- Xbox Series X scalpers managed to buy up over 1,000 consoles on Sunday when a major UK retailer restocked its inventory online over the weekend.
- Scalpers have made the difficult task of buying a new game console at launch nearly impossible as they buy every available console, only to resell them at huge markups.
- PS5 consoles are regularly selling for well over $1,000 on eBay.
By all accounts, sales of next-generation video game consoles have been through the roof ever since they launched earlier this month, but countless consumers are still desperately searching for the PS5 or Xbox Series X online and in stores. Every new batch of consoles appears to sell out more quickly than the last, and while some of those consoles are going to individuals who actually want them, others are being scooped up by scalpers.
We’ve written about the scourge of scalpers on a few occasions in recent days, but every time these scalper groups seem to have done as much damage as they possibly could, they manage to top themselves. CrepChiefNotify is one such group in the UK, and after having recently celebrated purchasing more than 3,500 PS5 consoles to be resold at obscene prices, the group now says it has more than 1,000 Xbox Series X units as well.
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“Well then… We’ve done it again!” CrepChiefNotify, well known for scalping sneakers, revealed on its Instagram page on Sunday. “We just notified our members of a Xbox Series X restock on a very well known online retailer. They have now managed to secure over 1000+ today and there’s still many hours left. You snooze you lose.”
Understandably, these scalpers and others like them have attracted plenty of negative attention over the past several weeks, making it even more difficult than it would have been to secure a new game console. CrepChiefNotify doesn’t appear to be bothered by the complaints, and shared the following statement on Facebook:
Let us explain how it was done…
The PS5 hype started back in October with the pre order release. Members were informed to purchase on go. We were prepared, had our in house monitors ready and come the day, 1000 consoles were secured.
The real chaos started on release day. Once again, we prepped the group, informed everyone of the potential, and was ready on go. The day came and members had feasted, 2472 consoles secured on the day, not with bots as the media is portraying, all manual. Sure we have the advantage with our knowledge and monitors, but thats just being prepared. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
Lots of our community have been furloughed, made redundant, or at some form of disadvantage due the pandemic. These people have managed to cover their bills, put food on the table and supply Christmas presents to their children. It may be unfortunate that a child wont wake up to a PS5 this Christmas, but another child may have woken up to nothing.
We have no regrets.
More PS5 and Xbox Series X stock will trickle out in the coming days and weeks, but you’re going to have to be very quick and very lucky in order to beat the scalpers. The only other way to snag one this fall is to spend an outrageous amount of money on eBay, where dozens of consumers are spending over $1,000 on consoles.
