Playstation 5 and graphics card scalpers have made $43 million on eBay according to a new report. Michael Driscoll, a Chicago data engineer, made a computer program to track the marketplace. By plotting all the purchases on a graph, you get a complete vision of how out of control the scalping has been since the PS5’s launch. Driscoll talked to PC Mag about that wild number and diagnose just how all this cash is being made. He estimates that there have been at least 32,000 PlayStation 5 consoles sold on the platform. A staggering $937 media price for the digital edition and a wallet crunching $1,021 for the physical media version. This is what people who just want to make sure they have their system by Christmas are up against. Xbox fans haven’t fared much better with Series X going for $865 while the Series S hovers near $470.
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The retailer had to issue a statement to Eurogamer about the rise of these scalpers and what they’re doing to help protect buyers.
“We condemn these opportunistic sellers who are attempting to mislead other users,” eBay wrote. “We are in the process of removing all listings for photos of PS5s from our marketplace and will be taking appropriate action against the sellers. For any purchase, but especially highly-priced or in-demand items, buyers should exercise caution and thoroughly read the listing description. Buyers who receive an item which is not as described are entitled to a refund via our eBay Money Back Guarantee, provided they completed the transaction on the eBay platform.”
A large group that’s been making bank on those transactions overseas is CrepCheifNotify. They had to put out their own defense of the practice. Because of the pandemic, many of their members have been furloughed or let go. So, they have used these console sales to make ends meet for their families.
“Lots of our community have been furloughed, made redundant, or at some form of disadvantage due to the pandemic,” the group argued. “These people have managed to cover their bills, put food on the table, and supply Christmas presents to their children. It may be unfortunate that a child won’t wake up to a PS5 this Christmas, but another child may have woken up to nothing. We have no regrets.”
Would you pay over retail for a PS5? Let us know down in the comments!
