Want a PS5 for Christmas? Good Luck
It’s evident that “Grinch” bots have stolen Christmas this year… again. Over the past month, there have been numerous articles about how bots are being used to ruin shopping lists for many boys and girls that have been nice this year.
Whether the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, or other hot items with demand exceeding supply, hoarding and flipping enabled by automated bot purchases have become all too common. An estimated $30 million in profits have already been made this holiday season by bot operators reselling electronic consoles on auction sites such as eBay and Craigslist.
Most retailers are acting with the best intentions and genuinely care about putting their in-demand merchandise into the hands of their most loyal customers, not scalpers. Many are taking aggressive measures by tuning their bot mitigation rules in an attempt to stay ahead of the myriad of constantly changing sophisticated bots invading their website. Doing so helps protect their brand by satisfying shoppers and also has revenue implications as satisfied customers come back to buy games, accessories, and other merchandise that increase the total lifetime value of a customer. They’re also making attempts to cancel orders that are believed to be purchased using bots – but how do you know for sure which orders weren’t legit?
The Long-Tail of Bot Operators
More recently, the narrative has shifted away from the large, financially motivated groups that sought a big initial payoff to the long-tail of DIYers that want merchandise for themselves, or as a , once goods are restocked. These folks seek-out easily accessible bots to help them compete for inventory on their own. There are a variety of ways for such DIYers to gain access to Grinch bots and knowledge, such as downloading free browser plugins or joining inexpensive Cook Groups.
