PlayStation Fans Gleefully Snitch on 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro Scalpers

It's a shame eBay don't care about their own terms and conditions as they freely allow these listings until they're reported

I approve of this. But honestly if Sony would just release the covers and controllers in stores at a normal quantity instead of limited this wouldn't be a problem. The same with limited edition controllers, I was lucky to get the astrobot controller, bit it's ridiculous that you need to refresh a page thousands time to be in time to buy something like this.

Those listings doesnt brake rules. I reported around 5 for testing, and all was declined by automatic system. As you can see, then his reply was from manual removal from Customer support.
If only someone is eager to run through EBAY tos and provide that there is rule for inflating price. I would say, ebay doesnt really have rules against it.

Why Pushsquare is not covering, that PSN is down? Cant go online in UK for example

@REALAIS yup. Which also means that the ps portal currently doesn't work.

@1UP-HUSKY

It’s marketing. If they did what you’re suggesting, they would lose the hype that drives many consumers to make otherwise irrational purchases.

Reporting online sellers who will just relist immediately or wait until release day seems a complete waste of time. The problem isn't resellers, it's Sony creating an artificial scarcity in order to generate hype and headlines.

@REALAIS Terms and Conditions are region dependent on Ebay for example if you reside in the United Kingdom, you are entering into a contract with eBay (UK) Limited.

@carlos82 eBay also technically doesn't allow bootlegs either. But if they willfully took those listings down themselves think of all the lost revenue from their commissions.

It actually surprises me that other industries haven't sued eBay over the years for the amount of fake products they sell, distort the market with while also making profit from.

@koverby that's true, but it can also backfire. On the long term consumers might loose interest in your products because they are never able to get it, at least not at a reasonable price.

Si the question would be, what is more important. Selling to the ones that will invest further in the product they buy. Or to scalpers who want to make a quick buck and consumers who will keep it in the box in hope it will be worth more in a couple of years

@Yousef- yup. That's my guess, too.

@Medic_alert why you need in general make such limited run, if there are more buyers? Same as Premium brands, its just to make design more valuable. They could easily make 123 000 instead of 12 300 or even more. They could sell plates etc. Especially when they sold Pro bundle for such reasonable RRP price. It is just open gates to resell it because of scarcity. Lets guess that PS5 has 60 million consoles worldwide. 12 300 is just 0,02%. I know, PS4 was same run. Just salty that I didnt get one.

@REALAIS I thought it was just my crappy internet. I just set up my PlayStation for the first time and was really getting annoyed…

@Rgeneb1
It’s not artificial scarcity form Sony. Outside of sites like this people don’t care about it. It’s for enthusiasts of a certain age and there are relatively few of us. Sony will only make what they can sell. The problem is the abuse of scalpers, artificially creating scarcity themselves by buying and hoarding stock.

The governments should honestly making aekking things at inflated prices illegal

@REALAIS why does it have to be in the news you just wait until it comes online

i hate this practice (scalping).

Sony clearly made enough Pro's and coupled with the price this has (so far) detererred scalpers.
But in the case of limited editions, I just dont see it ever stopping.

Scalpers only need 1 of these to make a lot of money so the old 'no more than 1 per address' isnt going to be of much use.

Im sure Sony and others have tried on a purchase system front, but I was there and in on the site within a minute or so of the queue opening last Thursday - everyone on hold was given a random place in the queue - and i dont know if i could have completed a purchase. These 30th Pros went fast.

The cancelled ebay resales will just be put back up after launch...

So either:
1) dont have limited runs, or
2) Forever ban resales of Limited Runs

PSN is down. Won't let me use any TV apps or even Spotify.

@Moj500 because other news sites covers it. It is down for more than 5 hours.
10 posts about PS5 PRO is okay, but one relevant for daily users is not. Nothing online related is working. That is big issue.

Ironic how with scalping the scalpers are not the problem, but the dumb people that pay these ridiculous high prices to keep the scalping alive in the first place.

