Scalpers are taking advantage of the situation retailers are creating, they know that if they gobble up all of the stock that is slowly trickling out with bots etc the demand for their rip-off priced consoles will still be there. If regular people could simply pre-order they'd be less inclined to pay Ebay prices out of despair, prices would soon fall and the scalpers would stop hoovering up additional stock.
Scalper issue would be resolved if people didn't pay the stupid prices.
I had this debate with Mrs other day, whilst I think scalpers are scum they exist cause people will pay over the odds.
She gave me this scenario, she admitted should our son be older and he asked for his own and it's all he wanted say for Xmas,birthday etc she would likely pay over the odds.
Where as I said I wouldn't, I'd just sit my son down and say when it's in stock at normal price by all means il get one.
Now it's not all parents buying these inflated consols for crimbo etc but because over all so many people are scalpers win and keep existing.
Yet Cex who I think are **** anyway are now also in on and selling consols for 815 and buying them off people for 615 (see Eurogamer)
That disgusts me more as there a retailer all be it a crap one