Read the following, from Consumer Reports, then 1) protect yourself while shopping and 2) go to https://act.consumerreports.org/VubaIJ9 to email your to stop this blatantly unfair practice.
Ready to nab all those online Black Friday deals? Got your eye on that advertised XBox? Think you’ve got the Baby Yoda toy nailed down?
Think again. An army of software bots may have already bought them up — and they’re being resold online at huge markups.
In addition to supply chain problems and inflation, consumers this holiday season now face the scourge of ‘Grinch Bots.’ These bots keep tabs on thousands of retail web pages and immediately purchase the hottest items the second they restock. If you’ve ever put an item in your online cart, only to see it disappear by the time you checkout, you may have been GrinchBotted.
We know this legislation can make a big difference because it would give authorities the power to crack down on shopping bots. Consumer Reports backed a 2016 bill that banned bots used by ticket scalpers to snatch up the best concert and sports seats, and three ticket brokers who used bots were fined $31 million this year.
The Stopping Grinch Bots Act being introduced in Congress would make it illegal to circumvent online security and control measures retail websites use to protect real consumers, and allow the FTC and state Attorneys General to take legal action against those who deploy these bots.
But we won’t get action if we don’t push hard right now during the holiday season, when Grinch Bots are at maximum force. Tell your lawmakers you want action, now.
It’s blatantly unfair that Americans can’t buy the goods they want at a fair price because a small network of computer hackers have figured out how to beat the system. Please send a message to your lawmakers, and share this with all your friends and family so we won’t face another holiday season getting GrinchBotted!
Let’s end the Bah-Humbug!
Marcus Jones
Consumer Reports
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