PS3 preorders lead to eBay avalanche

Hours after retailers shut down preorders for the 400,000 launch-day PlayStation 3s, auction sites explode with offerings averaging $1,500 a pop.

Last November, eBay was awash with listings for the hard-to-come-by Xbox 360. Now, enterprising auctioneers have been placing preorders for the PlayStation 3 and then immediately preselling the console themselves for a huge profit on eBay.

GameStop announced yesterday that preorders for Sony's next-gen console were now sold out, with some stores only taking as few as six orders. Eager customers had been queuing for hours outside stores to pay their $100 deposit, which guarantees them one of the first 400,000 US-bound PS3s.

Sellers have been posting photographs of their receipts to confirm their preorder, along with publicity photos of the hardware and a list of technical specs. Seller ajballa21 said: "I stood in line for hours at GameStop to save you the trouble." Another seller, taralee1114, claimed that they had waited outside their local GameStop store all night to get their hands on the console on November 17.

Others claimed to have bulk-bought all the store's designated pre-orders for themselves for the purposes of reselling them, no doubt disappointing others who were waiting behind them in line. Dubamoinc wrote: "I waited in line at GameStop this morning (10/06/2006) and i am the number one person on the pre-sale list which means i am guranteed a PS3 on november (sic) 17th 2006. I have 4 pre-orders in and I am guranteed (sic) ALL of them that day." Other sellers targeted Europeans, who won't be able to get their PS3s domestically until 2007.

This isn't the first time that canny consumers have taken advantage of a shortage in gaming hardware. Back in 2001, eBay was loaded with PS2s at highly inflated prices, with consoles changing hands in Europe for around £1,000 (about $1,800). As previously mentioned, Xbox 360 preorders were being sold on from their original buyers for $1,500. Some unscrupulous sellers took advantage of desperate buyers by selling them photos of the Xbox 360 instead of the actual console.

The average going price for the PS3 on eBay today was also in the region of $1,500, although one hopeful punter had given his console a 'buy-it-now' price of $100,000. They hadn't had any bids as of press time.

617 Comments

  • blueflamedino

    Posted Nov 9, 2006 3:42 pm PT

    i hope i win the circuit city ultimate gamer sweepstakes, three consoles, six games, and three extra remotes. Awsome

  • Statictrance

    Posted Nov 9, 2006 3:00 pm PT

    I have a legitimate pre-order at my local toys r us. Let the bidding begin friends, will ship next day air. I hate to sell mine cause I want it, but I'm moving out and need furniture. I'll save people the time of waiting in line and be guarenteed a system for a price.

    AIM - Statictrance, statictrance@adelphia.net

  • ZippyDSMLee

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 11:59 am PT

    Half of me believes this is a deal between ebay and sony to limit ebays selling of PS3s while they go after online import chains,they have already closed down Link sang.

    the other half of me want to believe this is merely a attempt to limit scams.....

    the PS3 low end should start at 350 no more no less sell the high end for 700 for all I care *L*

  • sharpshooter188

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 1:31 pm PT

    eh. i wasnt that stoked about the ps2. im not gonna be that stoked about the ps3 especially at $600 dollars. what happened to the $200 dollar bar?

    companys knew people would pay an extra hundred for something really nice.

    then they just add another 100 from point to that. i gaurantee the next generation of consoles will be $700.

  • The_Weekend

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 8:31 am PT

    I can wait ... first generation systems will have problems .... so what's the rush for people!!!

  • mack10

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 11:37 pm PT

    Lol, wow, I'm gonna be on top of this for the next-next gen of consoles to come out...these people make loads of money off of idiots who actually buy the systems off of E-bay.

  • lokar36

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 11:05 pm PT

    Have any of you been following the news? Sony will NOT have any signature games at launch or any exclusive games besides resistance.
    how could anyone throw down or wait in line for so long for something that you don't need to get until 2Q 2007?

  • Kenshin100

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 9:58 pm PT

    I live in New york, so i went to the digital life conven, right. I also played the PS3 unlike the half million posting about S@!* but didn't even play it. No one and i mean NO ONE should bashing their games and haven't played it. Sports games look the same but when i played resistance, i can finally say i want it. GROW UP KIDS half of u are under the age 18 maybe 15 and are crying cause ya cant hustle your parents enough to get a PS3. The 500 one is just as good as the 600 one. TAKE A BREAK. its not the end of the world. IF U can spend so much money on a gaming pc, Your telling me u cant hold down 500 at least on the ps3? COUGH UP AN EXTRA 100 AND YOUR STRAIGHT and stop hating. Online play is free. Web browser is free. Comeon...

