Why Does Everyone Get So Salty about People Reselling Items for a Profit?

takutox on 29/09/2020 - 13:12
Last edited 29/09/2020 - 13:12

I've noticed throughout the years that everyone on here gets extremely angry and salty whenever someone resells items for a profit, regardless of what item it is. Whether it be a item won from a competition (you won this Pizza Hut voucher and want to resell it? HOW DARE YOU!!) or sold at higher than RRP (you want to sell a PS5 that is no longer available worldwide at more than RRP? HOW DARE YOU!?). Why do you get salty and what are your thoughts on this topic?

Capitalism dictates that we have the right to buy and sell and the market dictates what the value is. The buyer is happy to pay the price and the seller is happy to sell for that price. The items in question are nowhere near "necessities".

My question is, what's the problem with buying low and selling high? Let's not talk in terms of legality as there are dozens of countries where scalping is completely legal. In fact it is legal in Australia besides ticket scalping, which is a law I vehemently disagree with and goes completely against capitalism. It should be on the onus of the seller to run adequate verification measures, but they give zero shits as it does not affect their bottom line (sold out is sold out).

Put differently, what's the difference if you decide you don't want the item anymore? If you buy one, you don't want one anymore, would you sell that item at RRP? Or it's market value? And why is this not scalping? Why is there an arbitrary rule that you must sell something at the price you bought it for? That is not capitalism and goes heavily against our freedoms.

Also, lets not use the high quantity or bot arguments, since even if you buy one legitimately and want to sell it for the market price you are shunned by the community.

I'd like to hear your arguments as to why you feel you are on such a moral high ground compared to people who sell non-necessities in a free market.

General Discussion

Comments

  • Hangryuman on 30/09/2020 - 08:20

    'I'd like to hear your arguments as to why you feel you are on such a moral high ground compared to people who sell non-necessities in a free market.'

    an obviously provocative assumption

    my first thought is from childcare - small kids start with gimme ! tug-of-war - tears - until they realise no-one wants to play with them

    and when they want someone to play with, they might have to share that thing they grabbed away before

    so social animals have a fundamental sense of fairness - a gut feel if you like - and when their gut feels something is not fair, they will mostly walk away - and never come back - or sometimes challenge you on it

    summary - if you're selfish and greedy others might not want to play with you - if you're sharing and caring you might not have so much in your pocket, but you might have more friends who love you and care about helping you, and are not just hanging around you because you have something they want - like money.

  • haemolysis on 30/09/2020 - 08:52
    +2

    Resellers correct a market which promotes frivolous purchases and promotes items to be directed where they’re more needed.

    Reselling is basically acknowledges that an items value doesn’t come from RRP. It comes from peoples actual perceived value and their willingness to spend time (hunting discounted items) or their urgency to part with cash to obtain them.

    I don’t see an issue. Even with emergency supplies. In every instance of reselling, both parties get what they want.

    Ultimately reselling is a service, and it’s a value-adding service. Convenience IS a value add. Bringing a sale to your eyes which you otherwise wouldn’t have had access to for whatever reason, is added value.

    I would note that you’ve called it legal but there’s actually numerous laws against it, not just for ticket scalping. For instance, some hoarders of masks and hand sanitizer were punished for surging prices.

    • Ughhh on 30/09/2020 - 10:28
      +2

      Ultimately reselling is a service, and it’s a value-adding service. Convenience IS a value add.

      I think its more convenient to visit one of many franchises or big stores like coles everywhere, than douchbag Chad from 1 address.

      • haemolysis on 30/09/2020 - 14:38

        That’s just one perspective. The same resale could be viewed completely differently to someone who wasn’t in the area, was working during the sale, was ill or unable to buy at the time, didn’t even KNOW about the sale (like drop shipping advertisements), only required the item later on (last minute scalping at venue entry points) etc.

        There is convenience added in some format.

        • Ughhh on 30/09/2020 - 16:28

          Or you couldn't buy it because good old douchbag bought it all. Now you have the pleasure of dealing and buying a product:

          1. without the usual consumer protection
          2. From a Potential scammer who may not even send item to you.
          3. A time waster, who after agreeing to your price and meeting at X, decides to sell it to someone else who offered a higher price, and there's nothing you can do.

          didn’t even KNOW about the sale (like drop shipping advertisements),

          A scalper buys in demand items, in hoping it will sell out, to make a profit. You think the scalper is going to give you the sale price?
          Is there limited supply in cheap chinese goods?

