1900 dollars. I pay 100 dollars in ebay fees and shipping.
That means I came out with a profit of 1200 dollars. That's 930 dollars more than I would've made if I stayed at work for 3 days. I sat around for 3 days playing a portable game system, eating trail mix, and singing kumbaya with a bunch of fellas I don't know, to come away with over a grand in cash.
So what is this about folks with decent jobs again?
ManaByte
Rage Bait Youtuber
Belfast, I had the EXACT same problem at my BB:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=129226
I'd suggest calling 1-888-Best-Buy and file a complaint. Do it multiple times.
I've called yesterday and today. They say "please don't call again" and I just tell them "Look, I'm not going to stop calling and complaining until your company gets me a PS3 and fires those idiots who caused this to happen."
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=129226
I'd suggest calling 1-888-Best-Buy and file a complaint. Do it multiple times.
I've called yesterday and today. They say "please don't call again" and I just tell them "Look, I'm not going to stop calling and complaining until your company gets me a PS3 and fires those idiots who caused this to happen."
gutter_trash
Banned
i got a normal job, and the last thing I would is sacrifce 1.5 days of normality for a console
2nd, I wouldn`t hire a stand in bum to wait for me like alot of scalpers did, it`s just wrong
and to all you scalper defenders, get a freakin`life. The hurt on the gaming industry is alot greater then you think
100 000 PS3s sittiing on Ebay... no one buying games on retail.... disaster
2nd, I wouldn`t hire a stand in bum to wait for me like alot of scalpers did, it`s just wrong
and to all you scalper defenders, get a freakin`life. The hurt on the gaming industry is alot greater then you think
100 000 PS3s sittiing on Ebay... no one buying games on retail.... disaster
Suburban Cowboy
Member
why else wait in line if not to scalp? To play the newest madden? To experience just another fps that doesnt break any ground, so you can watch Taledega Nights in br?
Seriously, no one cares about ps3 for its games at this point, its just a status thing.
Seriously, no one cares about ps3 for its games at this point, its just a status thing.
Hmm, I got lucky with the Gamestop preorder and I'm selling mine cos it'd be pretty stupid not too at these prices (IMO at least). There's so many great new games out on ps2 and 360 plus even gc has zelda so I have enough to keep me busy till they're readily available.
Does using common sense make me scum?
Does using common sense make me scum?
Nameless
Member
mr jones said:
Well if you make $270 per day, over a 3 day period that would be $810. So you're actually only coming out with $390 that you wouldn't have had if you had worked those 3 days instead of camped. Doesn't seem to be worth the hassle...You could work a few hours of OT each day at work at make that in a week..IF you were telling the truth about your wage.
Suburban Cowboy said:
They had a thing this morning on the news about the launch and they had a live interview with some waiting at a Target in Fresno. They said virtually everyone they talked to said they were going to sell it, but the one guy they interviewed they interviewed for the sole reason that he said he was going to keep it. The game he said he was looking forward to playing? Madden.
Moderation Unlimited
Banned
gutter_trash said:
Good man. These are unequivocally true statements. How can anyone not realize that this is bad for the industry and gamers in general.
Plus, I don't see how most of you are blaming low launch numbers on the likes of Microsoft and Sony. They have cutting edge technology in those consoles. Production issues are a plenty, but that is the nature of the product lifecycle. It's been that way for every console launch I can think of, except Wii's which is essentially just a repackaged Gamecube (tried and true tech with pefected, ramped up manufacturing process). I'm sure they'd like to get more consoles out if they could. There is no harmful agenda on that front. So, again I don't get the hate there.