I managed to secure a 30th edition bundle, and have to admit my head has been turned by the prices being thrown about. However, I've decided to keep and enjoy it. It's not often you get to own something so rare and I think I'll get on the Pro loop from now on, so there's more games to play when I do eventually get a PS6. If this generation is anything to go by there's not much point in jumping in day 1 anymore.

@carlos82 what sickens me about eBay is a saw a number of takedowns at typical scalper rates but then one listed for like a million remained. It seems the joke is fine once it involves a really extortionate amount of money; and so it goes

@LN78 haha, crazy as it may be, I'm going to open it and use it. I'll probably be one in a hand full of people that actually gets to enjoy it properly.

@Old-Red I’m considering a pro and running some grey masking tape along the front of it just to give the illusion. That’s all it’s about for me

There is a high enough possibility that PS5 Slim plates fit on a PS5 Pro. So if anyone can get their hands on the PS5 Slim 30th anniversary edition in theory you can upgrade a regular PS5 Pro to look like the PS5 Pro 30th anniversary model. The only difference is that it will look gray with black middle part instead of gray with a gray middle part

Heh, I was always much more inclined towards celebrating the 30th anniversary of the SEGA Saturn anyways 🪐

@LN78 I know, it's insane, but allowing yourself a luxury treat when the opportunity comes up is worth it sometimes. There's also some kind of nihilistic part of me that likes the idea of using a console up for pleasure while everyone else keeps them safely boxed and locked away.

Somehow I’ve never heard the term “to vent one’s spleen” before now.

@SystemAddict
You're not wrong about that line of thought, pretty sure dbrand will have a skin couple of days after PS5 Pro is released.

Only thing that this will do is keep the prices high when the items release.

Emotionally, you feel avenged, but in truth you’re only pissing off a few scalpers to help thousands once they have these items in hand.

@Czar_Khastik
You raise an intetesting question. Presuming that the covers do fit slim & pro (which is a bit up in the air as I have read both ways on this, with PS Support saying slim plates do not fit pro), Sony were not making much money on these 30th editions - I wonder if it would have gone anywhere near as stupid if Sony had just sold the covers & pads? (Still keeping the 1 per address rule).

The pads and slims were much easier to get last Thursday. Remotes even easier i think?

If Sony sold the covers even for a premium price of £100, how much could scalpers have got for them... lets go with an extreme £500. A mark up of £400.
These 30th pro consoles are being marked up by 1000's of £ - would the lower mark up be as intetesting to them?

I would never pay scalper prices, but the proliferation of scalping is only made worse by these big paydays for them, and the perception of how much they can make in 1 'hit'.

I usually rage at scalpers too, but in this case, Sony has clearly encouraged them, with such a limited amount. I guess they think these situations makes the brand look more premium or something.

Personally, I bought some shaped-inline-with-the-inner-black of the PS5 mcbazel covers as I want to hide the overweight Tub o' Lard.

Nice to know that people still like Playstation controllers with coloured buttons though just like every PS model before the dreary 5.

reporting, not snitching. The scalpers are ripping people off and violating the TOS of the marketplace they are selling in. They wanna do that mess? Take your bundle of preorder receipts to a swap meet. Then you can charge a million if you want.

@Czar_Khastik I'm sure there will me many knock offs for the face plates available that can be used and will be far more cheaper imo

If Sony really wanted the actual fans to get one they would be putting restrictions such as:

• 1 until per address.
• 1 unit per credit card on file
• 1 unit per PlayStation account
• 1 unit limit per customer.

While all matching the same first and last name.

But I guess Sony profits no matter the scalpers.

@Frmknst Because laws and taxes in a competitive marketplace, that's why. Not exactly a hard concept to grasp when a private person is acting commercially.

I reported about 15 of these before the official pre-sale and 12 were removed. Reporting them for being intangible seemed to work, but I think I'll try this presale option.

Of course eBay doesn’t care until reported. They make a percentage of every sale!