          There's a distinctive difference between "reseller" and "scalping". No offence, but I think you got them Mixed up.

          • takutox on 30/09/2020 - 19:12
            -2

            @Ughhh: Yep, there's a difference between "reseller", "flipper" and "scalper" - semantics

            The guy just literally gave you an argument as to how resellers can add value. Your response was "NO it's because the scalper bought them all"

            That's as good as no response. Do you think someone camping and lining up at the Apple Store for a limited stock iphone is not providing value to someone who can't do it themselves on the day?

            • Ughhh on 01/10/2020 - 16:43

              @takutox:

              Yep, there's a difference between "reseller", "flipper" and "scalper" - semantics

              🤦‍♂️ 🤦‍♂️ 🤦‍♂️

    • schwinn on 30/09/2020 - 11:59

      Erm, if convenience is a value add, then scalpers are actually making it inconvenient for everyone because they can’t get it through conventional means at regular prices.

      • takutox on 30/09/2020 - 14:12
        -4

        It's making it less convenient to who?

        If there's a shortage no matter what (which there is with PS5), then the convenience of those wiling to pay the price premium and could not make it to the preorder is very valuable.

        Those who are time poor might have missed out on the day and someone else might have gotten it. Now those who are willing to pay what the market value is actually worth can get the item they want. It's not a given that if the scalper did not buy then that person would have gotten one on the day.

        How the F is having to refresh page for 8 hours to check for more stock not an inconvenience? In that sense if you buy from scalpers you don't need to keep up with news, get right on time on the preorder, there will always be one available for you for the right price

        For example I know people who spent 8 hours trying to order xbox series x for the launch stock. The value is that you don't need to spend that 8 hours worrying about that

        You can't use the logical fallacy that Jimmy with his $1000 would have gotten one if only the scalper didn't buy it. Tom could have just as easily bought that stock, now Jimmy has to wait an entire 6 months to get stock because there are no resellers or scalpers, despite him willing to pay double the price but not having the time or energy to get in time for the preorder or to line up at the Apple store.

        You guys act like time or effort in securing a preorder has no value and it's easy as F to order one. In reality there is not enough stock at x price for consoles to satisfy demand for the entire market. It may be less convenient to someone who JUST missed out, but is way less convenient to someone who wants to buy one but noone is reselling because there are no scalpers.

        Stop operating on the logical fallacy that if there were no scalpers, there would be enough stock for everyone. That is not true

  • RocketSwitch on 30/09/2020 - 09:30
    +1

    In a perfect world, this wouldn't happen. But, alas, we don't live in a perfect world.

    Nothing wrong with it, nothing wrong with being pissed off about it either.

    Whatever your moral compass is, mine says you're a jerk for doing so, but the other side of me is, you're doing it to get ahead, to get money to continue running in this rat race.

    Whatever you do, try to survive, understand the dangers, whether you're good or not, it doesn't matter, but humans have emotions, and thus answers your question.

  • DarthAntz on 30/09/2020 - 09:45
    +1

    People learn and resource themselves for these opportunities, I remember it happened with the geforce 10 series and now we are seeing it with the 3080's.
    I blame the companies that make this happen and expect it. Its free hype for them, news that creates itself, and they can bump up their prices due to 'demand and shortages' in the market they have created for a single product.

  • VictimEqualsProfit on 30/09/2020 - 09:50
    +1

    Because people feel entitled to things.

    I have no problem with people buying and selling whatever they like. I also have no problem with store limits of items per customer. Let the market decide.

  • netsurfer on 30/09/2020 - 10:07

    Why Does Everyone Get So Salty about People Reselling Items for a Profit?

    Everyone? Really? You can sell that Pizza Hut voucher for $1,000,000 and I don't care to be honest.

    However, if people want to rave about doing so on OZB, don't whinge when other people told them off. It's not about can or cannot do it, it is about ripping people off. If someone won a car and sold it for a bargain price, I really doubt OZBers would complain.

