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360 scalpers are jagoffs

D

Drinky Crow

Banned
So after much pleading, White Man somehow got me to detour to the Woodinville Costco on my way to work this morning in order to procure him an Xdude 360, should any be available.

Of course, there weren't any, but there WAS a dude who'd apparently bought at LEAST *5* of them still hawking them for double the price from the back of his busted-ass Jeep Wagoneer. Curious, I wandered over to see what the price he wanted was.

Me: You want $500 for the Retard or the Value Pack? (yes, I said "Retard Pack", it's seared into my synapses, so THANKS GAF)

Him: Ha ha, $500 for the "retard" pack. $750 for the HD one, but I'll drop it to $700.

Me: That's a bit too spendy for my tastes. I'm pickin' this up for a friend. He'd probably go for a core pack at $400, though.

Him: I don't haggle.

Me: Well, guess you'll be sellin' those for awhile longer, then, thanks.

Him: Not really. Some of you -pause- will do just about anything for this shit. I don't even fuckin' like videogames. (he kinda draws himself up at this point)

Me: Uh, okay. Well, anyways, thanks.

--

What the fuck! Why the hell doesn't Costco and other places put a single-unit purchase limit in place during releases? Not that I'm one to criticize the rogue American entrepreneurial spirit, but talk about bloody annoying. The crass opportunism really makes these launch thingies you kids love so much thoroughly unpleasant.
 
the end of the world is nigh.

drinky and I agree.

they should have their balls ripped off and have an x360 controller shoved through their new orifice.
 
It sucks but its this Xmas's "Tickle Me Elmo" or "Furby". Parents will spend retarded amounts of cash to procure lil' Jimmy his special gift.
 
Of course I fail at capitalism. I'm a fuckin' self-identified democratic socialist, schweinhund. Somedays, I'm not even sure I agree with the "democratic" bit.
 
AHHHHH CRIPES!!! I just got home. I got to Best Buy at 7pm last night and waited 15 hrs in the f'n cold. I did however, manage to be the VERY LAST person who got a ticket for a premium pack. If looks could kill....
That was... interesting. I was planning to eBay it, but I got a chance to really see the 360 in action at the store. I had yet to see any running games, and I was impressed. I may have to keep and play this, it looks like alot of fun now.

Edit: There was a single system limit at BB. Oddly enough, if the TARD in front of me hadn't bought the tard pack, I would have been SOL.
 
BobTheFork said:
AHHHHH CRIPES!!! I just got home. I got to Best Buy at 7pm last night and waited 15 hrs in the f'n cold. I did however, manage to be the VERY LAST person who got a ticket for a premium pack. If looks could kill....
That was... interesting. I was planning to eBay it, but I got a chance to really see the 360 in action at the store. I had yet to see any running games, and I was impressed. I may have to keep and play this, it looks like alot of fun now.
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Keeping a 360 now is like giving hundreds of dollars away for no reason.
 
I don't even find it immoral; I just find it annoying. He could have at least had the good graces to keep his facile little self-approving smirk fixed on his muttonchop face instead of turning into a self-righteous twat the moment I ask to cut a deal.
 
Drinky Crow said:
Of course I fail at capitalism. I'm a fuckin' self-identified democratic socialist, schweinhund. Somedays, I'm not even sure I agree with the "democratic" bit.
Click to expand...

Hope you are kidding about the socialist bit there Drinky. You should be smart enough to know that shit don't work.
 
Matlock said:
Keeping a 360 now is like giving hundreds of dollars away for no reason.
Click to expand...
True, but... there are 360 selling for $2000!!!!!! Not all of them, but most going over 1000. I just dont know if I can do that to somone. Its completly wrong, but I'm completly broke. HMMMMMMM
 
Well, I feel your pain.

Plans A-E today failed utterly, and I'm left with $240 in Xbox 360 games and accessories and no system to play it.

I take it, as a NYer, my options are nil until the restocks in early 2006?

I noticed the HUNDREDS (if not thousands) premium systems being sold on eBay for $1500-$3500 with much anger and vexation.

Circuit City - Atlantic Center - Brooklyn is on my hate list.
 
Reeeaaaaaally. I'd love to lecture you on why there's never been a true socialist state, and especially not a democratic socialist state, but slicing through self-important capitalist jingo isn't how I wanna spend my lunch hour.
 
BobTheFork said:
True, but... there are 360 selling for $2000!!!!!! Not all of them, but most going over 1000. I just dont know if I can do that to somone. Its completly wrong, but I'm completly broke. HMMMMMMM
Click to expand...

Lemme just put it this way. Sell it now, save your money, and a few months down the road you'll be able to play the same games for a lower cost. :p
 
BobTheFork said:
True, but... there are 360 selling for $2000!!!!!! Not all of them, but most going over 1000. I just dont know if I can do that to somone. Its completly wrong, but I'm completly broke. HMMMMMMM
Click to expand...

It is wrong IMO. You are taking advantage of stupid people. Just like casinos do.

Drinky Crow said:
Reeeaaaaaally. I'd love to lecture you on why there's never been a true socialist state, and especially not a democratic socialist state, but slicing through self-important capitalist jingo isn't how I wanna spend my lunch hour.
Click to expand...

You would be wasting your time. I'm too smart and I will see through the bullshit ;)
 
Dr_Cogent said:
While the practice of this is not illegal, I find it immoral IMO.
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I don't know if it is immoral. You basically are re-selling something you bought with your money. If someone wants to buy it for that crazy price, then so be it. Now, if the guy had stolen the 360s and trying to sell it at a high price then yeah that is immoral not to mention illegal. If I got a Premium and someone offered me 700-800 bucks for it, I would have to think real hard about it. If I could make an extra 400 bucks I can use to pay bills, that would be a good thing.
 
dskillzhtown said:
I don't know if it is immoral. You basically are re-selling something you bought with your money. If someone wants to buy it for that crazy price, then so be it. Now, if the guy had stolen the 360s and trying to sell it at a high price then yeah that is immoral not to mention illegal. If I got a Premium and someone offered me 700-800 bucks for it, I would have to think real hard about it. If I could make an extra 400 bucks I can use to pay bills, that would be a good thing.
Click to expand...

