By Stevie Smith Dec 24, 2007, 7:14 GMT
As Christmas looms and last-minute high street and online shoppers search in vain for a Nintendo Wii, it is unlikely that they will be thrilled to learn that a retail outlet in the United States is selling the Wii on eBay – at a considerable mark-up – while claiming to have no stock for walk-in customers.
Missouri retailer found to be selling "out of stock" Wii at mark-up on eBay. Credit: Nintendo.
Specifically, tech Web site Ars Technica has recently revealed that Missouri-based chain Slackers is turning away in-store patrons eager to secure a unit of the Wii, while its stock allocation is selling through online auction Web site eBay for a "Buy It Now" price of $399.99 USD, which is $150 USD more than the recommended retail price of $249.99 USD.
According to the report, an unnamed employee at Slackers has disclosed that the store gets regular shipments of Nintendo’s much sought after console, with some 20 units presently residing in the stock room. The employee points out that "none of them make it to the storefront," and are instead filtered to online customers willing to pay the mark-up through the store’s eBay site.
A quick search conducted by Ars Technica in light of this information confirmed that the store’s eBay page had three units of the Nintendo Wii available for the $399.99 USD price, with a further perusal of the online sales history revealing other recent sales of the Wii Sports bundle.
Since the spotlight was initially shone on Slackers and its deceitful practice, which is likely to go down like a seasonal lead balloon with Nintendo and perhaps see the store deprived of further shipments, Ars Technica says that the woodwork is positively awash with chattering worms.
Moreover, one person claiming to be an employee at the store said that staff regularly tell customers desperate to obtain a Wii that: "we are out and we don’t plan on getting any in the near future." Also, while the eBay page may indicate an available stock allocation of three, the employee went on to say: "that is just to make it appear as though we don’t have a stockpile," when a quick glance into the Slackers’ storeroom would reveal that: "the actual number is much higher," and perhaps as high as 20+.
With Slackers duly exposed, it remains to be seen if suitably livid customers who have been lied to return to the store and demand a unit be handed over. The first 20 or so waiting at its doors come Monday morning might find themselves the proud owners of Nintendo’s gold dust console if they’re prepared to kick up enough of a stink.
It also remains to be seen how Nintendo reacts to news of a retailer snubbing its customers and actively damaging the company’s ‘cheapest console on the market’ ethos – while also attempting to cut the Japanese gaming giant out of the profit loop by selling through eBay.
Update: Interestingly, all Nintendo Wii hardware appears to have now disappeared from the SlackersOnline eBay page.
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