Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Amazon is launching an invitation system for high-demand products.
- The company is hoping to improve availability and reduce price-gouging.
Amazon is working to tackle price-gouging on high-demand items, implementing an invite system for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, with more items likely to follow.
As a result of the semiconductor shortage and supply chain issues, the hottest gaming consoles have been a bit like Sasquatch — even if they exist, hardly anyone has seen one. Buyers who have managed to get their hands on one have often paid exorbitantly high prices, thanks to bad actors price-gouging customers. Amazon wants to address all of this with its new invite system.
According to TechCrunch, customers can request an invitation to purchase a high-demand item. Prime membership is not required, only an active Amazon account. Amazon will then weed out any bots and send available invitations to genuine customers.
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Once a person is invited, they’ll receive an email with the necessary information to purchase the product, including how long they have to complete the purchase before their invitation expires.
“We work hard every day to provide customers with low prices, vast selection, and fast delivery,” said Llew Mason, the vice president of consumer engagement at Amazon, in a statement to TechCrunch. “This includes developing a shopping experience where customers can purchase the items they’re interested in without having to worry about bad actors buying and reselling them at a much higher price.”
Amazon’s solution is a rather elegant one and will hopefully improve high-demand product availability.
