Regulators warn potential customers of Grinch bots. Photo / Getty
Regulators warn potential customers of Grinch bots. Photo / Getty
First it was concert tickets, now the bots are coming for our Christmas presents.
Shoppers in the United States have been left furious in recent weeks after finding the most popular gifts have been sold out at all major retailers only to show up for resale on websites like eBay and Amazon for twice the price, or even much more.
One product targeted by the automated bot shoppers has been popular kids' item Fingerlings — colourful creatures that wrap around your finger.
Despite retailing for about $20, some are turning up on eBay for a ridiculous $US4999 (NZ$7146).
These types of automated software which are designed to scoop up all the popular gifts have been dubbed "Grinch bots" and are threatening to spoil Christmas, regulators warn.
Meanwhile, desperate parents have been taking to social media to lament the fact they can't find the toys their kids are asking for without paying inflated prices.
The Grinch bots highlight a growing trend that has plagued the e-commerce space in recent times.
In October, the New South Wales state government announced it would move to ban such bot shopping programs.
Grinch bots are being blamed for stealing from children this Christmas. Photo / Supplied
The government signalled the move after bots were suspected of plundering $32 Sydney Ashes Test tickets, which have been listed for resale at more than $1639.
Meanwhile consumer group Choice uncovered mark-ups of 500 per cent on tickets to see Justin Bieber after they were snapped up.
"I'm sick of seeing ordinary fans being pushed out of the market by ticket bots," Fair Trading Minister Matt Kean said at the time.
While finite concert tickets have long been a target for this kind of thing, at least in the US, the Christmas period has shown how programmers can deploy the same tactic for other high-demand products.
The practice was highlighted last month by Omri Iluz, founder and chief executive of web defence firm PerimeterX.
Scalper bots relentlessly check retail websites planning sales on hot toys to determine if pages go live a few seconds ahead of schedule, according to Iluz.
"Bots are also lightning fast, of course, able to complete multiple orders in a second," Iluz said in a blog post.
"There is simply no competition between a bot and even the most organised human. The bot will poll the site hundreds of times per second, tirelessly waiting for the sale to start."
Software also "scrapes" retail websites for information about what bargains will be offered on pages not yet made public.
US non-profit group Consumer Reports urged retailers and policymakers to collaborate to stop Grinch bots from essentially taking toys from children.
Retailers and policymakers need to "work together to develop solutions, so that consumers will be able to shop for toys and other gifts on a level playing field," said Chuck Bell, programs director for America's Consumers Union.
