Scalpers are Ruining Xbox Series X Pre-Orders With Huge Markups
The holidays are fast approaching and is the launch of next-gen consoles. Cue scalpers. | Source: Microsoft/Xbox
- Xbox Series S/X pre-orders went live in the UK this morning.
- The Series X has already sold out at the large majority of retailers, with scalper listings now popping up of auction sites.
- We’ve spotted a £40,000 Series X and even a signed drawing of the console on offer.
Much like the launch of PS5 pre-orders last week, the first batch of Xbox Series X units released at 8 am morning in the UK has already sold out at most retailers.
Other than settling for a Series S, which is still available through Amazon and even directly from Microsoft, those hoping for the full-fat version of Xbox’s next-gen console are out of luck unless they are willing to pay a premium.
Right on cue, listings for confirmed pre-orders popped up almost immediately on auction sites such as eBay courtesy of scalpers who were up bright and early to snatch away as many coveted pre-orders as possible to make a quick buck.
The average price isn’t quite as exorbitant as those for the PS5 but generally float above the recommended retail price of £449. We’re still early in the day, and they’ll likely balloon as more people resign themselves to the fact that pre-ordering direct from a retailer or Microsoft is no longer a possibility.
The priciest listing we came across is asking for an initial bid of £9,999 with a Buy It Now option priced at £40,000 – the equivalent of a down-payment on a house or a spiffy new car.
The next closest requires a starting bid of at £5,000 . The rest of the listings tail off from there, falling as low as an initial bid of £1.00 .
You can even pick up a signed special edition drawing of an Xbox Series X , whose creator may want to consider an alternative vocation. This one’s currently up to £5.50.
And, finally, one last little curiosity. I’m not sure if scalpers’ remorse is a thing, but this particular reseller appears to be trying to justify their listing, explaining they inadvertently ordered an extra Xbox Series X.
