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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To loathe scalpers

32 replies

AdditionalCharacter · 09/04/2025 12:12

My young adult son has autism, and one of his important things is his Nintendo Switch. He has been obsessed with the new Switch 2 getting released, he is trying to save his money for it, so far he has £10. I'll be buying him one using his PIP money which I have in a separate account for him.

I (stupidly) didn't realise they were released for pre order this week, and (stupidly) thought I'd just be able to go into a shop, reserve one, then pick it up. Only that's not the case, it's like the PS5 saga all over again.

Loads of pre orders already on resale sights for up to £200 more. Meaning the people who want them, true fans like my son, will have to wait longer or battle online for a pre order.

Scalpers are scum, they make money out of other peoples misery. Shameful. And yes I know that they're only selling to an audience who will pay the overinflated price, still doesn't make it morally right.

I think I have managed to get him one from Very, the payment has been taken and it's showing in my orders, so hoping it is. The anxiety I'm feeling though, it's ridiculous. I went through the whole think for my other son when the PS5 came out. It was almost a year before I managed to get one.

OP posts:
TheJollyMoose · 09/04/2025 12:15

YABU. Sounds to me like you should be angry at yourself for not being prepared enough 🤷‍♀️

Pootles34 · 09/04/2025 12:17

@TheJollyMoose is there any need? Do you not agree that scalpers are dickheads?

Sympathy OP, fingers crossed for you!

Original poster
AdditionalCharacter · 09/04/2025 12:19

TheJollyMoose · 09/04/2025 12:15

YABU. Sounds to me like you should be angry at yourself for not being prepared enough 🤷‍♀️

I am pissed off with myself, I'm not denying it. It doesn't mean I can't be angry at people who are making it hard for others as well.

Not to drip feed, but I am also ND, and struggle with anxiety.

OP posts:
TheJollyMoose · 09/04/2025 12:22

Pootles34 · 09/04/2025 12:17

@TheJollyMoose is there any need? Do you not agree that scalpers are dickheads?

Sympathy OP, fingers crossed for you!

No, I don’t see anything wrong with it. It’s a legal way to make money. Good on them 🤷‍♀️

TheJollyMoose · 09/04/2025 12:23

AdditionalCharacter · 09/04/2025 12:19

I am pissed off with myself, I'm not denying it. It doesn't mean I can't be angry at people who are making it hard for others as well.

Not to drip feed, but I am also ND, and struggle with anxiety.

Show quote history

Okay, but that isn’t anyone else’s problem.

Hoppinggreen · 09/04/2025 12:26

Its a perfectly legal way to make money
Its not the fault of people who were quicker than you that you didn't get one.
So no, I don't think people who make money from buying and then selling things are scum.

GabriellaMontez · 09/04/2025 12:30

They make money out of being organised and prepared.

Not from anyone else 'misery'. Yabu.

Ablondiebutagoody · 09/04/2025 13:00

YABU. Just wait a bit if necessary

flyoverstate · 09/04/2025 13:05

In the USA they have quite a complicated process to limit the scalpers, you have to have a Nintendo live account, have played for more than 50 hours on the account, then register an interest and then you get sent an email asking if you want to purchase one and you have a day to do so.
People have complained about that as well.

OldCottageGreenhouse · 09/04/2025 13:07

TheJollyMoose · 09/04/2025 12:15

YABU. Sounds to me like you should be angry at yourself for not being prepared enough 🤷‍♀️

What a vile thing to say. Spoken like a true scalper!

Original poster
AdditionalCharacter · 09/04/2025 13:13

flyoverstate · 09/04/2025 13:05

In the USA they have quite a complicated process to limit the scalpers, you have to have a Nintendo live account, have played for more than 50 hours on the account, then register an interest and then you get sent an email asking if you want to purchase one and you have a day to do so.
People have complained about that as well.

They have that here, I just didn't know about it until yesterday.

OP posts:
gamerchick · 09/04/2025 13:17

Scalpers are dicks, everybody loathes them. I was going to suggest the catalogue option and just buying outright. It's usually the stress free option.

HuffleMyPuffle · 09/04/2025 13:22

Scalpers are trash
But also, lots of these things now don't actually become as "rare" as the scalpers hope and are actually fairly easy to get later because companies are cottoning on and not releasing everything in one go

LaPalmaLlama · 09/04/2025 13:22

I mean they kind of are but it's Nintendo who are creating a false scarcity to create a buzz around the release so.......