  • OzHunterNSW on 30/09/2020 - 10:10

    You buy low from someone who has made a profit, and if sold on for a profit, the next buyer weighs up the pros and cons.

  • screensaver on 30/09/2020 - 10:20

    There was a farmer once who complained that woolies was making a profit off his produce. Well woolies has a lot of costs, distribution, wages, rents, power, warehousing, fuel, unsold items loss, spoilage. To name a few.

  • dfg555 on 30/09/2020 - 10:32

    i love capitalism

  • Herbse on 30/09/2020 - 10:36
    +3

    Thanks bought 10

  • ataraxia on 30/09/2020 - 10:45

    Why do you get salty and what are your thoughts on this topic?

    I dont think there is a distinct collective reason here. It is a mix of missing out and having to pay higher or wait, jealously of being able to profit, sense of fairness that little Timmy who did his homework and did well on his tests deserves a reward but his mum need to fork out much more than other people had to pay.

    My question is, what's the problem with buying low and selling high? Let's not talk in terms of legality as there are dozens of countries where scalping is completely legal. In fact it is legal in Australia besides ticket scalping, which is a law I vehemently disagree with and goes completely against capitalism. It should be on the onus of the seller to run adequate verification measures, but they give zero shits as it does not affect their bottom line (sold out is sold out).

    Retail sellers are changing their behavior in response to this. Some sellers are using lotteries to give people a chance to purchase a good such as those 3080's. It eliminates some of the more unfair tactics such as bots, but also gives a chance to people who missed hitting refresh at 00:00 or had bad internet or had some responsibility. The keyword is fairness as there is not really any incentive for a company to not sell at a first come first service basis other then good will.

    Put differently, what's the difference if you decide you don't want the item anymore? If you buy one, you don't want one anymore, would you sell that item at RRP? Or it's market value? And why is this not scalping? Why is there an arbitrary rule that you must sell something at the price you bought it for? That is not capitalism and goes heavily against our freedoms.
    Intention is the only difference at the end of the day. There is a difference between a pre-mediated murder vs an self-defence murder, the result may be the same but the intent will determine the difference in punishment and how society would judge that person.

    • takutox on 30/09/2020 - 17:25
      -1

      Do you really think people aren't aware that there will be a stock shortage for console launches that is caused by scalpers and lack of stock?

      Someone selling their PS5 at $1200 knowing full well they bought it for $749 and took away someone else's opportunity to buy one. I think the intent is there, man. If there was no intent you'd simply sell at $749. It's not like it's a (profanity) surprise or revelation that there are stock shortages at launch lmao so you can't really use the ignorance and intent excuse.

      It's not like people pre-ordered the ps5 and are like "wow it costs more, I didn't know that!". My original intent was to play it but now I'm gonna join the scalpers! But it's all ok because I have " goOd iNteNT"

      Do you really think that shows lack of intent to make a profit lmfao

  • sir-screwball on 30/09/2020 - 10:52
    +2

    Quality troll post

  • cdkane on 30/09/2020 - 11:11
    +1

    For me it’s the tactics that are used to do it more than anything. Something is on sale to the public yet one person (or a few) use an unfair advantage to deny others of the opportunity in order to price gouge. It is a dick move. When the stakes are higher than appliances and household items it is called a monopoly and there are laws against it. It’s why we don’t have only 1 bank, or only 1 retailer. Capitalism has a limit before it becomes harmful to the public. It really depends on the item too. Things like food and water and what not (like we saw earlier in the year) is different to a PS5 yet same mentality with some. Prey on the scarcity and the wants and needs of others. Things like consoles like the PS5 for example are not a necessity however it’s actually harmful to Sony if people who want them are not able to get them. No one makes money off consoles, it’s the attachment rate of games and services to consoles which makes the money and if people don’t have them, then they are hardly going to pay for games and services. Overall these sorts of things benefit the few and harm the many. In conclusion, dick move.

    • BreezyPalms on 02/10/2020 - 06:35

      I think you will find there is price gouging by many big companies including Woolworths/Coles, Big 4 banks, Credit Card providers, Insurers, Airlines, Telstra etc… sure the extent of exploitation varies, but it is exploitation none the less.

