
Sony opened pre-orders for its collection of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 accessories earlier this week, with its custom console covers and DualSense controller selling out pretty fast. While you can still purchase the hardware bundle, it seems scalpers have their eye on the prize when it comes to the aforementioned add-ons, as they’re already being sold at tremendous mark-ups on auction sites like eBay.
A quick glance through recent listings reveals that the console covers, which have an official MSRP of around $64.99, are being flogged for anywhere from $150 up to $200. Meanwhile, the DualSense is selling for up to $150 as well. It’s worth noting that in all these cases, the scalpers are simply selling pre-orders, as the products won’t ship until 1st September, so they don’t actually have the items in-hand. Crazy times!
Obviously it was always expected that demand would be high for these items, and they’re limited edition so it was inevitable they’d carry a significant mark-up. Still, it’s always wild to see just how high the prices will rise on auction sites for sought after items like this. As always, we’d recommend not paying the premium, no matter how much you want these accessories; let’s hope Sony can add some more stock to its PS Direct website, rendering these inflated listings obsolete.
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[source ebay.com, via gamespot.com]
Comments 50
I'm so tired of these parasites taking advantage of actual fans.
Of course they did.
Ebay, etc. should really regulate this kind of stuff - not scalping per se (even though I hate the practice), but the selling of a pre-order.
If they do allow for it, then whatever consumer protections eBay has against someone trying to scam should be put in place when the item releases.
Because, what's to stop someone from not shipping the item to the person after release?
At least with a normal sale, if the item doesn't come, you can complain to eBay, report the seller, etc.
For these pre-orders, your "item" is a promise. Would eBay's policy on purchase protection still be valid?
I really hope sony will make a boatload of these accesories so the scalpers have to sell it with loss like with the ps5 console right now 😠
Controller is still available on my local Direct Store lol
@deathaxe Well I hope people are smart and don't buy from these scumbags.
I know FOMO is a thing, but supporting this behavior is worse.
These plates are mad expensive to begin with. Having these scalpers in the picture makes it even worse.
Not surprising, when they market products as "limited" this will always happen. It's still baffling why they release these things in such short supply, especially considering how long people have waited for unique plates. If they made enough product for everyone that wanted them they'd sell more and in turn make more money. 🤷♀️ Oh well, I guess we'll see if more get made closer to Spidey's release.
As of right now, GAME in the UK still have the Spider-Man 2 Dual Sense pads on their site. Hopefully legit fans can pick them up for the RRP!
This makes me actually want to try and buy up a handful of them and sell them online to fans and friends for the exact penny i spent. This takes so much joy away from fans. For some people in todays market retail price alone on gaming is expensive and now we have people buying it up and selling it online for 3X as much. I ain’t a Spider-man or really a Marvel video game fan, so i ain’t getting the game nor the accessories. But if i can get a couple and resell them to keep them out of scalpers hands i will try. Little kids is the ones i feel bad for. Little boys and girls love Spider-Man and this could be a really cool gift for them and instead it’s used as a way to make a few bucks. That makes me sad. The industry has enough issues as it is with gamers fighting over brand loyalty.
There really should be more anti scalping laws. With the advent of bots it's absurd this is a business people can run that provide negative benefit to society.
Damn I knew I should have bought the plates when I has the chance. I would have flipped them to. I did manage to get the controller but im going to hold onto that.
I know some people won't like it, but at some point they are going to have to consider pre-orders for this kind of stuff being made exclusive to PS Plus members. That would possibly combat some of this stuff so people who actually want them would be the ones buying them.
I don’t think sites should be giving this any attention be it here or EG etc
If you buy from scalpers, you are the reason scalpers exist.
I managed to get a pair of the controllers, but I didn't even see the covers available at all. I would have bought a set as well. They must have made a ton of controllers because the pre-orders were open for a couple of hours here in the U.S.
Just don't buy from scalpers, let them keep there numerous quantities of said item and lose their money.
It's not worth it.
In the UK you can still get the controller from Game, covers are still sold out though
@deathaxe I actually don't have that issue of having to enter in my name and address every time. When I log in and then go to make a purchase, it's usually pretty painless. Obviously ordering the PS5 when things were crazy was a somewhat different story, but the times I do order from PS Direct are usually pretty good for me. It's usually just pre-ordering first party titles from them, but still.
Having a timer set for 5 minutes or whatever like ticket websites is actually a really good idea. It wouldn't solve the scalper problem, but it would make it easier for people when ordering things limited edition items.
Personally, while I think the Spider-Man 2 stuff is nice, I was going to pass on them anyways. I still have my Midnight Black controller I bought when it first came out that I have barely used, and I've actually grown to like the original look of the PS5 enough over time that I'm ok with sticking with it. If the plates were cheaper and more available, maybe, but I'll be fine.
For a customer in Ireland, we were completely shafted with regards to the cover plates (what I wanted more than the controller). Can't order from PlayStation Direct, no partnership with any retailer (Smyths didn't have them, despite selling the controller and the console bundle) and Insomniac had no word on anything. Only got the controller on order, which is more of a consolation prize as I've already bought another DualSense in the sale.
@Jayslow
Unfortunately, there are many who view scalping as just (opportunistic) capitalism.
