Since the dawn of man, the human race has been out to screw each other. Since the dawn of eBay, that screwing has never been easier.

I think by now, in the year 2021, nobody is surprised when they log onto everyone’s favorite internet auction site and see the scalpers out in full force. If there is one constant in this world, it’s knowing that every hot, new, limited product that hits the market is going to be snapped up by bots and re-sold at exorbitant prices.

I think most of us are so numb to the scalpers by now that we often look the other way and accept that they’re always going to be a thorn in the side of consumers. Well to that we say, no more! From here on out, we’ll be documenting all of the craziest scalping related scams we see scattered across the internet. Partly in hopes of shaming the people who are trying to rig the system (yes, we know they have no shame) and partly because we want to show our great-grandkids someday the shit we had to go through to get that dusty old PS5.

Today’s subject:

McDonald’s CHKNDrop.com Merchandise

The Setup:

Starting February 18th, (12PM ET / 9AM PST), McDonald’s is offering their fans a chance to score access to an early taste of their new Crispy Chicken Sandwich via a limited-edition capsule drop, available only at CHKNDrop.com. Lucky winners will be able to indulge in an early taste of the Crispy Chicken Sandwich at their local participating McDonald’s starting February 23rd!

Seems like a pretty sweet deal, right? Grab an exclusive hoodie and an opportunity to try a new product for $5? Okay, we’ll bite (no pun intended). Seems like an easy enough pick-up too, just be on the site at 12PM ET. Well, lo and behold, we were on the site at the specified time and never actually saw the product come in stock. I’m sure that a few people actually got through and picked these up so they could try out the new chicky sandwich, but let’s check eBay for the hell of it…

$200 ASKING PRICE?? I did the math. That’s a 3,900% markup. Naturally, I Googled “products with a 3,900% markup” and came upon this site with a really great infographic about markups.

Screen Shot 2021-02-18 at 8.27.30 PM.png

You know what else has a 3,900% markup on average? Snow removal. That’s right, these scalpers are expecting you pay an equivalent price increase to a service that provides actual safety to their customers.

Screen Shot 2021-02-18 at 8.27.14 PM.png

Just for kicks I decided to read further on, and found out that the average markup on resold concert tickets is about 2,873%. Let that sink in: based on the numbers alone, ticket scalpers are more ethical than eBay scalpers. What a strange world we’re living in.

If I may leave you all with one final thought, it would be this: no matter the circumstance, don’t support these ass-hats no matter how badly you want what they’re selling. The only way to break the cycle is to stop supporting these shitty people! I know it may seem obvious, and you’re probably thinking “Who on Earth would spend $200 on a Chicken Sandwich hoodie?” Well, I’ll leave you with this -