      I think the foundation of every business is to exploit their relative position to advantage - sometimes this may be considered a fair fee for service other times the fee cannot be justified no matter what way you look at it.

      • cdkane on 02/10/2020 - 12:41

        The point of any business is to make profit from goods and services that people choose to pay for or engage with. So the companies you mention arguably provide a service unless we are to buy our oranges directly from the farms themselves or you construct your own phone towers, or import your own goods from overseas directly from a manufacturer. The end product that you pay for is for the product and also the provision of those services to provide you that product. These companies also work in regulated system. They are not permitted to monopolise a market and are also prevented from unfair and anti consumer practices. If Telstra bought every mobile phone available on the free market in Australia and then offered to resell them to you at 500% markup you think that would fly? What would be the purpose? Just regular old capitalism? Same principal really.

        • BreezyPalms on 02/10/2020 - 19:49

          they are not supposed to…but they have and do engage in anti competitive behavior, tax evasion and other illegal activities. Hence the existence of the ACCC, ASIC & Royal Commissions.

          Sure, not every company is evil but many are!

          E.g.
          British Airways fined $20M by ACCC for price fixing on air freight
          Coles/Woolies forcing farmers to sell them milk at a loss
          Kogan hauled over the coals for false and misleading advertising
          Jetstar and Virgin to pay penalties for misleading 'drip pricing' practices
          ANZ fined $10M over unconscionable periodic payment fees

          • cdkane on 03/10/2020 - 00:38

            @BreezyPalms: Yeah not saying they don’t do dodgy stuff but as you pointed out they shouldn’t, and bodies and laws and legislation exist so if they are caught out are punished and publicly shamed for anti consumer practices. Consumers don’t like that $hit, just like they don’t like anti consumer practices like knob head scalpers price gouging.

  • hopper on 30/09/2020 - 11:39

    its always ok to buy and resell, but there is a line. like baby formula, aldi items, toilet paper and sanitizers

  • 00000000 on 30/09/2020 - 12:28
    -1

    Technology scalping is big business.
    No one is going to give me a beach house I have to earn it.

  • petry on 30/09/2020 - 12:36

    Justifying things by trying to spin has and is a growth industry.

    People make millions out of spinning breaking laws, destroying countries, and people lives routinely, employed by the super rich to make even more money.

    Its quite amusing to see scalping getting the same treatment from a irritated reseller of deliberately made scarce goods.

    In reality there is very little difference between the behaviour being sold here and the behaviour of our pollies - its just a matter of scale. If you could sell your country out to another for a big reward most would, and many have, these days.

    The vast majority of Australian Intelligence personnel have for example not produced anything on the threats posed by America to Australian interests for a decade, because they currently see zero threat from the most aggressive country in the world, fighting the most wars it alone has created, around the world.

    They don't see any threat anymore because we are now an American vassal state, with an american funded government and that reality is not discussed. Ever increasing climate change events are falsely attributed to cyclical events and spun quite deliberately by all Australian government agencies, in an identical self justifying manner, because global warming, Australia's energy industry, and the ever increasing destruction of australia's livable habitat are entirely unrelated according to our pollies.

    You can justify anything these days, so that's what happens - anything goes.

  • digitalbath on 30/09/2020 - 15:11
    +3

    I have no problem with people reselling products for a profit if they decide they don't want the item anymore, or they bought a 2nd item to flip for a profit.
    But selfish #$@&# that purposely buy concert tickets, ps5's and other brand new items with the SOLE intention of making a profit can go die a gruesome death.

  • pharkurnell on 30/09/2020 - 15:54
    +13

    Why do people ask a question they have no intent on accepting anybody elses opinion but their own which is already mind made up?

    • Brick Tamland on 30/09/2020 - 15:57
      +5

      I want to see just one post where the OP has either taken a view on board or changed their stance

  • monky on 30/09/2020 - 15:56

    Capitalists! Feel my steel!

