PS5 out of stock at GAME and Argos as customers criticise 3am drop

Argos, AO, and GAME are out of stock of PS5 consoles again, with Argos under fire for releasing the stock at a time only scalpers could get it.

The only people that are happy about the way the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X launches have been handled are scalpers and they had reason to be cheerful today, with the way Argos handled their new wave of stock.

Argos has been praised before for releasing stock locally, rather than just dumping it all on the website at once, but they’ve also been criticised for putting that stock live at peculiar times of the night – which favours scalpers and makes it very difficult for ordinary customers to get hold of the consoles.

That’s exactly what they did this morning, when new stock went live at 3am, when only bots and very committed PlayStation fans were around to take advantage of it. Argos offered no warning of what time, or even day, it would happen and so many missed their chance.

What logic Argos might have for repeatedly doing this is a mystery but, inevitably, all the stock has long since disappeared and may not get restocked now for several weeks.

AO and GAME also got stock in today and have also sold out, although they were much more sensible about the timings and made their consoles available to buy during the mid-morning and early afternoon, respectively.

All retailers, and Sony and Microsoft, have been criticised for doing little or nothing to prevent scalpers, who use software ‘bots’ to buy stock automatically and then sell it at inflated prices on eBay.

This week has seen most UK retailers get new stock of the PlayStation 5, with Amazon, Very, and now Argos, AO, and GAME already having run out.

Currys PC World and John Lewis, and perhaps others, are also expected to get in stock this week, but as usual they’ve given no indication of when or how much.

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MORE : PS5 UK restock at Very on Wednesday – Amazon already sold out

MORE : PS5 UK restock expected at Currys, Very, Argos, and GAME this week

MORE : Scalper group defends use of PS5 bots and says: ‘We do a lot for charity’

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