Anyone notice how Amazon themselves has gotten into the scalping game? I purchase many other toys other than Transformers, and I have noticed that (especially in the last year) Amazon themselves has taken to scalping toys, especially newer releases. I have four children, and I buy from the Transformers, Shopkins, Grossery Gang, and Screechers Wild lines and without fail, once a new product hits their in-stock system, they jack up the price well above retail. At least 50%. Personally, I would rather quit buying from these line all together than being robbed every time my kids want a toy, so I try to hold out for retail. Anyone else noticing this?

 

I have to say that I have not noticed this but now I will be looking more closely. I have only noticed other sellers selling older stuff on amazon at inflated prices but the stuff coming from the companies has still been priced legitimately from what I have seen so far.

 

You do realize third party sellers can sell product on Amazon like ebay right? Amazon charges MSRP, and other sellers are charging markups.

 

That has been happening for years. This is Amazon themselves, not 3pt sellers. Amazon is NOT selling at MSRP.

 

Even before TRU dropped, Amazon was always overpriced on Transformers. It's only recently that I've seen consistent MSRP pricing (after wide release of the product, of course).

 

5.99 MSRP!!!!

 

Yeah...look at Amazon listings for Primemasters Solus, Quintus and Megatronus...$10 each sold and fulfilled by Amazon.com...

 

5.99 MSRP!! And they just lowered the price from 13.49!!!

 

I could keep going....these are just two examples.

 

I'm calling wide release about the time I see the wave at local stores. About the time I see them in stores, Amazon has marked the current wave down to MSRP.

Unless it's a wave with only one new figure...

 

It is not just Transformers anymore. Branch out and do some other price comparisons. I know this fandom hates scalping......well, this giant is going to make your ebay scalper seem like an asset once they are done putting retail in a coffin. And it is not just toys.

 

Yeah, and how do they know this? Because I have seen what you are talking about happen a few times. Disturbing......

 

I feel like this is pretty recent--like last couple years or so. I used to buy from them all the time, but, other than exclusives, I haven't in a very long time because of this.

 

I think they are price matching to the third party vendors. There may be some kind of agreement to not undercut them if they are supplying Amazon with product directly.

 

It most likely has something to do with their algorithm.

Anyone ever contact them about this? To see if they would give you the MSRP?

 

That is the very idea of scalping.

 

I think it's this.

 

I asked them about it when the wave 2 Prime Masters came out and Amazon was charging $13-14 for each of them. I told them the MSRP was $5.99 and asked if an algorithm dictated pricing. Their response was, more or less, "Amazon is committed to providing its customers with the lowest prices and you'll find that our prices for these items are cheaper than our competitors."

At the time, no major store was selling the Prime Masters online, so ignoring MSRP and taking semantics into account, they were telling the truth.

But when I pointed out the fact that Timmy's Toy Box (or whatever the heck that 3rd party seller is/was called) was actually cheaper than Amazon (I think Timmy's Toy Box was selling them at $10 or $11), the rep pointed out that Timmy's Toy Box was also charging shipping (I think it was $4.99 or something like that), so Amazon was actually cheaper if you factor in shipping.

They know what they're doin', lol.  

MIKE
engledogg

 

I did the same thing but I also put the wave one prime masters in my cart. They did then adjust the price to the price of the wave one figures. Did the same thing when they were charging 20 for gnaws. But I have heard this doesn’t always work.

 

I've seen them as high as $17, $13.49 was the first discount. I waited to find the wave 2 pretenders at retail, they were five bucks at Target. I refuse to pay any higher than six or seven dollars for these pipsqueaks.

And yet they still have the wave 1's listed at MSRP.