Curfew-Breaking Auctions Removed From eBay.

[Sky Shadow]

Intriguingly, Hasbro (presumably) seems to have pulled all the DOTM auctions from eBay that aren't preorders - the auctions all disappeared a few hours ago. (Since then some more have appeared, but any that were up before then have been deleted.) I have no issues with this, still it's a shame that they can manage this, and yet the countless number of knockoff auctions on eBay are still there for all to buy.

[UltraMarginal]

Intriguingly, Hasbro (presumably) seems to have pulled all the DOTM auctions from eBay that aren't preorders - the auctions all disappeared a few hours ago. (Since then some more have appeared, but any that were up before then have been deleted.) I have no issues with this, still it's a shame that they can manage this, and yet the countless number of knockoff auctions on eBay are still there for all to buy.

It's probably a lot easier for them to say that "we have not released this figure for public purchase yet!" than it is to prove to eBay who don't really care that "this is a cheap re-creation of a toy from 1986, it violates our IP rights"

my 2c

[jaydisc]

What's most annoying about this is it's the retail shops that broke curfew. People bought legitimately, and people are now selling. I don't see how or why Hasbro should have any jurisdiction or say over that. Their beef should be with the retailer that broke curfew.

[FFN]

Aren't those people ebaying these toys scalpers then?

[Sky Shadow]

Aren't those people ebaying these toys scalpers then?

By the same definition, isn't pretty much everybody who sells currently-released MISB toys on eBay a scalper? Surely they only eBay the toys in the hope that they can sell them for more than they bought them for.

[FFN]

Granted, it's not exactly the moustache-twirling, Bumblebee-hoarding douchiness seen in 2007, but it's still probably technically scalping, as they are hoping to sell these highly anticipated, but not yet widely or officially available toys for a fairly higher price than it would normally cost.

[griffin]

Seems a bit stupid/lazy... Hasbro and Ebay 'carpet-bombing' everyone including people who bought them legally, instead of 'surgically striking' the retailers (for breaking the embargo) and Asian ebayers (the ones who "acquire" toys from the factory during production, months before they are released).

[Sleeve]

Granted, it's not exactly the moustache-twirling, Bumblebee-hoarding douchiness seen in 2007

Don't get me started on the wench who was in front of me in a Target line, arms full of deluxe Bumblebees and on the phone bragging to a friend how much she was going to sell them on eBay for. Tore her a new one.

I'm inclined to agree with jaydisc though. The people selling toys legitimately bought from a retail store should not be punished (in this instance). Stores that broke street date should be in the firing line, not the person who walked in off the street and happened to find Sentinel Prime adorning the shelves of his local Wal-Mart. If we broke street date for a video game when I worked in retail it could have resulted us losing any further dealings with the supplier and publisher, or taking on heavy restrictions in ordering. This should be no different.

[SkyWarp91]

Scalpers, if you be reading this... ... ....
...
...
F*CK YOU.

Hasbro, if you be reading this - Why don't you release more toys of figures we want than crappy repaints/overproduced repeats of the same character like BUMBLEBEE so that your later waves won't be skipped by retailers AND THEN we can talk about your DOTM toys being sold on eBay?

[FFN]

I figure it's because, for the most part, they don't know where these people got their DOTM toys from. There's only been a relative handful of reports of early releases.

As for chastising Walmart, Hasbro's scared of them.