Console Scalpers Are Being Robbed

[eeeee1]

this is what i like to call:

a dark grey area action. some justify it saying "they are scamming people" while others defend the scalpers say "they could get hurt".

while this could (depending on your morals) be just a grey area activity, I would say its a little darker because no PS5, RTX 3090, Xbox or whatever is worth another ones life. (while true that no one is likely to die in this kinda thing, a injury could permanently damage your mental or physical health)

[Commodus]

14 minutes ago, jagdtigger said:

I exaggerated a bit there thats true, but i still dont have any sympathy towards ppl who want to make a quick buck by screwing other over... (Maybe its just my environment, trying to screw over others here is pretty common.)

Oh, I don't think we should pretend they didn't do something scummy. I just wouldn't wish something as serious as a robbery on them. Maybe just a lack of buyers.

[SpaceGhostC2C]

18 hours ago, AndreiArgeanu said:

hahah lmao

As long as they're not harmed I don't mind, scalpers are scalpers after all

17 hours ago, CTR640 said:

Those fuckers (scalpers) deserves it!

17 hours ago, GravityHurts said:

Do they really? All they've done is buy something and try to flip it for profit.

Apparently, we should expect an imminent wave of retail stores ransacked and looted, now that we learnt that the act of buying merchandise and sell it at a higher price than you pay for it make it OK to break the law...

 

17 hours ago, Sakuriru said:

They bought it for the sole purpose of making someone else pay more than they did.

It's called "retailing". When you get arrested for robbing Walmart, use your call to hit me up instead of a lawyer, so we can continue this conversation  

 

Quote

They take away stock from people who could have otherwise afforded an item.

Anyone buying a product is taking away stock that someone else could have afforded. At least when we talk about goods that qualify as "rival", a key characteristics for markets to work properly.

 

Quote

It's just how the nature of supply and demand works

The nature of how supply and demand works is that the identity of the traders don't matter: the equilibrium price and quantities are what they are. And if you put a constraint on quantities, then the equilibrium price is demand-determined at whatever clears the market. MSRPs obviously don't clear the market. There is no escape from the equilibrium price emerging triumphant. Even government-regulated prices only lead to black markets unless they also bring government-controlled supply to match.

Quote

especially when there is no risk to yourself.

There is the considerable risk of ending up with a bunch of stuff you don't need and can't find a seller for, at least not without discounting it bellow what you paid for it. You are gambling on people paying more to get less, in terms of customer service (and, potentially, warranty). 

Quote

So people feel like they've been deprived of a product 

They haven't.

 

17 hours ago, Wheresmehammer said:

Some only learn the tough way.

You mean like, going to jail fro robbing someone?

 

 

16 hours ago, Jet_ski said:

Empathy for scalpers? Nope. They are denying people with low income the chance to buy otherwise affordable products

Denying people with low income? When discussing consoles, or worse, $1000 GPUs? < removed by moderation >

 If there isn't enough supply then there isn't enough supply, and there's nothing preventing anyone from getting anything other than lack of supply. All a market with fixed supplies does is allocating the existing goods. And we're not in the Soviet Union, so this is how the market allocates resources and how our entire economy works. You are free to dislike it, but you cannot blame a couple of individuals, who are actually restoring the efficiency destroyed by the manufacturers, for living in a market-capitalist society.

Edited November 19, 2020 by LogicalDrm

[PlayStation 2]

Stay classy, Ontario.

[Letgomyleghoe]

3 hours ago, TetraSky said:

This is the kind of shit I expect from the US, not Canada.

specifically florida imo, most of the US is a lot less crazy than it seems

 

2 hours ago, GravityHurts said:

I don't know how anybody thinks that actually robbing people of stuff that they paid for is justified just because they are trying to make a profit. I'm not fond of scalpers or anything but what they do really just doesn't justify being robbed

scalping is fucked up, you're overcharging ~1.5-2x for a product that otherwise people would have been able to afford, it's basically IMO it completely justifies getting robbed, you are trying to cheat other people in order to make a profit. 