  • lonewolf on 30/09/2020 - 16:33
    +2

    Because the problem is a lot of times (ie Ozbargain) the person who has bulk bought with the intention of reselling for a profit has abused what Ozbargain was about which is the free sharing of deals for everyone, and it means this person has basically taken away the opportunity for other people to also purchase at that sale price. The same concept as one person who goes and buys 50 houses ( i know people who have) and that pretty much means there are 50 families out there without the opportunity to buy a house to call home and rather have to rent…

    • takutox on 30/09/2020 - 16:37
      -2

      Have you ever bought something you didnt really need just because it was cheap? Good deals on ozbargain have limited stock so you were taking someone else's deal

      Have you ever then gone on and sold that item for a profit? Got an eBay account?

      Do you think if you didn't buy that item, someone could have bought the deal instead and actually used the item?

      You basically didn't contribute anything to the market in that scenario and all you did was make someone pay more.

      If you say the deal was limited time due to limited global stock, well so were preorders for consoles for example. That required being in the right time and right place.

      People gonna do all kinds of mental gymnastics to justify that what they're doing is not as bad as someone else reselling. But when THEY resell it's all OK because it's "not their intent" lmao

      • lonewolf on 30/09/2020 - 16:53
        +2

        Actually No, I have never sold on an item that i bought on the cheap or for that matter i have never sold on an item i recently bought regardless of price. I struggle to even sell items that i have bought and kept for several years much less items that i recently bought. Because when i bought it i thought of a reason for me using it and even if i never got around to using it for that reason, i always end up keeping it incase i need it for that reason or if a close friend or family requires it i give it to them.

        • takutox on 30/09/2020 - 17:32
          -6

          Ah ok, you're not one of the hypocrites like the other people then lol

  • Dontdoit on 30/09/2020 - 22:47

    Check out a watch forum on Facebook. Some salty about people marking up the new subs for over double the price, others and mods are happy cause they have a chance to get their hands on one.

  • Raiden309 on 30/09/2020 - 23:12

    This reminds me when cryptocurrency boom. Shortage on gaming graphic cards. Pure greed driven.

  • USER DC on 30/09/2020 - 23:58
    +1

    Yea i totally agree, people are too stupid. E.g. someone got something for free, they decide to sell it, why shall anyone have problem with that. It doesn't affect anyone. I especially hate those buyers who say like "why shall i pay more than what you paid for it"

    The answer is because you are paying for item at agreed price near its market value, still cheaper than retail. Then those same buyers message stuff like I'd offer no more than 5 bucks or something?? Like seriously?? Fukin no one is donating during a sale man. Selling doesn't equal donation or giveaway. Simple as that.

    Honestly sick of those kinda people

  • BrokenChairs on 01/10/2020 - 00:41

    OP clearly never tried to buy tickets to an event only to find it sold out in seconds because scumbag scalpers used bots to buy multiple tickets to sell on Ebay for triple the price.

    It's scumbag behaviour, and there's a special place in hell for you.

  • [Deactivated] on 01/10/2020 - 03:45

    Fasinating way to write an orginal uni essay on attitudes towards capitalism on social media
    I expect the turnitin score to be very low single digits

  • sheebies on 01/10/2020 - 05:19

    My brother managed to secure both a PS5 and a series x for launch day.

    He's decided he no longer wants the ps5 and he is considering selling it for over $1000 come launch day if the prices are still high.

    He believes it's no different to people going out an buying limited edition consoles and selling them for above the price people paid for them. It was a limited run of consoles and he was lucky enough to secure one for himself, but now he has secured the series x he is happy to wait until more ps5 consoles are released to get one especially since he can sell it for more than it was worth.

    I don't know if I agree with him, but it's his choice what he does.

  • Mosher on 01/10/2020 - 08:10

    I wont be buying a PS5 or the new XboX from a scalper as I have no interest in a console

    • Brick Tamland on 01/10/2020 - 08:16

      Even if it’s marked up and the scalper has provided an amazing value add?

  • horsome on 01/10/2020 - 09:48

    It’s a waste of everyone’s time. Simple. It’s not clever, more akin to scalping.

  • cruiseronroad on 01/10/2020 - 10:00
    +6

    I’ll throw my 2c in with everyone else.

    Imagine you had a meeting of 10 people every day, in person and you spent 30 minutes every morning sharing sweet deals with each other.

    Now imagine one of these people shares a deal, and you run off and buy out ALL the stock, come back to the meeting the next day and offer it to everyone for well above the price offered in the deal yesterday.