  • dtfann003

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 6:07 pm PT

    For Solidesnake2004.
    No one know's if blu ray is the next thing or HD DVD is. As of now, HD dvd looks like the next big thing. I dont play moives with my 360, or ps2. Thats why I have a dvd player. This is sony's fall. $600 for a toy. come on. grow up.

  • puttytutty

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 5:15 pm PT

    Why pay 1,500 dollars when you can wait until the holidays. The PS3 are bundled with packages and will, with out a doubt have more features and less gliches. That is my plan.

  • Onlinegeek

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 4:22 pm PT

    ok im sorry but the PS3 is gunna look better run better play better have better games support and is just all around better it is going to destroy adn as of now the 360 is garbage' i mean think about it yeah sony has WOW price but first of all there gunna giove WOW games and second would u rather but something thats crap for 400 and waist ur money or buy something u wait mabey 2 months mroe for saving for 600 that is amazing really also come on answer me this is the 360 and its games r so "RAD" then y is the most played game on the 360 FREAKING like 5 year old HALO 2 i mean COME ON WHO DOES THAT

  • boo_dat

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 3:43 pm PT

    Typhoonexhalev said:
    "WTF Man Sony are Dicks First they sell theyre console for a exstorcianist price of $600 then they purposly limit the first shipment to a measly 400,000 consoles!! Thats some Bull****! F****!!! SONY!!! They think theyre Big King **** dont they! Nintendo Wii May not have the best graphics but its very unique in its own way of playing games and its only $249.99! oh and guess what else theyre shipping 1,000,000 Wii's on launch date thats right 1 mil
    im sorry sony you were good to me in the past but umm you crossed the line and i can gurantee the ps3 will be on the bottom of the food chain for this coming era of consoles"

    ummm...wow. Dude, it's just a console. Seriously, settle down. Honestly, I have no idea why this should generate so much rage. Get a job, find a hobbie and get a grip. Please, go ahead and enjoy your Wii...and do make sure that you don't kill someone in the process...geez!

  • iori666

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 1:27 pm PT

    this is mucho caliente.

  • Kahuna_1

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 12:43 pm PT

    ebayers got treated trying to sell the ps3 for those prices.

  • bigbrown69

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 10:15 am PT

    man i cant wait till feb 07

  • Mon6ana

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 9:57 am PT

    I think its good.

  • trojans

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 9:47 am PT

    I stood in line for two hrs for my PS3. Yet I see no reason to be obsessed about it. I would have waited. But I waited almost 3 years for the PS2 to come down and finally gave up and just paid the 299. So I figure the same will happen to PS3, might as well just go ahead and get it over with.

    While the thought of selling it on eBay crossed my mind; I finally decided this was just for me. I only buy one console with each generation so I had the money set aside. Its not big deal really. It’s just a console gez. Everyone just be patient. I’ve wondered if some of this is just a ploy from Sony to generate more demand. It very well could be the week before they will announce additional consoles. IMHO that is more likely then reducing the number.

  • Typhoonexhale

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 9:43 am PT

    WTF Man Sony are Dicks First they sell theyre console for a exstorcianist price of $600 then they purposly limit the first shipment to a measly 400,000 consoles!! Thats some Bull****! F****!!! SONY!!! They think theyre Big King **** dont they! Nintendo Wii May not have the best graphics but its very unique in its own way of playing games and its only $249.99! oh and guess what else theyre shipping 1,000,000 Wii's on launch date thats right 1 mil
    im sorry sony you were good to me in the past but umm you crossed the line and i can gurantee the ps3 will be on the bottom of the food chain for this coming era of consoles

  • brotherscampos

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 7:15 am PT

    I bought my PS2 on its launch and he still on foot, after I bouht my PS2 slim and the dont read many games for that I wiil bought the PS3 on the Launch,

  • TrueWarlord

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 6:39 am PT

    A "buy-it-now" price of $100,000? Good luck.

  • rpgisforme

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 4:39 am PT

    I will have a PS3, not on launch day, but that's okay I can wait. I will just do the same thing as bigdaddygamepro and buy the games I want and all the little side toys while I wait for my chance to buy the actual console. There are still alot of good games coming to PS2 like God of War 2 to play while I wait for one to become available at my local EB Games or Walmart. Thankful I live in a small town without too much competition to get one. There is one good thing about small towns....the lineups aren't as long in front of the stores on shipment day, lol.

