PlayStation 5 and XBox Series X/S Scalpers are the Worst

Scalpers are some of the worst people in existence. They use unethical methods to acquire something that so many want then put it up for sell for twice, triple or quadruple the original price. Sadly, they play on a person's FOMO and that person will pay the exuberant price. With the introduction of two new gaming consoles this Christmas, scalpers are proving how scummy they are and the need for retailers to protect their websites from the bots they use.

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The PlayStation 5 and XBox Series X/S went on sale in November. It was, and still is, extremely hard to get your hands on one of these systems. One reason, scalpers and the bots they use to buy up a store's stock before you can complete your purchase. If you tried to get a PS5 or XBox X/S at launch, you may have run into an issue of putting the item in your cart and before you could finish checking out, your item in the cart would disappear. That was most likely was a scalper using a bot to buy that console quicker than you could.

It's a scummy practice with no protection from retailers against it. The retailer is getting their money so that's all that matters. Those scalpers with those bots will take their purchase of said console and put them up online at twice, triple or quadruple the price. Below is what I'm talking about. DO NOT BUY FROM THESE PEOPLE!!

It has even popped up locally. A friend of mine on Facebook shared a post from Mom's of Lindale Swap~N~Shop. This person was selling a PlayStation 5 for $950. They most likely managed to get one without the use of a bot but the fact that they are selling it for almost double the price is scummy and whoever this person is should be ashamed of themselves. I believe the post was taken down after a bunch of people rightfully raised hell about it. DO NOT BUY FROM THESE PEOPLE!!

Now, according to abc13.com, there is a scam going around of someone selling a PlayStation 5 or XBox Series X/S, for the inflated price, you give them your payment information and you get nothing except your credit card info stolen.

So what can you do? Just wait for stock to return to your local retailer. A PlayStation 5 is $499 and $399 for the all digital version. A XBox Series X is $499 and XBox Series S is $299. Pay that price and only that price from a retailer, not through a scalper on eBay or other non-retailer site. DON'T DO IT. I want a PlayStation 5 as much as anyone but I'm waiting.

And think about this, some of these people used those bots to buy multiple systems costing them thousands of dollars. They want to sell these to you thinking they can make a quick profit. With you not buying them, and stock building up in stores, the scalpers have to reduce their price to get rid of them and could end having to sell them at a loss. Make them do that so this practice could be less lucrative.

DO NOT BUY FROM SCALPERS!! EVER!