How to combat scalpers

[Nostaldub]

Shatts said:

Scalpers/resellers are a huge problem everywhere you go, whether it be gaming consoles, special edition of something, concert tickets, etc. So I was thinking of ways to combat these pests. Since this place is about games, I will focus on gaming companies. Also focus on suggestions that can benefit both the company and the fans.

1. Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo can all utilize the subscription service or the gaming accounts to prioritize fans/gamers.

+ This is good for the company as well since it can lead to increase in their subscribers.
+ Scalpers exists to profit with minimal effort, they wouldn't go through the effort of spending extra money to a subscription service. 

- Has a chance of backlash because people are stupid and it can feel like pay2win for prioritizing subscribers or something stupid like that. 
- Scalpers can be gamers, and they may be in the service. (For this solution, maybe limit to one console per account?)

2. Sell the consoles at a higher price in the beginning. For example starts at $1000, to $800, to $600, until the original price point. It will be important for companies to announce the original price and that they will gradually drop in price, to avoid confusion.

+ People that really wants it first can buy them. *like people that buys from scalpers in the first place
+ Companies can also profit, especially in an important time because the first periods are when they typically sell at a loss.

- Has a chance of backlash because people are stupid and it can feel like they are getting scammed or act as anti-consumer, despite the company saying prices will decrease and these people would have bought it from scalpers anyways.
- The timing is difficult because the demand may be bigger or smaller than expected, last longer or shorter, unexpected supply shortages, game releases, controlling hype, etc. I think it's important to release games for both the previous console and the new one, but the visual quality is better or a tech-demo (like Astro's playroom or Wii sports) or something like that to give a reason to buy them first, while avoid ignoring fans that can't afford them at higher price and have to wait. The current-gen consoles are already doing so it shouldn't be too much of a worry. 

3. Hold a huge stock of consoles before announcing it or releasing it.

+ Obviously people would be able to get them with ease.
+ Scalpers exists when the product is high demand low supply, so if the supply is high, there wouldn't be any buyers for the scalpers.

- The console can flop hard so a pretty big risk for the company.
- Supply shortage might not even allow them to do that. Even if they could, it might take years to stash up enough supplies.

I'm not a law expert by no means, some ideas could be illegal in some countries or all. 

Hey, none of your solutions are working. 

The first one is not about people being stupid, the solution is just wrong. Adding a price-tag over a price-tag just to get access will backlash and it is justified. The only way it could even start to be justifiable for the consumers is if the console would be discounted if you'd be paying said subscription. 

The backlash wouldn't be due to people's stupidity but because of the unfairness of it. 

Your second solution is even worse. People hate price gouging done by scalpers so what companies need to do, and what will bring them strong PR, is act themselves as scalpers. Once again, people would be mad but not because they are stupid. You changed a game based on determination and organization into a money problem. There is already a solution for people with huge amount of money: Scalpers. You just denied loyal fans with less means a way to get their console which is utterly ridiculous. 

Your third solution doesn't even start to make sense for any business. 

Also calling people stupid or unintelligent is ridiculous. If your solution leads to overcharging and/or denying access to people who managed to get their hand on hardware, then your solution is just a new problem. 

The only ways to fix scalping is brick and mortar store and/or limiting orders by billing address/ credit cards/ creating lottery systems. 

Also, someone here said it: Scalpers are taking risks for the companies, the only detriment to said companies is that the consoles in the scalp market are not yet selling games and services which makes them unprofitable for the time being. The rest is pure security for console manufacturers.