  • BigDaddyGamePro

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 12:46 am PT

    If I have to wait til February to buy a PS3 then so be it. I'll definitely have the cash for it. In the meantime, I can always buy the games and the other necessary stuff. I doubt that I have a chance to camp outside the store so I'll take my chances a different way.

    *Video Games 4-Life*

    "Video games is more than just a hobby, it's a way of life." --BigDaddyGamePro

  • BrodiMan

    Posted Oct 15, 2006 10:23 pm PT

    MS and Sony fanboys need to calm down. Just have fun and enjoy the games....

  • spahmann

    Posted Oct 15, 2006 10:13 pm PT

    To bad 360's suck! HAHAHAAHAHA! SONY FTW!

  • big-man

    Posted Oct 15, 2006 8:20 pm PT

    GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT.

  • shungokustasu

    Posted Oct 15, 2006 7:54 pm PT

    Benshki:
    "lolz, Thats what sums up the entire PS3 launch, the impatience of fanboys and this thread plus the comments to go with it." Shunggokustasu:
    I'm a Huge Sony Fan, but I'm not buying PS3 at launch. History shows the first shipment of consoles always have some type of bug. Happen to me on my PS2 then took 4 months to replace it.

  • Solidesnake2004

    Posted Oct 15, 2006 7:20 pm PT

    dtfann003
    What a Joke. Buy a 360. Sony is over rated My Response: Xbox 2 doesn't have HDMI imput..... also a 400 dollar system with a 200 dollar HD DVD player = the price of a PS3 60 gig. Please have some proof to backup your statement.

  • ryokinshin6x3

    Posted Oct 15, 2006 6:43 pm PT

    oh yea this didnt happen for the 360........................
    everyone on ebay sold 360s for the fair price of $1k at launch, thats 500 cheaper then the ps3, a value that cant be missed

  • dtfann003

    Posted Oct 15, 2006 6:20 pm PT

    What a Joke. Buy a 360. Sony is over rated

  • Evinco_DX

    Posted Oct 15, 2006 3:32 pm PT

    Too bad I missed out on the pre-orders, I could've made that much profit and buy me more Xbox 360 games and another Xbox 360 for someone for Xmas..

  • Jackle100

    Posted Oct 15, 2006 3:07 pm PT

    i got my blur ray burner last month and let me tell you its pretty cool
    but at a very steep price.
    burner $600 (discount price!!)
    50GB disc($20 each*)
    100GB ($27 each*)
    so yeah its great but your really paying for a great system
    its up to you if want it
    your geting a blue ray player (around $500)
    new playstation system (around $200 - $500 compared to PS2)
    and the sony name ($150)
    thats what your paying for

  • dragkill

    Posted Oct 15, 2006 2:32 pm PT

    "GrimBee people like you need to shutup. Ps3 uses a lower blu-ray player 400$maybe. yeah maybe a higher one is 1000$ but you know what lets see you make a disc that can hold up to 200 gigs."

    slickrick1887, a blue ray player isn't needed in this time and age. You can get by with a dvd player just fine right now. And also, can YOU make a disc that can hold up to 200gigs?


    glitzy69:
    "My suggestion is to sit back, enjoy the ride, and watch the flames fuel themselves until the systems and their problems are cooked well enough for proper, bug-free consumption.

    Lastly. Is it me, or are many of the annoying typing trends sticking to fanboys? (Caps lock, forgetting spaces after periods or even commas, etc.)"

    That trend has been more abundant lately. Frankly the ones that have their own opinion and don't care about anyone else's tend to do that also. I'm afraid it's gonna get to the point where people will physically fight one another just cause of the preferences on what they like and don't like. =/

  • iceuk

    Posted Oct 15, 2006 2:07 pm PT

    Ha, they're even selling email addresses with the word 'PS3' for £399.99 on eBay, lmfao, it's a free hotmail account.

  • alwyne

    Posted Oct 15, 2006 1:13 pm PT

    I must say, well spoken Glitzy 69! I had a similar post that I wrote yesterday but, I accidentally deleted it. The point is this...I have been gaming for 18, of my 24 years on this dot called earth. And i remember when games were actually just about fun, and no one seemed to be in some cult, or extremist group ready to die for a console that will be eventually replaced...I am looking forward to the next-gen but, nothing has changed..people swear allegiance before they even have a system then, they feel cheated if the developers neglect their console of choice.. Their's nothing wrong with system loyalty but, we seem to be ostracising ourselves.In the end we're all gamers..so stop giving media stale-warts like Mr.Thompson something to talk about.

