‘Scalpers’ hoarding PlayStation 5 consoles

The PlayStation 5 was one of the most anticipated gaming consoles to hit the shelves since the PS4 and Xbox One back in the early 2010s, yet no one can seem to get one that easily, why?

We knew the PlayStation would be in high demand as seen by the hype it created last year June when Sony reviled it to the world. Pre-orders were through the roof and the first batches arrived from late 2020. As soon as they hit the shelves, they were gone.

While many people did manage to purchase a console, the vast amount of them was taken by what we know as ‘scalpers’.

What are they?

These are groups of people who purchase products that are seemingly in demand and sell it back to the same target market and inflated prices.

They make use of bots to source and purchase the products online, before they even land on the shelves.

Prices can range from R15,000 to R20,000 whereas the actual selling price of the PlayStation 5 is R12 000. They are sold on platforms such as Alibaba and bidorbuy.

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