The UK might make scalping the Xbox Series X|S and PS5 illegal
If you’ve been attempting to pick up anything “next-gen” in gaming like the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PS5, or any of NVIDIA’s or AMD’s new GPUS, you’ve likely run into a lot of problems. Since their launch, the Xbox Series X|S and other gaming consoles and components have sold out almost instantaneously any time they’re restocked at retailers, thanks to an unfortunate combination of low supply, high demand, and an army of scalpers waiting patiently to scoop up as many units as possible. Apparently Microsoft expects to have limited availability of Xbox Series X|S until Spring 2021, leaving lots of interested players without a next-gen console.
Scalpers have been a particularly nasty problem this time around, with modern tools letting scalpers use bots to instantly buy consoles without waiting in a queue and exceed the maximum purchase limit most retailers put in place. Then these scalpers turn around and sell their unfortunately-acquired merchandise with severe price markups, often going for ridiculous amounts more than the MSRP. It seems that the UK Parliament is looking to combat this problem and is currently considering a motion that would effectively make scalping illegal.
More specifically, the motion would bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit the resale of consoles or computer components at costs that greatly exceed the MSRP, as well as using bots to avoid wait times or purchase limits. It’s great to see a government body consider proper action against scalpers, who profit massively off people willing to pay extra to get their next-gen gaming console or component a little earlier than others. So far, the motion has received 26 signatures and will hopefully gain good traction and result in something concrete.
If you’re looking to purchase an Xbox Series X|S, don’t give scalpers your time or your money. Instead, keep an eye on where to buy Xbox Series X|S, and have patience, as Microsoft and Sony are both hard at work to provide enough consoles for everyone.
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