Sony Tries New Strategy to Stop Japanese PS5 Scalpers
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.
Hundreds of Sealed SNES Games Found in Storage Facility
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
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