Even with the lottery system, scalpers are listing Steam Machine reservations on eBay for up to $3,500, with one already sold at $2,800.
  • DupaCycki@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5 minutes

    Ain’t nobody buying it for the official price, let alone twice that lol

  • kamen@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3 hours

    If you buy from scalpers, you’re part of the problem.

  • Echo Dot@feddit.ukEnglish
    1 hour

    Why? They can only have one unit, just don’t buy it off of them. End of problem.

  • M0oP0o@mander.xyzEnglish
    4 hours

    Why would anyone spend 3x the already too much for a steam machine?

    Its not like they locked the os or even think the price is good. Who needs one of these this bad?

  • TwinTitans@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5 hours

    Scalping only worth it if people will pay it. Are people actually going to pay that price?

    • ButteredBread@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      5 hours

      idk, im sure there are some hardcore steam fans somewhere idk how much of those have money but I’m sure some are getting sold.

    • Tollana1234567@lemmy.todayEnglish
      2 hours

      if you seen the pokemon scalpers, pretty much. people who dont even play it try to cash in on it.

  • bridgeburner@lemmy.worldEnglish
    15 hours

    Apparently you can get those listings easily removed by reporting them that the seller sells an “intangible item”. Which is true, since a reservation is indeed not a tangible item.

  • bridgeburner@lemmy.worldEnglish
    15 hours

    Scalpers are the proof that a lot of humans are dumb af. Scalpers wouldn’t exist if the vast majority humans were capable of using their brain.

    • UnfortunateShort@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1 hour

      Especially considering that is makes zero sense to pay extra, since you can literally go out and buy any other computer instead.

      Just need to install Steam OS after

    • Diurnambule@jlai.luEnglish
      13 hours

      Dude scalper are a symptom too. I people weren’t wired for imefiat access to thing they wouldn’t exist. But hey you can get stuff in 24h, who wait a month or more for things in this society ?

      • Jiral@lemmy.worldEnglish
        12 hours

        They are a symptom, but they are a problem too. Denying that is pure laissez-faire capitalism. Scalpers create artificial supply issues to increase prices while adding zero value. That it pays off because some pay that, doesn’t change any of that.

        In this case of course the original price was already high and that scalper price is absurd. I’d be surprised if a lot of people are ready to pay that kind of money for it, but what do I know.

        • Diurnambule@jlai.luEnglish
          8 hours

          Yeah well done you pointed to one of the parasitics classes. There are much. I never bought from a scalper but they clearly don’t sell to us. This system is fucked. Once th first billionaires spawned it was too late.

  • Pyr@lemmy.caEnglish
    16 hours

    Valve should make a false initial sale then “run out” causing scalpers to stock up then all of a sudden “find” a bunch of extra stock to start selling immediately after the first batch runs out.

    • Buddahriffic@lemmy.worldEnglish
      15 hours

      That would require having enough inventory to meet total demand at the set price.

      IMO the best they can do is cut the scalpers out by starting the price off high themselves and lowering it as supply increases. Low supply and high demand will always lead to increased prices and trying to avoid that by keeping prices low will result in others taking advantage of that market inefficiency.

      And the best we can do is just not buy the higher priced options and wait for supply to come up.

  • Zacryon@feddit.orgEnglish
    19 hours

    Pro tip: don’t buy obviously overpriced scalper shit.

  • dual_sport_dork 🐧🗡️@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1 day

    You can build or buy a lot more computer than the Steam Machine for $3000, even at today’s absurd component prices. I’m not quite sure which is more moronic, trying to scalp a Steam Machine for that price or somebody actually paying it.

    • DaddleDew@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1 day

      Scalpers are low lifes who don’t necessarily know much about the products they scalp. They must have thought it was going to be the same as the last few generations of gaming console releases.

      I also believe that the typical potential customer for a Steam Machine will know better.

      • dudeface@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1 day

        I’ll always remember going to a rise against concert and scalpers outside were saying “tickets for rise against the machine”, they have no idea what they are selling

    • Venator@lemmy.nzEnglish
      14 hours

      Could also be people who just like the form factor but valve refuse to sell it to them directly because international shipping is too complicated for a small startup like valve. /s

    • De Lancre@lemmy.worldEnglish
      24 hours

      Yep, even Valve themselves told multiple times “it’'s just a computer”, hence the price that comparable to other prebuild computers. Who in their mind would pay 3x of that?

      That being said, Alienware and Razor audience also exists, so anything possible.