on 18-03-2022 01:40 PM
Like many people I am dismayed by the PlayStation 5 situation - we can't buy them at retail from stores but can buy one straight away on eBay with 100% markup.
I read the latest statement by eBay on this which in a nutshell was 'the practice is not illegal so while a market exists we will support it' however I feel that while this may be true legally a moral position needs to be taken to outlaw any selling practice which is taking advantage of a bad situation eg hand sanitizer and toilet paper during the pandemic - this is exactly the same. Limiting units isn't doing anything, just saw a seller who has moved 233 units!!!
Companies are aligning with causes all of the time, taking ethical positions now which in turn garners them support by the community. I would like eBay to make a stand, say we do not support this scalping/pirate like behaviour from our sellers and outlaw the sale of any new PS5 units until demand is met by traditional retailers.
By turning a blind eye you compromise values for a few dollars and are just enabling the situation, making you part of the problem - you have a chance to be part of the solution. Consumers around the world will rejoice if you do.
Hoping other community members can rally behind this and send a strong message that this is not okay any longer.
Solved! Go to Solution.
on 18-03-2022 03:18 PM
Okay, thx all.
Sorry if I have upset anyone as it wasn't my intent.
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
on 18-03-2022 03:29 PM
18-03-2022 03:44 PM - edited 18-03-2022 03:46 PM
OP - Do you think the forum members are some alien species and not consumers?
I've been a gamer since 1988 on PC, Mac, Play Station etc.
Yes, I too would like a PS5. I want to play Horizon Forbidden West pretty badly.
Am I angry that I cannot get one in the shops - no.
I keep busy with other games in my free time - currently I am playing the massive MMORPG Lost Ark together with my 20 year son which will keep us busy for several months.
Today I read about this amazing company which is doing a gaming bundle in support of Ukraine. Developers have teamed up and offered 1000 games, books and accessories worth USD$6000, for a minimum price of USD$10. So far they have raised about $6M. We bought the bundle for way more than the minimum as not only is it a good cause, but will keep us busy for a very long time.
I guess it's a question of priorities. Owning a PS5 is not a priority.
on 18-03-2022 03:52 PM
Thanks for letting me know about that initiative. I will check it out.
I know that we all are consumers and apologies for my choice of words there. Writing is not my strong suit....
I guess I have been absorbed in the gaming forums etc so had a narrow one sided view. Thank you all for your comments.
on 18-03-2022 04:52 PM
If you want that bundle, go to itch.io
It has been running for the past 10 days and has just an hour left until expiration.
Will definitely keep you busy until the PS5's are back in stores.
on 18-03-2022 05:39 PM
Can't buy a PS 5....
on 18-03-2022 06:40 PM
on 18-03-2022 09:42 PM
🤣
on 20-03-2022 10:05 AM
@rachaebraddoc_0 wrote:There are no deals though....resellers bots snap up all available stock and then they list all of the units on eBay, Gumtree and FB all at roughly the same extraordinary markup. I have been trying to get hold of one at a fair price for two years without luck so decided something had to change.
There's your problem, right there.
I agree with you that it is not a particularly ethical business model but it is not being fuelled by ebay or gumtree or FB.
I am sick to death of hearing covid blamed for everything. I could not give a toss if covid slowed down the release or distribution of the game or whatever. The fact remains that if the manufacturers wished to, they could pretty easily rearrange how they distributed the games. There are ways and means they could have made it much more difficult for resellers to snap up hundreds of units while normal citizens missed out.
But they didn't, did they!
I'd say they love doing it this way because of the image it gives their product, it makes their product look more desirable and gives them publicity.
Just think back to a couple of years ago when Coles released a range of 'little things', and people went mad over them. There was a cheap plastic display case you could buy to store them in, $4 it was. Only they ran out almost immediately. I saw them coming on to ebay. At first they were $30 each, then $40 or $50 and at the height, I saw one go for $120. The empty case alone and it didn't include postage. Was it a rip off? I believe people were stupid but some of these were auctions and you can't stop people being stupid.
Ask yourself this though-do you think anyone would pay $120 today? I doubt it. It isn't as if you can get replacements now, it is still a limited line, just as 'rare' as it was back then, but the mental frenzy has passed.
You are asking ebay to stop price gouging. But the problem with that is at what stage does it pass from acceptable profit margin to gouging? I believe ebay couldn't make that call even with medical or necessary type supplies such as face masks or hand sanitiser and the only way around it was to stop everyone from selling it except if they were some sort of authorised seller.
You are talking though about something that isn't a necessity, it is just a 'desirable', rather like the Little Things & their cases were at the time.
If you want to start a complaint or whatever, you need to get at the root cause.
Gutterpunkz said: Complain to the manufacturers, regarding their release and marketing strategies that are designed to create demand.
It is not an ebay problem or responsibility.
So there you have it. Ebay is just a selling platform. None of these companies are ethical as such, they are in it for profit. You said Companies are aligning with causes all of the time, taking ethical positions now which in turn garners them support by the community.
That's just to make themselves look good, it's all about image. If you want to tarnish an image, you need to campaign to zero in on the manufacturers, make them embarrassed. Not ebay, not FB etc
on 20-03-2022 01:43 PM
Beautifully put Springyzone, beautifully put. I saw people paying insane amounts of money to get the latest supermarket promo, because they didn't want to wait. People I work with DEMANDING that we bring these things in for their grandkids. After all, we all know, that if the children don't get these things, they will DIE.
I took some Ooshies in for said colleague. Showed her what I had. She didn't have them, so I chopped their heads off and then gave them to her. I bet those kids have long since forgotten those bits of plastic junk. Yet, at the time, they were going to die if they didn't get them. Hence why stupid helicopter parents will pay ridiculously insane amounts of money for junk. Junk that is popular this week, and lining the bottom of a birdcage the next.
People aren't going to die if the they don't get the latest play station. Seriously, if it's that important to your life, health and wellbeing, then you'll pay what people are asking for them. If it's not, then use what you already have. It's seriously not the end of the world! Why should resellers take a hit to keep you happy? They have to earn a living too.