@JalapenoSpiceLife the console itself is the only item in the range that can be easily modified, I mean interchangeable plates even wtf why all the fuss

To quote the great Senator Palpatine, “Wipe them out. All of them.”

I hope every scalper gets bunions, like really bad ones that you need surgery to correct. I'm going to speak it into existence. Enjoy your shoes never fitting right scalpers!

eBay doesn’t care because it’s big $ and remember they get a cut of that. So they’d literally be saying no to $

Headline should be “For the payers 💸” 😀

@1UP-HUSKY

The scalpers can go fly a kite. I hate scalpers, and I should have made that more clear in my initial response because I was in no way trying to defend them.

As to your question about what’s more important…well—to Sony—it’s whatever will make them more money. They have to decide that strategy and walk the line between generating hype or protecting their community “who will invest further.” I don’t know what’s better for them in the long run because I am no marketing expert and don’t particularly care for marketing in any case. But I bet they’ve got some people who get paid a bunch of money to sit around a big wooden table in a nice office somewhere and argue about it until they come up with an answer to your question.

On a personal and philosophical level I think corporate greed and always putting the bottom line first is one of the things wrong with our society in general, but I’m just trying to rationally think about what motivates these decisions…

Well the listing I reported (30th Anniversary Pro bundle asking $4,000) was removed, so the method in the tweet mentioned in the article works!

I’ve done quite a few of these today and will continue to do so. I was tempted to send the sellers a message saying what I had done but I couldn’t be bothered with the hassle and abuse I would inevitably get ha!

These scalping issues could be easily avoided if they sent links to people with active PS+ memberships to purchase these kinds of things first, and not just active memberships but people who've had it for something like 6+ months. These items should be reserved first for people actively playing on PS consoles, then opened to the general market after an exclusivity period of like 24 hours if anything is left. Sell to the player base that makes things like the 30th Anniversary bundle possible first.

Good. But end of the day, they wouldn't exist if people weren't willing to pay the prices they ask for. It's a scummy practice but the idiots feeding them are the true problem.

@1UP-HUSKY Honestly, I can only imagine it'll just be a matter of time until dbrand puts out new covers that are very similar to the 30th anniversary edition, or something better.

Reported 25 more, ranging in price from $4,000 to $50,000.

I've reported about 20 this way, with prices ranging from $2,500 to $50,000. All of them blatant violations. The vast majority are ignored/left up with an automated response:

"We looked into your report and didn’t find the listing to be in violation of our policy. This determination was made using automation or artificial intelligence."

Only 2 of about 20 I've reported so far have been taken down, all of them reported stating it is scalping and inflating prices of a limited quantity presale.

@Yousef- Yup, but any kind of fusion is better than no fusion

I'm amazed eBay are doing anything because they sure as hell don't care about fake items being listed
Last time I had to go through Trading Standards before eBay would remove the listings and deal with the seller
eBay were quite clearly doing all they could to protect their "super seller"

@Rgeneb1

Nah. The problem isn't either. It's the people who buy from scalpers.

I reported a couple listings that's 4000£ price and eBay got back to me saying they didn't find a violation in the listing. So I guess they're ok with having high price tags for limited items.

Better prevention on Sony's end through their website, retailers if offered better prevention on their websites, other possibilities, if only.

@CutchuSlow Did you have the means or intention of buying the 30th Anniversary Pro bundle?

I wonder if the losers snitching even had the money or intention to buy the 30th Anniversary Pro bundle? Me thinks not!
Scalpers are scum sure but I'm not gonna waste my time or energy moaning about them when I was never gonna buy the product they "scalped" to begin with.

@Boucho11 but you can be bothered to report listings for a product you don't have the means or intention to buy?

@CrashBandicoat how is a limited number " artificial scarcity"? 12,300 Pro bundles were announced and 12,300 Pro bundles were made. A limited number means there's a limit and the limit makes it special.

@Zemo55 hahaha found a scalper I guess. You have no idea whether I have the means or the intention to buy you melter. Bore off

@Zemo55 , whether I wanted to buy one or not doesn't matter. My request got rejected anyway.