[Letgomyleghoe]

9 minutes ago, SpaceGhostC2C said:

Apparently, we should expect an imminent wave of retail stores ransacked and looted, now that we learnt that the act of buying merchandise and sell it at a higher price than you pay for it make it OK to break the law...

retailers sell at MSRP prices and provide a service, this is someone being a dick wad, buying tons of product contributing to stock issues, then selling it at higher prices than MSRP.

[Takt1kal]

Y  E  S 

[GravityHurts]

1 minute ago, Letgomyleghoe said:

scalping is fucked up, you're overcharging ~1.5-2x for a product that otherwise people would have been able to afford, it's basically IMO it completely justifies getting robbed, you are trying to cheat other people in order to make a profit. 

They aren't cheating people, the people who buy it from them know that they are paying more than it is worth. They are just tyring to make a profit you realize stores and restaurants sell things at a markup right?

[Devilish]

Oh they got robbed? Aw....anyways

[Letgomyleghoe]

1 minute ago, GravityHurts said:

They aren't cheating people, the people who buy it from them know that they are paying more than it is worth. They are just tyring to make a profit you realize stores and restaurants sell things at a markup right?

they are though, there's absolutely no stock left due to bots and scalpers, and they take advantage of that by selling for a higher price, this isn't like stores selling at MSRP which is a pre set price that allows for a set margin of profit, these are people selling them for 1.5-2x MSRP, this makes something that was once affordable, not anymore. Even though an Xbox or graphics card isn't a needed item, these were likely the same people that were scalping toilet paper and hand sanitizer at the beginning of the covid panic, what comes around goes around, Karmas a bitch

[Jeppes]

You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need

[AndreiArgeanu]

1 hour ago, SpaceGhostC2C said:

*snip*

You done some scalping big boy?

[Kisai]

4 hours ago, GravityHurts said:

Do they really? All they've done is buy something and try to flip it for profit. The worst that they deserve is nobody buying their stuff and they end up losing their money. Robbing someone is way worse than what the scalpers do. If people really want to mess with them they should just not buy from them.

To rephrase what one of the articles on it says "arseholes robbing arseholes"

 

On one side, scalpers deserve what they get, they knew the risks if being an arsehole, they took the risk, and maybe they didn't expect violence, just mildly pissed off "jingle all the way" fiction shenanigan's of bruised egos. 

 

On the other hand, a pirate's gonna pirate, and the hilarious part here is that consoles all have unique serial numbers and had the person who bought it actually registered it, they likely also could have reported it stolen. The thieves are unlikely the users, it's more likely they will steal it and flip it themselves somewhere else.

 

To that end, anyone willing to resort to violence to get a toy, really has their priorities screwed up.

 

[xg32]

smart enough to scalp but stupid enough to sell known scalped product in person instead of ebay

[Jet_ski]

2 hours ago, SpaceGhostC2C said:

Denying people with low income? When discussing consoles, or worse, $1000 GPUs? Please, get you head out of your derriere.

The tremendous amount of class you’ve shown here aside, this post is EXPLICITLY about consoles and console scalpers. And generally people who can’t afford to buy $1000 GPUs have to buy consoles for gaming. Consoles which only cost $400-600 in total. Not PCs that cost at least $1500 for a decent gaming experience.

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

5 hours ago, TetraSky said:

is the kind of shit I expect from the US, not Canada.

They say there was some violence and weapons involved... geez... Just hope no one got hurt too badly. Violence is never the answer, no matter how hateful scalpers are.

Though it's Toronto. That region has been plagued with gang and gun violence for a while now. It's sort of like every time there's a shooting in Surrey here in Metro Vancouver, no one bats and eye anymore. There's so much gang activity and drug trafficking going on, it's common place. 

[SpaceGhostC2C]

2 minutes ago, Jet_ski said:

The tremendous amount of class you’ve shown here aside, this post is EXPLICITLY about consoles and console scalpers.

