• Scalpers buy large amounts of scarcity products on the web using bots.

  • Their goal is to resell these items at a higher price in order to make a profit.

  • American elected officials want to ban this practice with a bill.

If you regularly order items online, you must have experienced shortages preventing you from purchasing the goods you want.

Strong demand, shortage of components… There may be many reasons for the lack of stock of a product.

To this are added the "scalpers".

These people buy a large quantity of items as soon as they are put on the market in order to increase their rarity.

Objective: then resell them much more expensive.

This happens frequently when releasing a new video game console, like the Switch or the PS5, for the release of graphics cards or any other somewhat scarce consumer good.

The same problem is also found in the sale of tickets for concerts.

Automated robots

Usually, scalpers use automated robots that buy items as they become available, leaving legitimate customers no chance.

The pandemic has contributed to the scarcity of certain computer articles and has prompted scalpers to step up their activity.

To combat this problem, US politicians have announced a new bill called the “Stopping Grinch Bots Act”.

It takes its name from the Christmas tale

The Grinch.

 In this fiction, a creature steals all the Christmas presents to spoil the feast of others.

The bill was proposed by Representative Paul Tonko, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senator Ben Ray Luján.

"Handling of online sales systems"

The bill targets scalpers who use robots.

"These third-party sellers use bots to bypass security measures and manipulate online sales systems to buy toys," the carriers of the bill explain in a statement.

This makes some toys nearly impossible to buy online or in stores at retail prices, exacerbating shortages, caused by strained supply chains.

"

Meanwhile, politicians say these robots are not just a problem for consumers, but also for small businesses, local retailers and entrepreneurs who are trying to make sure they have the best items in stock for their customers.

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  • United States

  • Consumption

  • Law

  • Trade

  • Ecommerce

  • Shortage

  • High-Tech

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