Do console scalpers anger you or do you even care?

Do they?

Personally I find it an annoying practice. Taking away consoles from people who would actually like to enjoy them at launch and (While dumb to pay the extra 100-500$) for a console they sometimes end up doing so. Which really annoys me. It happens to almost anything that's "Hot" at launch.

I honestly don't want an argument if you agree or disagree, just your opinion.

It's a shitty practice, for sure. But there's not much anyone can do other than ignore what the scalpers are selling, which we know isn't going to happen, unfortunately. If only...

I took so much joy in watching the people who tried to scalp the PS3 back in 2006 wither and die when everyone did exactly what rake suggested, they ignored them. It was great.

Forgive me, I don't like to swear. But when the situation calls for it, I feel vindicated in going blue.

Console scalpers can **** off. Right off. I hate the practice, and loathe those that try to take advantage of the situation.

As far as I am concerned they are parasites.

I really don't give a ****. If they payed for it, they can do whatever the hell they want with it. If there's a shortage of consoles, deal with it and wait. Patience isn't hard. But I will say, they are morons for wasting their money just to troll a few people.

The basis of it is capitalizing on high demand and limited supply.

I have never done it before, but I can tell you console scalping is a monetarily lucrative venture because I have seen launch consoles selling for more on eBay than they were priced at big retailers. It reminds me of gas stations greatly raising prices this past decade. Console scalping can not be punished like that, but they can certainly be met with scorn. I doubt the majority of people would trade their reputations for a quick way to get money.

I know a guy who bought two Wii Us at launch. He has smashed one with a sledgehammer while playing CoD

Its annoying, but I don't view it as a big deal. Consoles are only in limited supply for several months at worst and this time around Sony (who is producing a lot of systems) and MS (who shrunk the number of territories it was releasing systems in) seem to be determined to make sure the period of limited supply is as short as possible.

It took me two months to find a PS3 online and five months to find an X360 online (I'm talking from retailers selling at list price, not scalpers) but if people are a little patient, they can avoid spending money they don't have to spend.

What does it matter what some stranger does that you don't even know?

Buy something low and sell it as high as you can, that's how money is made and its the basic principal of any business. Its a person trying to make some money. This kind of thing happens a hundred times a day in the stock market yet no one cares about that. Gamers for some reason are the only people on the planet who get offended when someone tries to make money off a game by reselling it for more money.

Someone reading your post might get the mistaken impression that you have some idea of what you are talking about.

Scalping in the context of sports teams tends to be a big deal, and is legally discouraged in many countries (which doesn't prevent it from happening, just means the scalpers and the buyers have to work a little harder and be a little more subtle).

No, actually what annoys me most is my moral is too high to actually do the same and earn a some cash or lose out if the demand is lower than expected

Because no one forces people to buy it on ebay for sometimes double the price, its all about a free market and if you can't wait until the store gets new or pre order it, well then you gotta pay what you gotta pay.

Scalpers don't normally affect me because I'm a 29 year old gamer that stays fairly up to date with the new releases, if I wanted a new console I'd preorder it. But the practice bothers me because it pretty much only exists to take advantage of parents trying to get their kids Christmas presents sorted. It's just morally wrong.

I think it's despicable, but i think people are stupid to buy it from those guys

Ha, yeah. Wii U scalpers got owned almost as bad as the PS3 scalpers.

I just ignore them.

Yes it is frustrating but, what are ya gonna do.

Supply and demand. Sucks to be you for not taking advantage of a hot product.

I still regret not buying 10 copies of MGS3 Subsistence LE when I had the chance. They ballooned in price by 500% over the course of about a year and a half. For a $500 investment, I could have made $5000 (only 5000 copies were made and only sold through Gamestop.com).

If you are so impatient as to wait a month or two, then I think you might need to rethink your position in life. They do pre-orders for a reason.

Doesn't bother me in the least. You pre-order early, you get a system. You don't, you either bite the bullet and wait or pony up. It's a free market.

I didn't even realise this was a "thing" so I guess I'm in the "don't even care" category. It's not like they sell out within minutes of being available so, if people want one on day one, they should pre order. Otherwise risk it and potentially miss out on day one (in which case either buy off someone else or wait a month or two)

I don't exactly approve, but that's the burden of the capitalist system. If they can make the initial investment, and then sell the product at a markup to insure profit, then they are really the environment of the American dream. Morality/legality don't really enter the picture.

Besides, I think it rather foolish to go so crazy for such an expensive piece of hardware. But, then again, maybe I'm just bitter/jealous that I can't afford to get the latest and greatest like others.

The lack of patience and the false sense of need is what make scalping possible. Its not their fault, its the fault of the people who buy from them.