Which I explicitly referred to as well. No, dropping several hundred dollars on a latest-gen toy is not a low income concern. You just may ne mistaking "not being rich" for "being low income".

 

2 minutes ago, Jet_ski said:

And generally people who can’t afford to buy $1000 GPUs have to buy consoles for gaming.

No one has to buy a console, and most certainly no one has to buy the just-released console.

 

2 minutes ago, Jet_ski said:

Consoles which only cost $400-600 in total. 

Exactly. The more I read, the more convinced I am that you really don't understand how high the income you call "low" is when looking at the whole distribution.

[dizmo]

It's not hilarious. Robbery rarely is. Perhaps one day you'll get robbed, and you can tell us how fun your experience was.

 

 

6 hours ago, Commodus said:

About that "face to face" thing during a pandemic...

The chances of you getting something with a minute or two of contact are diminutively low.

5 hours ago, CTR640 said:

Those fuckers (scalpers) deserves it!

Uh, no. No they really don't.

5 hours ago, Sakuriru said:

They bought it for the sole purpose of making someone else pay more than they did. They take away stock from people who could have otherwise afforded an item. It's just how the nature of supply and demand works, but it's still an asshole thing to do, especially when there is no risk to yourself. So people feel like they've been deprived of a product (and some people have been flaunting that they have tens of consoles hoarded away that they're selling for twice as much).

 

I don't feel bad for them for being robbed, because that's effectively what they're trying to do to other people.

There's a slight risk. You could go past the return date with no one purchasing it from you. Then you'd be stuck with the product.

No one's being robbed for not being able to buy a luxury good. That's a rather sad stance to take.

4 hours ago, Wheresmehammer said:

The principle is still there, stop being a cunt and you won't be treated like a cunt... scalpers are dumb people trying to make off of others.

I guess you don't really understand how business works, do you?

4 hours ago, Jet_ski said:

Empathy for scalpers? Nope. They are denying people with low income the chance to buy otherwise affordable products that help them cope with having to stay indoors during the entire year due to the pandemic. As far as I’m concerned this a case of thieves stealing from thieves.

Frankly if you're low income you shouldn't be dumping that kind of money on a console during a time when you're the most likely to lose your job.

One could look at scalpers as just saving those people from themselves.

There's nothing affordable about a console for a low wage earner.

4 hours ago, Tristerin said:

Everything is legal until the referee catches you.

 

Also why I open carry with all trades/craigslists/marketplace sales I make and in a public place.  

 

Hell my favorite place to do exchanges is the police department parking lot.

In Canada most police stations will let you stand in the lobby to make a transaction. While I've never done it myself, it's a smart idea for those that might be less sure of themselves, smaller in stature, or less street savvy.

2 hours ago, eeeee1 said:

this is what i like to call:

a dark grey area action. some justify it saying "they are scamming people" while others defend the scalpers say "they could get hurt".

while this could (depending on your morals) be just a grey area activity, I would say its a little darker because no PS5, RTX 3090, Xbox or whatever is worth another ones life. (while true that no one is likely to die in this kinda thing, a injury could permanently damage your mental or physical health)

If you get caught robbing someone, it could change your life for the worse. Criminal records make it a whole lot more difficult to get a job.

I don't think any luxury item is a grey area as far as morals go. If someone's going to pay it, let them pay it. I don't see any reason to feel guilty. If they can't wait a month or two for regular stock to return, that's entirely on them.

2 hours ago, Letgomyleghoe said:

specifically florida imo, most of the US is a lot less crazy than it seems

 

scalping is fucked up, you're overcharging ~1.5-2x for a product that otherwise people would have been able to afford, it's basically IMO it completely justifies getting robbed, you are trying to cheat other people in order to make a profit. 

If you can't afford something that costs $500 because it's 1.5x the price, you couldn't really afford it anyway.

Do you think businesses are cheating you? They all do the exact same thing.

