Scalper Problem?

[timothmurph85]

when are you guys ever gonna do something about your blatant enabling of scalpers profiting off of your platform? do lawmakers have to get involved?

I understand msrp of digital products being slightly higher due to shortages but +150% over msrp?!

that’s unbelievable and throughout all of the beginning of the pandemic till now, guess who’s been the mecca of scalpers?

when playstations and xbox got scalped guess where they were sold?

when Nvidia and AMD Graphics Cards were scalped guess where they were sold?

a 700 dollar item should by no means become 2,000 dollars.

I see no reason why buyers of scalped items and platforms they’re sold on allow scalping. 

do better ebay. atleast make it break TOS in some manner.

ebay was the same place where people were selling scalped hand sanitizer and toilet paper when people needed it most.

are your executives or wherever changes TOS just gonna act like that wasn’t a thing?

[rock.star]

EBay cannot and will not set prices. 

[morrisondistributionllc]

Maybe the suppliers should just make more

[7606dennis]

I'm afraid that you are using the term "Scalper" incorrectly as it has a specific legal definition.  Also what you seem to be describing cannot be legally termed as "price gouging" either.

[dq3141]

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@timothmurph85 wrote:

google msrp. quit clutching your pearls.

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The only person clutching pearls here is you.

[7606dennis]

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@timothmurph85 wrote:

which law specifically says they can’t set, at the very least, guidelines of how sellers should conduct their pricing. I think if it was illegal for that one guy who scalped health items such as toilet paper hand sanitizer and masks. by proxy ebay should also be responsible at the very least for not deterring such actions. deterring doesn’t mean regulating per se. if you are intact right I think new laws should be made, because I don’t like the thought of every time something becomes slightly short seeing it on ebay for 2.5x or even 10x the price. it’d be fine if there wasn’t literally only scalped items on certain search queries.

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Alas!  I believe that your thinking is faulty.  It is not illegal for the owner of something to set the price for which they are willing to sell that item.  There is, however, a clause in the Sherman Anti Trust Act that makes bid rigging & price fixing illegal.  Which is what would be taking place if eBay or some other entity stepped in to regulate them.

By the way, "Scalping" I believe applies to the sale of event tickets above the value printed on them and is only applicable in jurisdictions that have laws enacted to prohibit it.  "Price Gouging" refers to items deemed essential to life, health and welfare in places where the government having jurisdiction has declared an emergency.

Of course, the manufacturer has the right to set the MSRP (Manufacture's Suggested Retail Price) and can contractually force their authorized dealers to comply.  However, anyone that owns the property and is not contractually so bound can sell the item for whatever price they wish as long as someone is willing to pay it.   

[dottie1986]

I sure do remember the hand sanitizer & toilet paper. There's supposed to be some regulation about that per eBay.

[eunster1313]

@timothmurph85 

(which law specifically says they can’t set, at the very least, guidelines of how sellers should conduct their pricing.)

Federal Trade Commission-Price Fixing

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/competition-guidance/guide-antitrust-laws/dealings-competitors/price... 

[gracieallen01]

One might want to consider that the problem is somewhat bigger than ebay.

There are plenty of people out there that want as much as they can possibly get for whatever they are passing along - just as there are plenty of people out there that want something for very, very little or nothing , or to even have someone pay them to take it.  It isn't anything new.

The problem is 'people'.  It isn't relegated to one site, or area, or class of people or country, and it would seem that you have noticed.  'Fraid you are going to have to go higher up than ebay management if you want to get something like this 'fixed' - though I highly doubt that you will get too far.

[chapeau-noir]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

How were you "nailed to the cross"? To the best of my knowledge, that's only happened once in the history of mankind.  

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Actually, it was a standard punishment in ancient Rome - for example, Crassus nailed around 6000 rebelling slaves to crosses along the Appian Way after the Spartacus rebellion was quelled.

It was a lot more painful, I am sure, than not being able to buy an Xbox.

ETA:  People seem to love 'free enterprise' until it does something they don't like.

[winterpalace25]

You nailed it. Thanks for straightening this whole discussion out.

[gracieallen01]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

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ETA:  People seem to love 'free enterprise' until it does something they don't like.

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Or they are asked to pay more than they want to.  (why does it sound like the OP is a bitcoin miner, or wannabe?)

[chapeau-noir]

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@gracieallen01 wrote:

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

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ETA:  People seem to love 'free enterprise' until it does something they don't like.

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Or they are asked to pay more than they want to.  (why does it sound like the OP is a bitcoin miner, or wannabe?)

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It's the same thinking that calls capitalism 'communism' because it inconveniences whatever addlepated individual is inconvenienced.

[theteamsetguy]

There is a difference between essential and non essential items. eBay does prohibit the sale of essential items such as N95 masks, rapid Covid-19 tests, and etc. to approved sellers that do not scalp. Gaming consoles, graphics cards, tickle me Elmos, event tickets and etc are non essential. There are no laws and there shouldn’t be against selling items for more than MSRP of non essential items. Manufactures Suggested Retail Price is just a guideline set by the manufacturer. No seller has to follow the suggestion. 

The reason why prices of items go way up is because the manufacturer can’t make an item fast enough to meet demand. When this happens you have a couple of choices. Pay the going price because if you don’t someone else will. You can wait until the price comes down which always will. 

Perfect example is after 3 years I want to upgrade my IPhone to the 13 Pro Max. The Pro Max 13 is in short supply. So I can pay more than MSRP to get one now on eBay or order one from Apple and wait a couple of months. I’m waiting a couple of months. 

[theteamsetguy]

eBay was removing the scalping of hand sanitizers, N95 Masks and other essential items as fast they could during the height of the pandemic.

[theteamsetguy]

Maybe instead of being on here and complaining about scalpers why don’t get up in the early and wait for Best Buy, Walmart, Target and etc. to open every day. Do it enough and one day you get one. The stores usually limit hot items to one per buyer. 

How do you think the people who have one to sell on eBay got it to begin with? Don’t you the person that gets out of his/her bed early every day get rewarded for their efforts?