Whether you see the difference or not, there are laws that govern corporations versus a smal business that runs an Internet service. If this were walmart selling 10,000 RTS Jazz at $20/each, of the same stock, after selling them previously for $11.99 each, then there would be legal issues. However, it's not because Walmart is a corporation who has responsibilities - including ethical - to it's shareholders. Further, there are other laws that govern supply chains, POS, inventory accounting, etc., that would come into play in a situation like this.

Again, it doesn't matter if you see it or not, it's pretty much reality.

EDIT: Edited thanks to Megahavok. Sorry, must be late.

 

A major retailer probably could do the same but to quote Jeremy:

But with these retailers being the middleman that they are, they'd just be stuck with overpriced stock. The manufacturers already made their money so they couldn't care less if the retailers can't move their product.

The most a manufacturer would do would be to slap an MSRP on their item. If the retailer chooses to heed or ignore it, it's entirely on the retailers.

 

And the bitching nearly drowned out the sun!

I actually had a discussion about this very thing tonight.

 

All I know is, I was about to spend close to $500 with TFSource, and now I am just going to wait for BBTS to get the stuff in stock.

I wouldn't be surprised if TFSource paid these companies to give them the items. For the life of me, I cannot figure why TFSource has certain stock and BBTS does not. Unless of course TFSource pays the unlicensed companies for advanced stock shipments.

 

This is exactly what sucks about collecting transformers. Sellers hike the prices up on some of these ubber rare products just because there will be the people who finally cave and give into the price. I mean, I love collecting, posing, playing with transformers just as much as anyone else, but this kind of thing makes me want to sender the message of "It's Just a Toy!" to the side of the seller as well as the buyer. Transformers collectors get taken advantage of WAY too much. Though I know in this particular instance that this exclusive was originally made in low quantities, so the re-stock will only cause price inflation, but still.

 

Because it is not. In my experience, anyway. This summer I jumped in fairly quickly on a preorder for the Sons of Cybertron Henkei Crystal Convoy/Hot Rodimus set at a very good price of $56 or so. Fast forward to the release date, and I received an e-mail stating they were shorted stock and could not fulfill my order. I was upset, but I understand things happen, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt with no hard feelings. But THEN, about a week later, what did I see on their site? The same set, this time marked up to the aftermarket rate of $75. Not cool.

Then again, TFSource generally has great customer service and helped me out on a number of occasions with defective products and such, so I have mixed feelings about them. I still shop there from time to time, as the occasional good deal pops up. However, if they are going to go and pull a super scalper routine, they should have the decency to NOT do it on their actual store site. Save that for eBay or something a bit more anonymous.

 

$94.99, per Fansproject website.

 

Right....the only difference I can see is, there were ONLY 600, somehow they got an extra 20...if they were an extra 20, why didn't FanProjects sell it themselves?

 

Oh My GOD!!! ILLEGAL??? Do you even know what an MSRP is???
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price
Hasbro wouldn't give a rat's ass if Wal-mart did this. I've seen grocery stores have figures for $20 are you gonna call the cops on them???

 

So the only difference you claim is legal definition....gotcha.

 

uh, what? If you are saying the only difference I claim is the legal definition and laws that apply to corporations vs small businesses, then, yes.

 

Wow! What a dick move. Don't understand why FP chooses to work with a company like that. They should do exclusives with BBTS. Not going to buy from dipshits like them. POL on BBTS was a great idea and TFSource even stole the idea from them. Bunch of no talent ass clowns. Venksta, any chance you can put in a word to FP to not do exclusives with these dipshits?

 

Well FP is not a retailer. So they would not sell them.

This is obviously held over stock. Scalpersource has just once again shown that ugly little green face of thiers.
Between the "stolen" credit cards, scalped items, overcharged shipping etc.
I am seriously amazed these idiots are still in business.

It is one thing to be a dick of a business person, it is another thing entirely to jump in front of everyone and yell "Look at me!!!"

I wonder if Curt has anything even remotely resembling the balls to step up and say something about this.

 

I worded that wrong after rereading it. Yes, I know what an MSRP is. But if a retailer violated that agreement with Hasbro, there COULD be legal ramifications.

I guess the point I was getting at is that big box retailers are corporations who are governed differently than mom-and-pops, which TFS is.

Look, I think it was a dick move. But regardless of what you, I, Decptijohn, or anyone else think, it's not illegal. Only shitty.

EDIT: Changed that post, MH. Sorry for the misrepresentation (see what I did there?)

 

Got a cite on this law that keeps major retailers from scalping us into next Thursday Jeremy? Because if the only legal problem arises from the contractual relationship between the supplier and the retailer I think we'd bee seeing some collusion between retailers and manufacturers to milk every dollar they could from exploiting the secondary market. But if that is the case I can see why TFSource would not give a crap about honoring a pricing agreement with what is essentially an illegal manufacturer.

 

What's the stolen credit card thing. That kinda has me worried all together.

 

One thing is for sure, this price hike will certainly dissuade the people who bought multiples(2,3,6,7,+?..)from doing the same thing again.

 

Their system was hacked into I think early last year....

 

This is not a valid comparison.

There is no MSRP when dealing with mega corporations like wal-mart.
Hasbro has a base price they charge depending on the retailer they are dealing with. Every company has a base mark-up.

It is based on the price the retailer buys from hasbro. Stater Bros doesn't have the buying power that Wal-mart does. So they will be charged more by hasbro. So anything they sell will be more expensive than Wal-mart.

 

They claimed that thier system was "hacked".
I never bought it.
Because after they had "fixed" the problem I entered a credit card with them and someone decided to buy a laptop with it.

I don't buy the official story at all.