2 hours ago, Letgomyleghoe said:

retailers sell at MSRP prices and provide a service, this is someone being a dick wad, buying tons of product contributing to stock issues, then selling it at higher prices than MSRP.

Not always. That's why it's manufacturer's suggested retail price. Retailers can, and do set whatever price they'd like.

Not every person flipping a product buys lots. Sometimes they just buy one. I did that with a few OnePlus phones. Easy few hundred profit.

2 hours ago, Letgomyleghoe said:

they are though, there's absolutely no stock left due to bots and scalpers, and they take advantage of that by selling for a higher price, this isn't like stores selling at MSRP which is a pre set price that allows for a set margin of profit, these are people selling them for 1.5-2x MSRP, this makes something that was once affordable, not anymore. Even though an Xbox or graphics card isn't a needed item, these were likely the same people that were scalping toilet paper and hand sanitizer at the beginning of the covid panic, what comes around goes around, Karmas a bitch

They can wait. No one's making them purchase these unnecessary goods at inflated prices. Also the chances that these are the same people that were scalping toilet paper is pretty low. I've often flipped electronics when they first get launched. It's a good way to make a little extra cash, and why not? People that are paying the inflated prices are more often than not very well off. It's not the people who are barely scraping by that are buying the inflated price machines. 

33 minutes ago, Kisai said:

To rephrase what one of the articles on it says "arseholes robbing arseholes"

 

On one side, scalpers deserve what they get, they knew the risks if being an arsehole, they took the risk, and maybe they didn't expect violence, just mildly pissed off "jingle all the way" fiction shenanigan's of bruised egos. 

 

On the other hand, a pirate's gonna pirate, and the hilarious part here is that consoles all have unique serial numbers and had the person who bought it actually registered it, they likely also could have reported it stolen. The thieves are unlikely the users, it's more likely they will steal it and flip it themselves somewhere else.

 

To that end, anyone willing to resort to violence to get a toy, really has their priorities screwed up.

Let's be real, they're not doing it to get a toy, they're doing it for drugs

22 minutes ago, xg32 said:

smart enough to scalp but stupid enough to sell known scalped product in person instead of ebay

eBay takes a rather large chunk of the profit, there's risks with shipping, risks with false returns...selling in person will net you a lot more profit, with greater ease.

It's really quite safe if you don't act like an idiot.

15 minutes ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

Though it's Toronto. That region has been plagued with gang and gun violence for a while now. It's sort of like every time there's a shooting in Surrey here in Metro Vancouver, no one bats and eye anymore. There's so much gang activity and drug trafficking going on, it's common place. 

I think plagued is a little extreme. It's higher, sure, but if you look at the GTA, it makes up 16% of Canada's population. With that amount of people, you're bound to have higher statistics. No one bats an eye in Vancouver because gangs have been pretty good at keeping it gang on gang. Since no innocents are involved, people don't really care.

[Letgomyleghoe]

1 minute ago, dizmo said:

They can wait. No one's making them purchase these unnecessary goods at inflated prices. Also the chances that these are the same people that were scalping toilet paper is pretty low. I've often flipped electronics when they first get launched. It's a good way to make a little extra cash, and why not? People that are paying the inflated prices are more often than not very well off. It's not the people who are barely scraping by that are buying the inflated price machines. 

The fact that you are causing availability issues for your own profit, is messed up. I've lost any and all respect for you.

[Wheresmehammer]

16 minutes ago, dizmo said:

It's not hilarious. Robbery rarely is. Perhaps one day you'll get robbed, and you can tell us how fun your experience was.

 

 

The chances of you getting something with a minute or two of contact are diminutively low.

Uh, no. No they really don't.

There's a slight risk. You could go past the return date with no one purchasing it from you. Then you'd be stuck with the product.

No one's being robbed for not being able to buy a luxury good. That's a rather sad stance to take.

I guess you don't really understand how business works, do you?

Frankly if you're low income you shouldn't be dumping that kind of money on a console during a time when you're the most likely to lose your job.

One could look at scalpers as just saving those people from themselves.