Just my opinion is all. I wouldn't feel right about doing it. I couldn't really sleep well at night doing such a thing. But hey, that's just me.
 
The truth of the matter is that the scalpers are such a tiny percentage of the overall purchasers that it's hard to get mad at them for it. They saw an opportunity and took it. The reason the opportunity presented itself is because higher powers fucked up and didn't create enough supply to meet demand.

Besides, how do you know this guy isn't going to use the profits to buy christmas presents for his family and friends?
 
Dr_Cogent said:
It is wrong IMO. You are taking advantage of stupid people. Just like casinos do.
Click to expand...

Ain't nothing wrong with it, given that you start your auction at a reasonable price.
Start it around $400, which, thanks to tax, travel, and your personal time is slightly less than what you paid for it. If people bid it past that, shit, there are just enough people willing to pay that money for it.
I'd say it's quite different from saying "I'm only taking $750 for it."
 
I don't necessarily think that only stupid people are buying the 360 for those Ebay prices.

There are a lot of filthy rich people out there. And a lot of filthy rich gamers. If you're filthy rich, $2000 isn't anything. For the convenience of having some other guy stand out in the rain for you to get your 360 and ship it to you, they most likely don't even bat an eye at it.
 
Don't blame the scalpers, blame the people who buy from them. If those people weren't willing to pay those above retail prices, scalpers wouldn't have a market, thus they wouldn't bother buying consoles just to sell them because there wouldn't be any profit in it.
 
Vieo said:
Don't blame the scalpers, blame the people who buy from them. If those people weren't willing to pay those above retail prices, scalpers wouldn't have a market, thus they wouldn't bother buying consoles just to sell them because there wouldn't be any profit in it.
Click to expand...

Sad, but true. People just can't resist. Sure, life is short, but this whole ME ME ME NOW NOW NOW stuff that has been getting worse each passing day is sickening.
 
Vieo said:
Don't blame the scalpers, blame the people who buy from them. If those people weren't willing to pay those above retail prices, scalpers wouldn't have a market, thus they wouldn't bother buying consoles just to sell them because there wouldn't be any profit in it.
Click to expand...

Having mixed feelings about the subject I'm tired of hearing this as an excuse for any portion of life where I deal with someone selling a product way about WTF it should be.
 
Matlock said:
Lemme just put it this way. Sell it now, save your money, and a few months down the road you'll be able to play the same games for a lower cost. :p
Click to expand...

Done and done. Its e-bay'd. Thats really the real point, I can get me money, and buy one if I want later. I still have a big ps2 backlog anyway. Its hard to say no when I saw CoD.
The choice to even go check out the line was last minute. I just thought about it, and once I saw it was about 20 people long (7pm MST last night) I just figured what the hell. I called work and got my shift changed. I called my best freind and he brought a chair and sleeping bag. I spent most of the night playing uno, its was to damn cold to sleep. Met some interesting people though.


Still love that avatar
 
Dr_Cogent said:
While the practice of this is not illegal, I find it immoral IMO.
Click to expand...

Pretty much. I wish Ebay would put a two week lock on 360 Ebay sales. I don't mind if someone does it for one system (it IS a good way to make some needed money) but to make out with five of them...
 
You should be more annoyed at the half-wits paying anything over MSRP for an Xbox 360 during launch week.

(P.S. If my Xbox 360 connection comes through it goes on eBay, stat.)
 
Vieo said:
Don't blame the scalpers, blame the people who buy from them. If those people weren't willing to pay those above retail prices, scalpers wouldn't have a market, thus they wouldn't bother buying consoles just to sell them because there wouldn't be any profit in it.
Click to expand...

It is both. The exploiters and the addicts both need help.
 
So I guess this is why there's a dearth of actual impressions about the X360 and its games today on these forums - no one actually bought them to play them.
 
kaching said:
So I guess this is why there's a dearth of actual impressions about the X360 and its games today on these forums - no one actually bought them to play them.
Click to expand...

:lol :lol Interesting point.
 
P90 said:
It is both. The exploiters and the addicts both need help.
Click to expand...

The consumer is the core problem. All they have to do is say "No! This is bullshit and I'm not going to take it!" and it stops. The eBayers and scalpers only do it because they know they can get away with it. The consumer's wallet is fat, and his mind is weak.
 
Seriously, did anybody here buy a fucking Xbox to play it? It seems like everyone is selling it on eBay. Then I'm sure some of the people buying it on eBay plan to turn around and sell it closer to Christmas to make more profit off it. At the end of the year there's going to be like 7 people on Xbox Live.
 
kaching said:
So I guess this is why there's a dearth of actual impressions about the X360 and its games today on these forums - no one actually bought them to play them.
Click to expand...
Sounds about right. I'd say half of the people in line were talking about selling theirs. A few of them however decided not to after it took so long to get one.
picture0021hx.jpg

My ferret seems to be having more fun with it than i will. :)
 
Dr_Cogent said:
You would be wasting your time. I'm too smart and I will see through the bullshit ;)
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and we're all very impressed by your intellect.
 
Dr_Cogent said:
Hope you are kidding about the socialist bit there Drinky. You should be smart enough to know that shit don't work.
Click to expand...

I see. Works quite well for the half of western europe, but obviously you know better.

But well, I'm sure you know all about what the "socialist shit" is.
 
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