“Grinch Bots” are forcing toy prices up by as as much as 6000%

Cyber bots, also being called “Grinch bots” are apparently killing the spirit of Christmas by snatching up the most popular toys online and then reselling them for exorbitant amounts.

In one case, an $80 Nintendo Super NES Classic Edition game system was being resold for a ridiculous $13,000.

The problem is that such cyber scalping techniques are not new, they’re just new to the Christmas shopping season. And it’s not even illegal to do that, apparently.

According to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY):

“Cyber bots, we call them grinch bots, are expanding their reach and unfairly scooping up the hottest toys before parents can even hit buy.”

Sen. Schumer wants to make the practice illegal, and retail associations like the NRF and RILA are now behind efforts to put preventive measures in place.

Meanwhile, the Consumers Union is telling shoppers that it might be better to wait a couple of weeks until new stocks arrive, rather than pay a super-premium price to these Grinch bots.

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