Bots are threatening your ability to take advantage of specials either online or in the stores. In November, PlayStation came out with a new version. Almost as soon as that version was released, Walmart’s website crashed. People were using bots trying to buy the new PlayStation with the full intention of reselling them at a higher price. The new PlayStations were selling online for as much as two times the original cost!
A bot is just a piece of software that does one thing; in this case, buying a new product or buying an older one at a significantly reduced price. The bot can make that purchase before you could even type your name in an order form. Since this is a machine talking to a machine, the transaction will take place in seconds. Meanwhile, you are likely not to get the website you want to because of all the bots that are attacking it.
You are the only one who is hurt by the bots. The seller is happy because they have sold out their entire stock of an item. The manufacturer is pleased because it shows the demand for their product is high.
The only way to stop bots is to demand that bots used to buy items online are outlawed. It has to be done at the federal level. You have to let your congressperson and senators know you want a law prohibiting bots. Here’s a website that lists the addresses and phone numbers of your entire congressional representatives – https://www.contactingcongress.org/. Send them an email or even better, contact them by snail mail. If we don’t do something about bots, they will likely ruin future Christmases by taking all the bargains before you can even get to them.