There's nothing affordable about a console for a low wage earner.

In Canada most police stations will let you stand in the lobby to make a transaction. While I've never done it myself, it's a smart idea for those that might be less sure of themselves, smaller in stature, or less street savvy.

If you get caught robbing someone, it could change your life for the worse. Criminal records make it a whole lot more difficult to get a job.

I don't think any luxury item is a grey area as far as morals go. If someone's going to pay it, let them pay it. I don't see any reason to feel guilty. If they can't wait a month or two for regular stock to return, that's entirely on them.

If you can't afford something that costs $500 because it's 1.5x the price, you couldn't really afford it anyway.

Do you think businesses are cheating you? They all do the exact same thing.

Not always. That's why it's manufacturer's suggested retail price. Retailers can, and do set whatever price they'd like.

Not every person flipping a product buys lots. Sometimes they just buy one. I did that with a few OnePlus phones. Easy few hundred profit.

They can wait. No one's making them purchase these unnecessary goods at inflated prices. Also the chances that these are the same people that were scalping toilet paper is pretty low. I've often flipped electronics when they first get launched. It's a good way to make a little extra cash, and why not? People that are paying the inflated prices are more often than not very well off. It's not the people who are barely scraping by that are buying the inflated price machines. 

Let's be real, they're not doing it to get a toy, they're doing it for drugs

eBay takes a rather large chunk of the profit, there's risks with shipping, risks with false returns...selling in person will net you a lot more profit, with greater ease.

It's really quite safe if you don't act like an idiot.

I think plagued is a little extreme. It's higher, sure, but if you look at the GTA, it makes up 16% of Canada's population. With that amount of people, you're bound to have higher statistics. No one bats an eye in Vancouver because gangs have been pretty good at keeping it gang on gang. Since no innocents are involved, people don't really care.

Well you may as well join them both.

[Velcade]

5 hours ago, Tristerin said:

Hell my favorite place to do exchanges is the police department parking lot.

We have two parking spots right out front the police station with lights and cameras designed for online swaps.

[Tristerin]

Just now, Velcade said:

We have two parking spots right out front the police station with lights and cameras designed for online swaps.

Yup!  If someone wont meet me there, then it was a scam to begin with

[Fasterthannothing]

6 hours ago, Sakuriru said:

They bought it for the sole purpose of making someone else pay more than they did. They take away stock from people who could have otherwise afforded an item. It's just how the nature of supply and demand works, but it's still an asshole thing to do, especially when there is no risk to yourself. So people feel like they've been deprived of a product (and some people have been flaunting that they have tens of consoles hoarded away that they're selling for twice as much).

 

I don't feel bad for them for being robbed, because that's effectively what they're trying to do to other people.

I can't believe your actually defending the people doing the robbing and don't even give a crap about the person robbed. There is nothing stopping anyone else from becoming a scalper or using the same tools they use to get a console and I'm pretty sure that robbing someone is much worse than flipping something on eBay. Like get a grip lots of people in this thread need to check themselves because in what universe do people not care that someone got robbed especially an armed robbery. 

[Arika]

6 hours ago, Jet_ski said:

Empathy for scalpers? Nope. They are denying people with low income the chance to buy otherwise affordable products

Oh no, they can't get a shiny new <product> on day one, sounds like people don't have any patience. If anything it's beneficial for low income people because it gives them more time to think about if they really need a new <product> instead of making rash decisions based on hype. 

 

 

EDIT: also people in this thread are making out like you HAVE to buy thing from scalpers. There's an easy soloution: FUCKING DON'T, they do it because people buy it, if you don't buy it at their huge mark ups then there will be no reason to scalp. If you're going to blame the scalpers, blame the buyers too, they are just as much at fault for perpetuating the cycle. 

[Jet_ski]

There are two types of people defending scalpers here:

1. The scalpers.
2. The people who like to buy stuff but don’t want anyone else to get them just to feed their superiority complex.

Scalpers are just parasites.