Its probably discouraged because there is no taxes being levied against the scalper more than anything. But the basic principal is, I bought it so I can do anything I want with it because its mine. If someone is willing of their own free will to pay more for it than I did then why would anyone else care? Millions of consoles will be sold in the next year, it doesn't matter if a couple thousand are re-sold by scalpers. This isn't some big epidemic that is ruining our worlds economy. Its a couple thousand people who buy a couple consoles and re-sell them. Its a transference of ownership from one person to the next, the console manufacturer isn't out anything and no one is hurt. If I buy a game or a console then the money goes to those companies, if I turn around and re-sell it then that product goes into someone elses hand who might as well bought it themselves, no gets cheated.

Only gamers feel entitled enough to hate scalpers and feel cheated and that is a terrible crime because 900 miles away some guy they will never know buys a game system and then sells it to someone and makes 250 dollars.

This is what walmart does a million times a day, along with a million other companies. But somehow its wrong if one guy does it on his own a couple times a year.

If people actually worry about this then they can relax because it means they have no problems.

This is not a case of "I bought it, I can do what I wish with it", it's a case of a parasite leeching away items, often in bulk, specifically because he intends to scalp them. And it's not "what Wal-Mart does" either. Wal-Mart puts a reasonable markup on a product that they have bought from a wholesaler. If this is the same thing Wal-Mart did, then Wal-Mart would be selling the first shipment at $700 cause hey, they know people will want it right? Free market right?

What a scalper does is take an item out of the hands of someone who actually wants it, then offers to to hand it right back for an insane increase. It's like some dickhead waiting in line for concert tickets, buying all of them the minute the line opens, turning around and selling them at twice the price to the people he just screwed over by taking all of them for himself.

This is not a "gamers entitlement" thing, there are scalping and profiteering laws in place for most other things. But they're hard to enforce with a police budget that barely allows for murderers to be caught so they get away with it.

No one is saying that they should be locked up or flogged. But it is a shitty practice that causes non-physical harm to people who are otherwise just trying to get a product. Often desperate to try and get something nice for their kids. Yes it's a "first world problem", yes smarter consumers are going to be prepared and pre-order. But that doesn't make it any less shitty for people to do it.

Not really... if somebody with a profit motive jumps on a pre-order before the product's target audience does, then they deserve to profit from their foresight. I would never pay a premium for a console, though... there was a riot at the WalMart where people lined up for PS3s in my town, and I was just like, "Wow, gonna wait this one out and get one when they are more widely available." Luckily, they dripped the price by $100 a few months later and I ended up getting a 60GB PS4 for $500. But regarding your question, I don't fault people for recognizing the laws of supply and demand.

Nah. Can't say it bothers me as scalping is basically gambling. You could well buy yourself as system that nobody wants and end up out of pocket; precisely what happened to PS3 Scalpers in the UK when it released; they over-estimated demand and ended up with paper weights.

Nah, what bothers me is these entitled children who scream that they don't get a new console for Christmas. Kids who have never worked an honest day in their lives for a wage (and have no obligations to return the favour of a gift) who complain that they will have to "settle" for getting several games for free instead. How terrible it must be to be that child! (massive sarcasm for those who missed it). Seriously, those kids are ungrateful scum; it's not often you get something for nothing (and entirely off someone else's hardwork) and even if it might not be exactly what you want it is the thought that counts.

The cause of the problem is some consumers believe that they CANNOT wait. If an item is not available and would inevitably be available in the near future you have the option WAIT or encourage scalpers by purchasing the product at a price that is not remotely justifiable. If people learn to WAIT scalpers would not exist. So the only folks who are at fault are the buyers. And to keep things in perspective, this is not a needed or critical item.

It's not like people don't have the freedom to pre-order themselves, or wait a while because they didn't. Besides it's not free of risk.

That's all well and good for the gamers that are buying the consoles for themselves but what about the parents trying to get Christmas presents for their kids. Are they just supposed to tell their kids Santa was out of stock but he'll swing by in January and drop one off? They're pretty much forced to pay the ridiculous prices these low lifes charge to avoid disappointing their kids. Scalpers are scum, pure and simple, manufacturers should try harder to launch with enough units to satisfy demand but blaming consumers is just wrong.

I don't really care.

What about parents who want to buy a console for their kids? The consoles are being released shortly before Christmas and have been advertised as "pre order to ensure you don't miss out" everywhere! If they don't want to disappoint their kids they should plan their purchase instead of waiting until launch day to buy it.

Scalpers are opportunists and, whilst I don't really like what they do, I don't think they're scum for doing it. Depending on how mucy units they're tying up of course. I do have a problem with people who enter and win comps just to sell stuff however so maybe I'm being hypocritical.

Someone mentioned a key point above that I think is very important when comparing system scalpers to concert or sports scalpers and that's a finite supply. If you miss out on a day one console you can wait and get it later. Concert or sporting event tickets... not often the case.

Also, as you mentioned above, it would be nice if they just manufactured enough consoles to meet demand. I don't understand the nuts and bolts of the logistics but I often feel that this limited release crap is just hype marketing byd esign

Sounds like a good idea to me... I'd probably do it this upcoming gen if I had money. I think it's dumb when people buy the console, just to destroy it... but all the same, their money, their console, all the power to em.