@KilloWertz
I keep getting screwed. I've placed numerous orders as a guest despite being signed in. It makes the orders not show up in your order history, which can make you think your order didn't go through at all. Lame.
I hope the same doesn't happen to the Access controller because that would be a new low for the scalpers.
@HonestHick I actually do this quite often when I get the chance. When the Nintendo Switch preorders went live I managed to snag 4 preorders and I sold three of them to friends for exactly how much they cost after tax. More recently last Friday the Pyra and Mythra amiibo released and I managed to order two so I could get a set for my friend. I was interested in these plates but not at $65 honestly and definitely not now with these scum selling them for so much. Unfortunately since post pandemic it’s only been getting harder and harder for those of us who legitimately want these things. I always considered myself pretty good at securing retail orders for these things but I couldn’t even get a hold of a PS5 until over a year after release… I tried for that Hogwarts Legacy controller and yeah, despite being on the site minutes before it went live and continually refreshing I couldn’t get one
Where there's a will, there's a way 🤦♂️
For several reasons, I'm not a fan of humanity, and yes there are great atrocities globally... but this grinds my gears.
@HeeHo If people never bought any from those scalpers, nothing would ever be scalped ever again.
It's the same with macro-transactions, pre-orders on games so unfinished you can't call it a pre-alpha version. People who buy and encourage these trends are the real problem.
Scalpers gunna scalp but tbh, the plates and controllers were available for hours after going live.
So if you really wanted them you would have got them.
Wow at those prices, might sell mine too 😂
I intend to buy everything from those scalpers so I can sell these plates for double the recommended scalp price i.e. 400$.
As the legendary Highlander would say: "There can only be one." Scalper.
@Jacko11 I think the idea that all legitimate people who want these products need to be online to buy them within hours of the preorder going live is incredibly inflexible and wrong.
I don’t understand why this is so difficult for Sony. Put more digital defenses in to stop scalping or up your inventory. Protect your customers.
Scalpers suck! That is all.
It was a disaster as expected. The fact they had no measures against bots after the whole debacle during the height of the pandemic should be a wake up call that these companies have no loyalty to their fans. What’s worse is they could always make more but they artificially keep supply low by calling it limited edition. There’s no excuse anyone can make for Sony for these covers to end up in the hands of scalpers by the dozens
@deathaxe i’m in the UK and this isn’t true.
I forgot about it going live and after a friend told me he got the plates and controller around 10:25, I then went on and got the controller myself.
So cap 🧢
Is it really a good idea to give scalpers free advertising? We all know not happens so why publicise it like this it only encourages them.
Well at least scalpers will have unsold PS5 consoles so stick said plates to when they become unsold too.
Well as a Spider-Man or maybe more importantly a comic bok fan I find that this hurts me very much. Please scaplers stop this pratice now! Find it so very disturbing…
They'll might as well sit on those if people stop buying off of them. It's not like a "necessity" as the base console.
People complain about scalpers but then buy stuff from them when they can’t get it through normal channels. Seriously, make a stand by voting with your wallet. It make be annoying but it’s the only way to affect change.
Sony should flood the media with tales of how much stock they have and not put any limits on preorders, meaning most people can get a preorder in at a reasonable price.
This would kill scalping because people can get the advertised price without paying some scumbag an over inflated price and since there's no scarcity, there's no market.
And, of course, you only fulfill preorders to people who've bought one console, not several, but you don't tell them that, so they can go and order 5 or 10 thinking they're getting a payday but, actually, they just went right to the back of the queue.
@Sekijo It's scalp or be scalped.
@GamingFan4Lyf
eBay presale policy is clear, products sold must be shipped within 30 days. Unfortunately, this policy is rarely enforced even when sellers are reported.
The trouble is these idiots exist, because idiots pay the prices. I would rather go with out than be ripped off!! If no one payed the price, then they would be stuck with something they can't sell for ridiculous amounts.
YAY!! thank you for providing your invaluable 'service' scalpers! You're just "trying to put food on your families table" after all.
Can't wait for you guys to scalp the PS5 Slim when it comes out so I can wait two years after launch for one! 😒
Given Sony is going to flood the market with a slimmed down £400 model in a couple of months a lot of that scalped stock for the old models is going to be worth a lot less.
😂😂😂😂😂😂
@Darthmoogle thats awesome that you do that. I am going to try and start doing it some, cause all this product going straight to scalpers just stinks for the gamers. PS5 slim and Pro will probably end up the same unfortunately.
@HeeHo The scalpers are The real life symbiotes, feeding off the people suffering from FOMO.
I have stick to my guns I don't buy from scalpers I waited for the PS5 those plates look cool but I rather don't have them then give these parasites one cent.
@HonestHick @Darthmoogle I bought three PS5s at launch (let's just say I was worried I would miss out and I didn't expect they would all be fulfilled). I sold both spares to friends for what I paid.
@Absymbel i am happy to hear you were able to get it and i am sure the two friends were really happy you helped them out. I found my PS5 on an app that tracked shipments and my friends saw a Series X in a store and called me and asked if i wanted it. I said absolutely, so he bought it and drove it to my house. I got lucky as both consoles were hard to find. Scalping just stinks. Wish they would start to lose money and not do it no more, but i am sure thats not the case.
I'm holding out small hope the plates get a restock, but if not, my PS5 has the black ones. I also got the controller, so that's what matters to me.
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