  • nappan

    Posted Oct 15, 2006 12:35 pm PT

    This has been the launch scenario for every console for a while now. How is this even news? Intelligent people wait until the bugs are worked out and there are actually more than 1 or 2 games to play on the console. I pity the idiots who bought 1500 dollar 360's only to have them go up in flames, and the same is likely to be true to some extent with the PS3 and Wii. Even if there is no hardware issue to be addressed, what's the problem with waiting 9-12 months. I got my 360 a month or so ago, and there are still only 6 or 7 games I wanted to buy for it. What's the rush on consoles about, other than fanboys and morons?

  • Benshki

    Posted Oct 15, 2006 6:36 am PT

    "lolz" Thats what sums up the entire PS3 launch, the impatience of fanboys and this thread plus the comments to go with it.

  • ultimate_zero

    Posted Oct 14, 2006 10:26 pm PT

    I don't blame the people that want to buy the PS3 on Ebay, it just means they will do anything to get one, and I would to.

  • maaly81

    Posted Oct 14, 2006 8:54 pm PT

    really if you are going to buy the Ps3 just wait. These bumbaclots taking advantage of peoples weaknesses and impulse buying. Wait for it I say. I wont be getting one, but if you are just hold out and get a Wii for the time being. Dont put yourself into bankruptcy. And dont take food away from your family.

  • nedeti

    Posted Oct 14, 2006 8:52 pm PT

    guess am not the only one who pre-ordered at gamestop

  • Kooleman8

    Posted Oct 14, 2006 8:02 pm PT

    well, dont bother it, ya know eBay... there are someone who are really crazy!

  • shadyelf

    Posted Oct 14, 2006 7:18 pm PT

    I'll laugh if the PS3 has some really big bug or glitch. I'm waiting till the summer of 2007 till I get the PS3, or i'll just get the 360. But it's kinda sad that people would be willing to pay $900 more than the original price just to get it first..it's even more sad that people would take advantage of that.

  • qah661

    Posted Oct 14, 2006 6:42 pm PT

    People are crazy to pay $1,500 for a game system when they can just have a little patients and wait. That just Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazzzzzzy!!!!!

  • xMIAxKillaCrank

    Posted Oct 14, 2006 3:29 pm PT

    lol thos ebay flamers, i hate em ill wait for a ps3

  • iori666

    Posted Oct 14, 2006 3:11 pm PT

    $1,500 ! NOOOO

  • M69X

    Posted Oct 14, 2006 12:54 pm PT

    Stupid ebay.
    ripping off people for their own profit.
    I need one.
    ARRGGG!

    (rant over)

  • pigman239

    Posted Oct 14, 2006 12:29 pm PT

    all the preorders got pulled from ebay and accounts are gettings suspended

    PWNED

  • Mr_duong

    Posted Oct 14, 2006 12:26 pm PT

    ps3 man selling on ebay for like 1000 i understand why, but also blu ray is 1000 at best buy or any other retailer, ps3 is 600 and no the ps3 doesnt have a lower blu ray its the same blu ray that can go up to 1080p with hdmi and can have upta like 200 gigs. the rsx processor is already like 1000 dollas along with the cell processor. so ur geting like a 4000 dolla value! for 600 lol

  • slickrick1887

    Posted Oct 14, 2006 10:57 am PT

    GrimBee people like you need to shutup. Ps3 uses a lower blu-ray player 400$maybe. yeah maybe a higher one is 1000$ but you know what lets see you make a disc that can hold up to 200 gigs.

  • joneh2

    Posted Oct 14, 2006 10:30 am PT

    y do u guys really care? if your not goin 2 get a ps3, fine, but y come onto the PS3 LAUNCH CENTER just to moan about how its so bad?

  • GrimBee

    Posted Oct 14, 2006 9:34 am PT

    "deffCOM5
    "for everyone who says that the ps3 price is a rip off. shut up. a blue ray player stand alone is a about $1,000 +""

    LOL!

    Who actually REALLY wants a bluray player, and if sony got around the whole bluray thing,and just offered a games console, in greater numbers, and for far less. I think we can all safely agree that the ps3 is going to be great.

    But, sony forcing yet ANOTHER media format on us is not the way to, especially since that way costs $600!!

    Nintendo force us to play with their own discs, but at what cost? It costs us less because they didnt include dvd playback. And they can ship more consoles on this technology (and its hardly dated for a standard def console is it!)

    The way of the rat sony...

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