Ask anybody who’s attempted to purchase a Sony PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, or new graphics card in the past couple of years and most will agree that the scalping problem has gotten way out of hand. And it’s not just next-gen consoles or upper-tier graphics cards that have fallen prey to the unscrupulous tactics of resellers. Just last year, there were stories of scalpers stampeding through Walmart to get Pokemon cards, ripping open cereal boxes, and trying to buy multiple McDonald’s Happy Meals to get at the coveted trading cards.
In the US, three lawmakers even introduced legislation to try to combat the growing problem with scalpers in November 2021. Representatives Tonko, Blumenthal, and Schumer announced the Stopping Grinch Bots Act, which would outlaw bots from being used to purchase products from online retail sites. Unfortunately, the legislation remains stalled in committees and has yet to see the light of day.
The PS5 and Xbox Series consoles have been in short supply since they debuted in November 2020, and by this time, many would-be purchasers have given up attempting to get their hands on one. Back in June 2021, Sony CEO Jim Ryan expressed frustration with scalpers and said that the company was working with retailers to alleviate the problem. Just what Sony’s solution would be remained unclear, but a recent story on Yahoo! Japan revealed what the company is doing in that country.
When consumers order a PlayStation product from the Sony online store in the US, the items arrive sealed with a holographic sticker with the PlayStation logo on it. If the seal is broken, the buyer knows that the product has already been opened. In Japan, Sony has begun distributing a similar sticker to retailers to apply to the PS5 box on purchase. The retailer then immediately breaks the seal, hopefully making future buyers consider the product opened and used. The sticker is very difficult to peel off, and attempts to remove it by the scalper will leave residue or even tear the box.
The intent is to force scalpers to sell the unsealed consoles as used, thereby making PS5 scalper prices fall. While the idea seems good, it unfortunately doesn’t seem likely to hinder scalpers much. PS5s with the cut sticker can already be found on sites like eBay, with the sellers simply stating that the seal was applied and broken upon purchase but the console inside is new and untouched, which is true. It also doesn’t seem to have reduced the resale price much either. Most people who want a PS5 enough to purchase it from a scalper for an increased price will likely know about the sticker ploy and will understand that it doesn’t really mean that the console is used.
Either way, it’s good to know that Sony is trying a new tactic to stop scalpers, at least in Japan. The company will need to come up with something a bit more effective, though, and then hopefully carry that plan over to other countries as well.
Source: Reddit