Listings charge markups of up to 167% over the official price even before the console ships.
The announcement of Valve's new Steam Machine has already attracted scalpers on eBay. According to Tom's Hardware, sellers are listing pre-orders for the console with markups ranging from 140% to 167% above the manufacturer's official list price.
The most aggressive listings are asking up to $3,000 per unit. The report notes that resellers are even selling their spots in the purchase queue, demanding prices that reach double the suggested retail price for the 2TB model.
This practice is taking place before the consoles have even shipped to consumers. Buyers attempting to purchase the product outside official channels are faced with paying inflated prices merely to take over the device's reservation.
The situation reflects the ongoing issue of speculative reselling in the hardware and gaming market. Initial unit shortages and high demand typically create an environment ripe for intermediaries to profit from selling pre-order spots on third-party platforms.
Scalpers are listing Steam Machine pre-orders on eBay for up to $3,000, which is a markup of up to 167% above the official manufacturer price.
Many resellers are selling their spots in the purchase queue or reservations, demanding inflated prices before the Valve console has even shipped to consumers.
High demand and initial unit shortages have created an environment where intermediaries can profit by reselling pre-order spots on third-party platforms at heavily inflated prices.