price gouging on game console items

[blakassi]

I bought a Logitech G29 racing wheels just a few months ago and I was looking to possibly buy another one and while I only paid $249 for mine the last time out, these same items are now ranging from 500-700 dollars on ebay. These same items have a suggested mfg retail price of 400 dollars. So in my opnion this is pretty blatant price gouging by those ebay sellers because of the covid19 outbreak. Sellers know that gaming items are in high demand because people are told to stay home so they ask an exorbitant price for them. Not fair and quite shameful practices by those sellers to be honest. Just wanted to vent that out. 

[gracieallen01]

I can just imagine how many books a person could read - and how much that person could learn - instead of the playing, hour after hour, of computer games, and for a whole lot less! 

Nobody HAS to buy accessories, or they could shop around.  Besides, can't spend money at restaurants or theaters, so why just have that money sit around?  Gotta stimulate the economy, right?

[7606dennis]

Frankly, I don't think a game console item would fall under price gouging laws.  It doesn't appear to me to fit the criteria for it to be subject to those laws.  While the seller could be asking quite a bit more than the item would normally fetch, it is their item and they can ask what they want provided the item doesn't fall in the category of item covered by the price gouging laws.

[lex-talon]

As you may or may not know, the Nintendo Switch is out of stock everywhere and people are listing it at exorbitant

prices on eBay and other sites. Some sellers use bots to buy up Switch consoles. when they become available again. Sadly, some buyers are so desperate they go ahead and pay the over-inflated prices. 

[ittybitnot]

These same items have a suggested mfg retail price of 400 dollars. So in my opnion this is pretty blatant price gouging by those ebay sellers because of the covid19 outbreak.

You ARE joking, right? 

Even with ebay's new super secret rules for price fixing on all items, these items can still be sold on this venue for double MSRP, so $800 would apparently  be A-OK.  "Don't like the price? Don't buy it" sounds like a plan.  

[luckythewinner]

2010: "Rolling Blackouts".

2020: "Price Gouging". 

When you're holding a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

[bar-29368]

100 kudos for you

[rosaj00]

A game console system does not fall under the category of a necessary item so it's not price gouging.  A person can buy a popular lamp prior Covid at 19.99 and sell it on eBay for 189.99 during the outbreak - doesn't mean it's price gouging.  Just means ppl are willing to pay more for it right now.  And besides.. if you already HAVE the game console, why are you wanting another one unless you are planning on selling it...  anyways?  🙂 

[bar-29368]

It's not a console, it's an accessory. Steering wheel & controls for racing games.

rrp right now is $399.99 yet the OP only seems to consider ebay prices as "gouging".

Maybe OP bought his on sale, who knows.