In a statement to IGN, Chapman indicated that he now intends to pursue the matter further: “As experts in the cyber industry are now predicting the issue of scalping over other important goods and services this year, we look into it.” submit a bill. in parliament so that we can explore legislative options to protect consumers from this unfair practice. ‘Early-day motions are frequently used to highlight current affairs, but rarely come to a real debate about the House of Commons. The presentation of a bill, as Chapman is now considering, would be seen as an increase in the process, and an attempt to put pressure on the government to consider formal legislation.
Asked why Chapman started this process, he explained that the impetus to start the debate in parliament came directly from his constituents in Dunfermline and West Fife:
‘The issue of scalping added for the first time that ingredients contacted me to explain their frustration at not being able to get hold of consoles or computer components before games. Upon investigation, we discovered more details about the unscrupulous use of ‘scalping’ by automated bots to buy these goods in bulk and sell at high prices. ‘The issue of scalping has reached new levels of recognition following the release of PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, as well as new graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD. In the US, it is estimated that at least 10% of PS5s are resold, which is on average about double the recommended retail price on eBay. Part of the phenomenon is the use of bots to secure units before ordinary consumers can do so, a tactic popularized by sneaker culture.
The UK has seen a huge demand for new generation consoles, and scalping has become a recurring story amid the demand. Scalp chains require large quantities of consoles, and even use loopholes to buy stock before it is officially available. In addition to the shortage of supply, it is a trend that has led to repeated disappointment for normal consumers, and may even encourage criminal activity.
Joe Skrebels is IGN’s editor – in – chief of News. Follow him further Twitter. Do you have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Send an email to [email protected].