OldCottageGreenhouse · 09/04/2025 13:24

I completely agree, OP. These scalpers have specialised software which immediately buys 100+ units when an item is released (in like 0.2 seconds of release). Sometimes if the retailer has no limits, these software programs will buy ALL the stock in one go and then they sell them on for massively inflated amounts.

I’m truly staggered that people are defending these greedy bastards who are buying all the stock before anyone can get one and then increasing the price! If we were at a school bake sale and one parent got there first and bought every single item in one go, there’d be some very unhappy people and rightly so. And no, I’m not comparing games consoles with school bake sales 🙄 I’m comparing the principle which is no different.
This is precisely why most retailers have limits per customer; If there was nothing wrong with scalping then why would they limit items per customer? Because it’s wrong!

This happened in WW1. Black marketeers bought loads & loads of everything that people would need, the essentials such as bread, milk, butter, etc and sold it on at an inflated price. People died.
Again, I’m not comparing games consoles to bread & milk(!) but the principle is exactly the same. Items that were in great demand were snapped up by morally-void individuals who were desperate for cash.
WW1’s black marketeers are the main reason why there was rationing in WW2! Not because of lack of supply (as they only rationed items that were in plentiful supply to ensure everyone got some) but because of black marketeers (& stockpiles, like we had in Covid!). The black market continued in WW2 but on a much smaller scale than in WW1 as by 1939, selling goods on the so-called ‘black market’
became illegal!!!
So it’s not a new concept, but historically it was illegal. Obviously it’s no longer illegal but it certainly was in the past and in my opinion, should still be.

TheJollyMoose · 09/04/2025 13:24

OldCottageGreenhouse · 09/04/2025 13:07

What a vile thing to say. Spoken like a true scalper!

Show quote history

How silly. It’s not vile at all. Unfortunately don’t have the capital spare to be a scalper 😅

CottageGoblin · 09/04/2025 13:25

It (the switch 2) will be out for general release on the 5th of June.

be ready op. You’ll get one

Agix · 09/04/2025 13:25

YANBU. MN doesnt seem to understand what scalpers do. They are not "prepared and organised", they use bots to trawl websites within milliseconds and circumvent purchase limits retailers and stockists try to put in place. The actual people are sat elsewhere burping and picking their noses. No, it's not illegal - doesnt mean it's alright, it sucks.

Scalpers suck. Retailers should take charge more really, and at least not release products during the working week and times, when all honest folk are at work and completely unable to be sat on a webpage refreshing trying to grab a product all the bots are after.

TheodoraCrumpet · 09/04/2025 13:26

Perfectly legal doesn't equal not scummy. I think Nintendo have created this situation though, so it's partly down to them.

Original poster
AdditionalCharacter · 09/04/2025 13:29

@OldCottageGreenhouse that was very interesting to read. Thank you.

I remember back when you had to queue for new releases/tickets/books, no pre sales, or pre pre sales. The internet is great for some things, pre ordering isn't one of them.

OP posts:
Middleagedstriker · 09/04/2025 13:31

TheJollyMoose · 09/04/2025 12:15

YABU. Sounds to me like you should be angry at yourself for not being prepared enough 🤷‍♀️

You sound nice.

AnticleaAndLaertes · 09/04/2025 13:39

TheJollyMoose · 09/04/2025 12:22

No, I don’t see anything wrong with it. It’s a legal way to make money. Good on them 🤷‍♀️

Show quote history

People who rip other people off for pure financial greed are total cunts.

You're happy to put yourself in that group. Nice

TheJollyMoose · 09/04/2025 13:40

AnticleaAndLaertes · 09/04/2025 13:39

People who rip other people off for pure financial greed are total cunts.

You're happy to put yourself in that group. Nice

Show quote history

That is your opinion. Does not make it fact 🤷‍♀️

Chocolatecustardcreamsrule · 09/04/2025 13:50

Scalpers are the worst and pray on parents in your position. You’re not too late though OP you just need to be ready for release day if your very one falls through.

Do research online to see where will have them in store and go early in the morning (old school way still works). Use a website called stock informer, have it open on your phone or laptop and have sound on loud. It makes a big siren noise when a site has stock and you have to be quick but it’s really reliable (turn off alerts for eBay). I used this to get a PS5 when they were all sold out.

TeaRoseTallulah · 09/04/2025 13:56

I remember queuing up outside Woolworths at 8 am in a HUGE queue for the Telly Tubby plastic toys 🤣

Good luck OP.