When you think of Walmart, you think of rock-bottom prices, right?
Well, a lot of online shoppers are are associating Walmart.com with anything but low prices right now. That’s because of the mega-retailer’s decision—right or wrong—to allow third-party sellers on their e-commerce site who sell scarce holiday toys at huge markups.
Read more: $10 Christmas gifts your family and friends will love
$329 for a Hatchimal? $496 for a Classic NES?!
The popularity of hot holiday items like Hatchimals and Nintendo Classic NES has created the kind of dearth that drives prices up and makes getting your hands on one of these coveted holiday items nearly impossible.
Both items sell out minutes after arriving in stores. So that’s led a lot of people to try to snag them online.
But here’s the thing: You expect to see multiple price points from a variety of sellers when you shop online at a place like eBay or even Amazon. But on Walmart.com? Not so much.
That’s created a lot of ill will when customers mistakenly think it’s Walmart trying to gouge them on price, according to the The Washington Post.
Are you kidding me @Walmart? #Hatchimals pic.twitter.com/GJq4zshoU7
— Christie N. Trinh (@christientrinh) November 22, 2016
Really @Walmart ? I've got two words for ya in regards to this price…. #donewithyall #DXreference pic.twitter.com/rUiE6NpFLj
— Matt Williams (@_rockinmrmagic) November 22, 2016
Of course, it’s not only Walmart that allows third-party resellers to set their on prices when you log onto Walmart.com. Amazon is doing the same thing and has for years.
Right now, the Classic NES Console is listed for $220+ from a variety of sellers on Amazon.com. This while Nintendo has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $59.99 for the console!
The key takeaway is this: Don’t click to buy if you don’t like the price you see. Just cool your heels and wait for the price to come down.
It won’t be the end of the world if your child has to wait until January to get the hot toys of Christmas 2016. That’s when greater supplies will likely drive the prices down to a more reasonable level.
In fact, both Hatchimals and Nintendo are working to ramp up production to meet the surprising levels of customer demand.
‘We have increased production and a whole new batch of Hatchimals will be ready to hatch in early 2017. This is a special season and we don’t want anyone to be disappointed, nor do we support inflated prices from non-authorized resellers,’ reads a note on the Hatchimals website.
‘We are working on creative solutions to help kids and their parents withstand the wait. In the interim, some retailers are developing pre-sale and/or rain-check programs for redemption in January. We will continue to update with program details as they become available.’
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