Scalpers are ruining the Internet, and in 2026, I hope their reign of terror comes to an end
Scalpers are one of the worst things about online shopping, and in 2026 I want them to disappear forever.
(Image credit: Getty Images / Leon Neal)
If Santa and his elves are the light that brings us goodwill and cheer, scalpers are the darkness ripping any happiness away – and I’m once again hoping the coming year will be the year they stop ruining the internet.
I’m sure you’ve all had a bad experience wrought by scalpers – folks using an army of bots or simply sheer will (and maybe other tricks) to buy up something in high demand but short supply, only to resell it at a massive markup.
That latter one has been my greatest source of scalping frustration in 2025. Whether it's Magic: The Gathering’s Secret Lairs or Riftbound’s general availability (even the ability to attend its competitive events), scalpers have taken advantage of the limited supply to jack up prices and ruin everyone’s fun. And while I’m not into the Pokémon TCG scene quite as much, I know scalping is the bane of regular players there, too.
In the fight against scalpers and resellers, we thankfully have a few tricks up our sleeves. I’ve gone round our office to ask the TechRadar team which anti-scalper methods they’ve seen, and these three came out on top as our favorites.
The first is actually a rule being imposed by the UK Government to help keep concert ticket prices in check, and it prevents tickets from being resold at a price that’s higher than the original cost.
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Service fees would be accounted for, and the rules would also put caps on these to hopefully prevent the price limit from being undermined, but essentially, this proposed law would prevent resellers from making a profit. This would hurt scalpers but not legitimate fans reselling their concert tickets because they can no longer attend, and helps fans who missed out the first time go and enjoy the artist without needing to pay a premium.
While not ideal for all scenarios, for live events, this approach feels like the gold standard. It punishes scalpers without negatively impacting proper fans.
Another option for live events, or also the sale of a limited availability product, is a ballot draw. I think these work especially well if launched in conjunction with an official fan group, like subscribers to a service or newsletter.
PS5 sclapers made it harder and pricier to enjoy Sony's console at launch (Image credit: Shutterstock/Pressmaster)
