Gamertell

Nintendo is livid with retailers selling unsanctioned Wii bundles, which is a retailer gambit to take unfair advantage of the Wii shortage to boost their own profits. But it seems Nintendo can save its anger for other unethical trade practices, one of which has been uncovered by technology website Ars Technica. According to a report on the website, Slacker stores - retail chain stores based in Illinois/Missouri – are selling their Wii stock on EBay for huge profits.

An unidentified Slacker employee told Ars Technica that the stores were receiving regular Wii supplies but all of the Wii’s were being sold on EBay for a “buy it now” price of $399.99. He also made the startling revelation that none of the Wiis are being sold through the stores and only one Wii has been sold offline in the last year. He pegged the number of Wiis in their inventory at 20 – none of which will grace the Slacker store shelves.

Slackers has issued a public letter to its customers and dismissed Ars Technica’s allegations. In the letter, Kurt Jellinek, president of Slackers CDs and Games, defended the small retail chain and gave account of the number of Wii’s it had brought from distributors this holiday season. He admitted that the company had sold around 5 of its 44 Wiis on EBay.

If the company’s clarifiation is to be taken at its word, then the selling of Wiis online shouldn’t bother anyone, as it does not directly receive a stockpile of the consoles from Nintendo but purchases them from the market.

Read [Ars Technica] via [Gizmodo]

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