The co-founder of a scalper group called The Lab is unhappy with negative media coverage, and has argued that the group is simply a “middleman” like other businesses that resell products.
Identified only as Jordan, the group leader told Forbes in an interview that the bad publicity is “not justified,” and used a bizarre example of a supermarket buying milk from farmers and selling it at a higher price to explain what scalpers are doing.
“There seems to be A LOT of bad press on this incredibly valuable industry and I do not feel that it is justified, all we are acting as is a middleman for limited quantity items,” said Jordan. “Essentially every business resells their products. Tesco, for example, buys milk from farmers for 26p or so per liter and sells it on for upwards of 70p per liter. No one ever seems to complain to the extent as they are currently doing towards ourselves.”
Jordan claims the group is now receiving death threats, which are being reported to the police.
These comments come at an interesting time as lawmakers in the United Kingdom are seriously mulling over introducing legislation to ban scalping, which extends to virtually every limited-quantity and in-demand product. IGN recently reported that MP Douglas Chapman’s proposal to ban scalping gained momentum and his bill to that effect has formally been brought forward. While it’s unlikely that his bill will turn into law right away, Chapman hopes that it’ll shed light on the issue to spur further action.
