10/31/2023: Localization News - Dead of the Brain 1!

No, NOT a trick, a Halloween treat! Presenting the Dead of the Brain 1 English patch by David Shadoff for the DEAD last official PC Engine CD game published by NEC before exiting the console biz in 1999! I helped edit/betatest and it's also a game I actually finished in 2023, yaaay! Shubibiman also did a French localization. github.com/dshadoff/DeadoftheBrain
twitter.com/NightWolve/PCENews
Main Menu

Amazon seller price fixing/matching?

Started by VestCunt, 12/06/2013, 06:22 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

VestCunt

Has anyone else noticed fishy price coordination among Amazon sellers? I can't speak for video games as I don't buy many these days, but prices for old Dungeons and Dragons books swing wildly. Multiple third-party sellers will continually hike their prices and then suddenly drop to undercut a lower offer from a small seller.

Exhibit A: I recently listed a book for $30 that all of the big-name HPB outlets and Goodwills were selling for $45. Within hours of my listing, four other sellers dropped their prices to $28-29. The next day I lowered my price to $27. Again, four others followed suit, undercutting me by $0.50-1.50.

Exhibit B: I've had a book in my Wish List for a while. For years, it's been a $20 book on Ebay/Amazon/Half/etc. Two months ago, used prices on Amazon inexplicably shot up to $38-40. The sellers and product descriptions didn't change, indicating none of the inventory sold. Then, this week, an relatively small RPG seller called Troll and Toad that lists on both Ebay and Amazon posted a copy for $20. The other Amazon sellers immediately slashed their prices to match. WTF? There's no way huge sellers with feedback in the millions could track all of their individual listings and compare prices; there must be automated software at work. Fuck you, HPB.
I'm a cunt, always was. Topic Adjourned.

esteban

Quote from: VestCunt on 12/06/2013, 06:22 PMHas anyone else noticed fishy price coordination among Amazon sellers? I can't speak for video games as I don't buy many these days, but prices for old Dungeons and Dragons books swing wildly. Multiple third-party sellers will continually hike their prices and then suddenly drop to undercut a lower offer from a small seller.

Exhibit A: I recently listed a book for $30 that all of the big-name HPB outlets and Goodwills were selling for $45. Within hours of my listing, four other sellers dropped their prices to $28-29. The next day I lowered my price to $27. Again, four others followed suit, undercutting me by $0.50-1.50.

Exhibit B: I've had a book in my Wish List for a while. For years, it's been a $20 book on Ebay/Amazon/Half/etc. Two months ago, used prices on Amazon inexplicably shot up to $38-40. The sellers and product descriptions didn't change, indicating none of the inventory sold. Then, this week, an relatively small RPG seller called Troll and Toad that lists on both Ebay and Amazon posted a copy for $20. The other Amazon sellers immediately slashed their prices to match. WTF? There's no way huge sellers with feedback in the millions could track all of their individual listings and compare prices; there must be automated software at work. Fuck you, HPB.
Absolutely automated. Folks have observed this behavior in the pricing of products across all categories.

It's particularly amusing when a new seller accidentally inputs a ridiculously high price and the pricebots follow suit, jacking up their own prices.

In fact, you should do it, just to see if they follow. Any reasonably written algorithm would account for extremes (lowball, exorbitant), so you might have to play with the price a little to find out what the "ceiling" is...

 :pcgs:
IMGIMG IMG  |  IMG  |  IMG IMG

VestCunt

Hmmm...

Good way to buy stuff: 1) make fake listing of desired item, 2) wait for bots to lower their prices, 3) buy, 4) cancel fake listing.

Of course, someone might purchase said fake listing during the two-hour window. In which case, just tell them "sorry, it's 'out of stock.'" Because that's what sellers do these days.
I'm a cunt, always was. Topic Adjourned.

OldRover

Quote from: VestCunt on 12/07/2013, 01:26 AMGood way to buy stuff: 1) make fake listing of desired item, 2) wait for bots to lower their prices, 3) buy, 4) cancel fake listing.
^^^ this... is fucking brilliant. :D
Turbo Badass Rank: Janne (6 of 12 clears)
Conquered so far: Sinistron, Violent Soldier, Tatsujin, Super Raiden, Shape Shifter, Rayxanber II

VestCunt

#4
Yeah, risky, but might work once or twice before Amazon catches on.
I'm a cunt, always was. Topic Adjourned.