    Do you think you’d last long in that group? Do you think they’d welcome you with open arms and admire your entrepreneurial spirit?

    This is why, ozbargain is such a community.

    • bargainparker on 02/10/2020 - 21:46

      Good analogy, but flawed nonetheless. We are not talking about 10 people. I won't take into account some 7 billion people, will just settle on ozbargain. How many people do you know in person here? At most a few. Majority is anonymous. Given that at any time there could be 10000 or more people on ozbargain, that is including guests, there will always be those who will take advantage of deals, and they will come back again. And most importantly, they will last.

      On the other hand, I find this post useless, because given human nature, as long as there is something to sell and buy, this will always happen, unless you believe that humanity will evolve into sentient beings which will only know how to always be good.

      You can argue all you want, but the fact is, there will always be people who will take advantage of other people. It has been like that since the beginning of time and it will be like that till the end of time.

      Unfortunately humans don't think much about the fact that all live on a ship called the Earth and instead of thinking how to work together, it is all about individualism. And in that lies the truth. Humans are scalping this planet and everyone will pay the price, whether it be a beggar or Jeff Bezos. Yes, you might think, he's got money, he'll be fine, but when the shit hits the fan, it will go everywhere.

      • cruiseronroad on 02/10/2020 - 22:14

        I don't think the analogy is flawed, he's asked why people get salty? Loads of people have come here expressing salt, myself included.

        I didn't imply that Ozbargain would be free of such members I just explained why people get salty.

        • bargainparker on 02/10/2020 - 22:37

          People will be salty as they were salty since the beginning of time. You can debate it all you want, but it is never going to change. Saltiness has always been and always will be. Humans will always find salt when they want to and put on anything they want. Explaining it, won't make it any less salty.

          • cruiseronroad on 02/10/2020 - 22:42

            @bargainparker: Mate what are you trying to say here? You’re wasting your effort just as much as anyone else on this 2c Chinese import forum

            • bargainparker on 02/10/2020 - 22:53

              @cruiseronroad: Rarely do I venture here, was looking for something else if it was posted about, and saw this.

              What am I trying to say here? You can try to explain, yet the fact is it makes no difference. If it would, then this post would never happen and we would never comment about this, since human nature would be different, implying they would be good since the beginning of time, which in turn would make this world different from the beginning and history would be very different to what is now.

              Explaining why people get salty will not make any difference, or do you think people will realize how bad it is and suddenly change for the better?

              You can educate people, but you can't educate ignorant, and there are too many of them.

  • YeemaiI on 01/10/2020 - 12:02
    +1

    Lol why is OP in the penalty box

    • Ughhh on 01/10/2020 - 16:48
      +3

      Probably for trolling and providing zero value. LOL

  • p1 ama on 01/10/2020 - 17:31
    +1

    Capitalism dictates that we have the right to buy and sell and the market dictates what the value is. The buyer is happy to pay the price and the seller is happy to sell for that price.

    I'm an economist, I always get a kick out of morons who use words like "capitalism" without understanding what it means.

    Capitalism is simply a system where the means of production are privately owned and operated. That's all. Has nothing to do with other people being mad at you because you are scalping.

    It always boggles my mind how shallow people can be. If you genuinely believe in freedom, then people are free to scalp and others are free to be mad. I don't see how other people being mad infringes on anyone's freedom. Rather, you trying to dictate what people can or should be mad about is what's tyrannical.

    In any case, all of this is stupid. Scalping PS5's are not illegal, neither is being a (profanity). You act how you want. Others treat you how they want. Freedom.

    Where's the problem?

  • krisspy on 01/10/2020 - 20:09

    Does this include foreigners and rich people abusing super/taxation laws to basically fk over the housing market?

  • foxpants on 02/10/2020 - 13:19
    +5

    Asks a question and starts a conversation, but shoots down virtually every single answer with "adds no value", or "that's strawman/logical fallacy". nevermind the overwhelming majority of people are sharing that they think purposeful scalpers are dicks and provide insight why and why non scalpers that on rare occasion sell something at market value aren't dicks.

    You have your answer, and it seems like you earned the penalty box over this thread too, might be time to just leave this one alone eh?

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