360's on EBay

[bapenguin]

Well, the price gouging has begun. There are several pre-ordered 360's on EBay. (http://cgi.ebay.com/Microsoft-Xbox-360-Game-Console-Pre-Orders-Available_W0QQitemZ8226527931QQcategoryZ62054QQrdZ 1QQcmdZ)
Some people are asking as much as $1500 (http://cgi.ebay.com/MICROSOFT-XBOX-360-PREMIUM-CONSOLE-GUARANTEED-FOR-XMAS_W0QQitemZ8226998003QQcategoryZ62054QQrdZ1QQcm dZViewItem) for the system. Personally, I think this is just lame, especially when people preorder multiple systems, taking away preorders from legit people, just to rip people off online.

[Abednigo]

I've always hated crap like that. Same with people that buy tickets to concerts that they don't plan on going to and just sell them for 10x what they cost. Some may argue that it's a business, but I think it's just mean and heartless.

Then again, anyone who would spend that kind of money instead of just waiting a few more weeks to get one a the normal price is pretty stupid.

[Morratut]

People are so stupid that he will probably sell it too.

If people are that stupid to pay such a price then kudos to the guy who is selling it.

[Vandenh]

Supply and demand...*cough*capitalism guys*cough*.

[emperordahc]

Eragh. Hate it.

[Ka_Feosh]

Call me a dirty capitalist scumbag, but if I wound up with one before Christmas this year you'd better believe it's going on ebay. Considering I haven't preordered one, that doesn't seem very likely.

[51|RandoM]

Is kind of funny, considering I'll have no problem finding one at retail the day they come out.

[Morratut]

Wow your confident 51|Random. Let us know if you find a Premium system on day one :)

[Vandenh]

Maybe he lives in Lichtenstein?

[Taco]

If people are rich or dumb enough to buy a system for $1500 I don't fault the people selling them. I don't think people pre-ordering several are going to put a dent in system availability. More power to them I say.

[notcivx]

Wow your confident 51|Random. Let us know if you find a Premium system on day one :)

All he has to do is walk into Walmart. It's not that all hard.

[Atorak]

Atorak's Grand Idea for Tuesday:

1. Create a fake email address
2. Create a new eBay account based on address in #1
3. Bid up all XBox 360s selling for a ridiculous amount.
4. Continue to bid up XBox 360s until you win.
5. Do not pay for XBox 360s.
6. Delete eBay account.
7. Delete email address.
8. Repeat Steps 1-7.

[doubtingthomas]

I hate price gouging, but it isn't exactly medicine or gas here. If you want to pay $1000 more just because you can't wait a month or two for a entertainment product, so be it.

Actually, when the PS2 came out, I had two preorders at both an EB and KB Toys in the mall. I only had to pay $5 down to preorder, and I wanted to make sure I got one at launch. Both of the preorders came through in the first shipment, and a friend of mine offered to pay for one, put it on ebay and split the profits. I put an extra $100 in my pocket for a $5 investment 6 months prior, and about 5 minutes of my time walking over to the KB Toys after I left EB. I admit I feel a bit shady about it, but its not like I'm withholding milk from a starving baby.

[Taco]

Atorak's Grand Idea for Tuesday:

1. Create a fake email address
2. Create a new eBay account based on address in #1
3. Bid up all XBox 360s selling for a ridiculous amount.
4. Continue to bid up XBox 360s until you win.
5. Do not pay for XBox 360s.
6. Delete eBay account.
7. Delete email address.
8. Repeat Steps 1-7.

Don't you need a unique credit card as well? I forget, been years since I did anything with ebay.

[Ka_Feosh]

Not just to bid on stuff last I checked.

[Evil Avatar]

Don't you need a unique credit card as well? I forget, been years since I did anything with ebay.

Yes, to create an Ebay account and bid on items you will need to provide a legitimate credit card number.

[Double T]

Did I read this right? Did someone bid $600 for a $50 down receipt? They still will have to pay several hundred dollars more to get it.

"each one has a $50 deposit receipt for the item. This is what you are bidding on to adhere to eBay rules."

[Roc Ingersol]

Some may argue that it's a business, but I think it's just mean and heartless
Most business is.

