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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it's cunty to buy up popular toys then flog em on eBay for several x the price??

222 replies

GaryShitpeas · 30/11/2014 20:32

There are a few things my dc want for Christmas that are sold out everywhere. So I've looked online and I've seen them all on eBay (on buy it now) for loads more than they cost in the shops

I think it's grabby, vile and morally reprehensible. Cashing in on children. wtf

Mind you I also blame the manufacturers to some extent as I suspect they deliberately don't release new stock to create hype. And also the parents that are blithely handing over their money to these cunts are dipshits as well

OP posts:
fredfredgeorgejnr · 30/11/2014 21:58

Absolutely nothing wrong with it - as other have said why have the ire at the small guy trying to make some money at a financial risk to themselves (there's no guarantee that the item will sell, and a Buy it now of 150 on a 30 quid doll doesn't mean people are actually buying it...)

It moves money from those with the disposable income to waste on a toy, to those who have the time and nous to get hold of it in the first place. Before ebay the same shortage would've been there, but now you would've simply not been able to get hold of it at any price. Things are better not worse.

CatWitch · 30/11/2014 21:59

You are not obligated to buy anything at an inflated price. It sounds like bitter, spoiled tantruming to be exact. Get a grip, OP.

kim147 · 30/11/2014 21:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Backtobedlam · 30/11/2014 22:10

I'm all for entrepreneurial spirit, but these are toys, it's ripping off little kids! Yes parents don't have to buy it, but with small children that are desperate for a certain toy, they have no idea of the cost of things or supply and demand. The only people who can afford the inflated ebay prices are the more affluent families so once again the children who's parents are on lower incomes miss out. I just hope the people doing this think making a quick quid is worth scrapping in the aisles of tesco trampling on small kids dreams for. Nice Christmas spirit!

Original poster
GaryShitpeas · 30/11/2014 22:15

Exactly backtobedlam.

OP posts:
BalloonSlayer · 30/11/2014 22:16

But don't Toys R Us or whoever buy toys from the retailer and sell them on at a massive profit?

Someone posted a thread about a crappy Frozen castle that is £119 and people were saying it's £25 in Canada - it looks like it ought to cost about £25 as well.

Waltonswatcher · 30/11/2014 22:31

I dislike the concept of this but, it is surely the buyers choice . You don't have to pay the inflated price fgs.
My dd who is now 15 , wanted a GoGo pet years ago(I think they're Zuzu now?). I simply had to tell her they were totally sold out. At the time they were selling for over £100 - imported from USA too .
Who would pay that?!?
I can't agree op... I agree it does not seem an 'honourable' way to earn cash, but its not c#%ty .(I can't even type it let alone say it..)

Purplefrogshoes · 30/11/2014 22:34

Yanbu if it's snow glow elsa try small independent toy shops, if you are in Glasgow A1 comics in braehead had loads. I paid £35

Mintyy · 30/11/2014 22:37

Catwitch
The word you are scrabbling for is obliged.

VinoTime · 30/11/2014 22:44

I actually saw some twat selling Argos reservations for Snow Glow Elsa dolls on ebay the other week. You paid them £25 and they sent you the reservation number for whichever store they had managed to find stock in.

I genuinely don't know how some people sleep at night. The weight of being such a shitbag would keep me awake.

FannyFifer · 30/11/2014 22:44

No one want to buy a snow glow Elsa of me then?

Original poster
GaryShitpeas · 30/11/2014 22:45

Arf @ mintyy Grin

OP posts:
neart · 30/11/2014 22:47

It seems a good way to pay for Christmas, if people are happy to pay extortionate prices then that is their decision.

Samcro · 30/11/2014 22:51

people must buy this stuff.
if they didn't . people wouldn't do it.
so you just say
"sorry can't get that. what else would you like"

Mintyy · 30/11/2014 22:52

And what is the reason for the shortage in the shops?

It is arseholes buying the maximum number they can, to sell on Ebay at a huge profit!

Amazed that people think this isn't cunty.

Honeydragon · 30/11/2014 22:55

Hang on though, why blame the manufacturers? They can only make what the distributors are prepared to order.

sydlexic · 30/11/2014 22:58

Done it many times, just business.

Bought a buy to let, time without tenant, sell on ebay to pay mortgage.

Yes I pay my tax.

PiperIsTerrysChoclateOrange · 30/11/2014 23:03

Nobody is forcing you to buy the item.

What I have done in the past is to get an image of the toy, put the money in an envelope and wrote a letter saying the elves ran out of time to get the toy, so mummy and daddy will take you in the new year to get it.

OneSkinnyChip · 30/11/2014 23:06

It is greedy and cunty. YANBU.

If you are able to afford to buy 4 or 5 Xbox whatevers to sell on you are hardly short of a bob or two. I understand why people do it (greed) but there's something about it that doesn't sit right with me at Christmas. Maybe it ties in with the whole Santa Clause thing. It's probably much easier to explain to older kids why they can't have something than it is to a very small child who just trusts that Father Christmas will bring what they want.

And it's hilarious that someone can complain about concert ticket touts but think toys are different Hmm

It's just not in the spirit of Christmas

Stopmithering · 30/11/2014 23:06

I think it's quite vile, personally.
Fascinating that so many on here think it's ok.
Perhaps they are the eBay sellers .....

OneSkinnyChip · 30/11/2014 23:07

Piper that is a good idea. I wish more parents would do that and deprive the vultures of their chance to cash in on parental desperation.

MissBattleaxe · 30/11/2014 23:08

Can anyone use a different word? Cunty is just horrible.

BMW6 · 30/11/2014 23:10

Well, the way to beat them is NOT TO BUY! For donkeys years there have been "must-have" toys at Xmas, which sell out long before Xmas day.
I suspect that before the WWW there was always a huge profit to be made in guessing what this years must-have would be, buying up shedloads long before Xmas, then raking it in from desperate retailers. (Bet SirAlan would be in on it)

Children may be disappointed to not get exactly what they want at Xmas, but it;s really not the end of the world.

Just think - if no-one is willing to pay the inflated prices on Ebay, the seller is then stuck with a load of stuff that they;ve invested capital in, which they'll then have to sell off cheap to get capital back to reinvest.

Have a good laugh on them and don't buy the shit! Grin

NickiFury · 30/11/2014 23:13

I know someone who made a hell of a lot of money off the back of the China Baby Milk Contamination situation. She "imported" baby milk from elsewhere and made a fortune selling it on EBay. Now THATS cunty.

fatlazymummy · 30/11/2014 23:17

I've never bought anything on ebay bmw. Personally I would like to see this sort of thing come to an end.The least I can do is not get involved in it.

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