The next-generation of consoles has been out for months but it's still hard to get your hands on one due to all the scalpers. Now, the UK government might finally be able to resolve the issue.
With the release of the next-gen consoles by Sony and Microsoft, scalpers have become a huge problem yet again. It's almost impossible to find one of the new consoles at MSRP and while stock will eventually get better, the practice isn't going anywhere. Or is it? Douglas Chaplan, a Member of Parliament in the UK has proposed a new bill (the Gaming Hardware Automated Purchase and Resale Bill 2019-21) which is set to criminalize scalping.
Currently, buying a console at a retail price and then reselling it for much more is absolutely legal in the United Kingdom. That might soon change as many people don't see scalping being anything different than ticket touting. The latter is illegal. Douglas Chaplan probably had the same thoughts and while he doesn't believe the bill will pass it'll certainly force the government to take action.
We've proposed that a similar legislative process be brought forward to ensure that consumers can purchase gaming consoles and computer components at no more than the manufacturers' recommended price, and that resale of goods purchased by automated bots be made illegal.
In a statement to IGN Chaplan also added:
Given that experts in the cyber industry now predict the issue of scalping to grow across other important goods and services this year, we are looking at presenting a Bill in Parliament so that we can further explore legislative options to protect consumers from this unfair practice.
UK Minister of state for digital and culture Caroline Dinenage commented:
Officials are discussing this issue with the trade association for the video games industry. We know that bulk purchasing through automated bots is a concern for some of their members who we understand are currently looking at any further actions they can take to prevent these behaviours and are working with their retailers to improve experiences for customers.
Both the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 were released in mid-November. A couple of months later and already into a new year the situation in terms of supply is still dire. Whether that'll change remains to be seen but the UK government might lead the way for the rest of the world. What are your thoughts on scalpers? Did you buy from one? Tell us on Facebook or Twitter!
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