[Vandenh]

>Did I read this right? Did someone bid $600 for a $50 down receipt?

Looks like it. I hope not since he is asking 35$ shipping! If it is only the receipt he should be shot.... people will have to travel to the shop to pick up their 360 and that might be on the other side of the US. eBay will pull this auction.

Actually now that I read it again he *is* selling a 360... he is just using the receipt to conform to eBay selling rules (selling an actual item). So no problem there.

[netcraazzy]

I've got one preordered that's in the 2nd shipment. I'm probably going to try to grab one on launch day from CompUSA or Walmart. If I succeed in getting one at launch then to ebay with the preorderd one I say. Either that or I might sell it to my boss since he wants one for Christmas but his wife didn't preorder.

[Heretic Machine]

Well, if the 360's are actually going for $1000+ I may have to sell the one I got in the Every10Minutes contest. That could easily put me over the top for buying a bad-ass new PC.

[rickmus]

"1 x IBM PowerPC 3 cores 3.2 GHz"
The guy can't even get the spec's correct!

[rein]

There is a guy that has gone and registered gmail, yahoo and other free mail accounts using the 360 name and is selling the accounts on ebay. Some poor fool is going to bid on these thinking they are the 360. :( Now he is a scumbag.

I pre-ordered two systems (one at two different stores) and yes one will most likely find its way on ebay. Call me a scumbag all you want but it will be nice to off-set the cost of my system with the profit from the other. I don't expect to pay for the whole system with it but if I make $100 on the ebay system I got the bundle for the price of the core. I figure I will reserve it @ my cost and whatever it bids up from that is fine by me. If someone is dumb enough to send me $1500 for it you will not hear me complain.

[Hijinx]

Personally, I think this is just lame, especially when people preorder multiple systems, taking away preorders from legit people, just to rip people off online.

Most retailers that take preorders will check multiple names that show up at different stores. They know they can only get one per location, so they think they can hit the other locations in the city and its gouging time. DM's jobs are to look for these and let them that they will only be getting one.

Sure there are ways around this, but for the most part its one per customer for this very reason.

[LilAbner]

Personally, I think this is just lame, especially when people preorder multiple systems, taking away preorders from legit people, just to rip people off online.

How are they ripping people off? This is capitalism, ba.

Of course, anyone stupid enough to pay this much for a 360 should be shot.

[kid cabelgo]

There is a guy that has gone and registered gmail, yahoo and other free mail accounts using the 360 name and is selling the accounts on ebay. Some poor fool is going to bid on these thinking they are the 360. :( Now he is a scumbag.

I pre-ordered two systems (one at two different stores) and yes one will most likely find its way on ebay. Call me a scumbag all you want but it will be nice to off-set the cost of my system with the profit from the other. I don't expect to pay for the whole system with it but if I make $100 on the ebay system I got the bundle for the price of the core. I figure I will reserve it @ my cost and whatever it bids up from that is fine by me. If someone is dumb enough to send me $1500 for it you will not hear me complain.

oh, is that the purpose of those stupid auctions for gmail accounts? I thought he was just trying to make money on his invites. That's retarded either way.

[vherub]

I imagine MS could take a stand, under an umbrella of unathorized resellers, price-gouging and deceptive pricing schemes. If anything, I feel that these type of profiteers do damage to gamers, rather some arbitrage based on inefficiences in the market place. Justifying this by rasising the capitalism banner is a little hypocritcal when you think how the government steps into just about every area of the economy, and for the better the majority of the time.

[Twigz'N'Berries]

Its capitalism. Why cry about it? People had just as much of a chance to get the damn system as anyone who is doing the ebay thing. They could have preordered like the rest of us slobs or they could stand in line at Wal-Mart to get one.
To complain that it isn't fair is lame. The 360 isn't an entitlement, its not a right, it is a commodity. So if someone is willing to buy a 360 and then resell it legally, why do you have a problem with them doing it? The idea that some gamer will suffer because he doesn't have one doesn't matter. That gamer should have gotten off of his butt and got one sooner. Even if he had no way of getting to one, how is that the fault of the guy who sees an opportunity and seizes it.

Hell, I only have one and im tempted to make a few hundreds from desperate parents at X-mas time.

[fitbabits]

Looks like the listing in the original post has been removed.