Lidl air conditioners resold on Leboncoin at sky-high prices after in-store chaos

After near-unbelievable scenes in several Lidl shops across France, the much-talked-about air conditioners that had shoppers fighting over are now popping up on Leboncoin at equally out-of-this-world prices.

Chaotic scenes in Lidl stores across France

The heatwave seems to have sent some people over the edge. On Thursday 2 July 2026, Lidl’s restock of 200,000 fans, air coolers and-above all-air conditioners across France turned into an unprecedented frenzy. Customers arrived at dawn to queue up and be among the first through the doors, all with one goal: getting their hands on the Holy Air Conditioner priced at just €179. Shouting, pushing, insults, fights… videos of the chaos caused by this Lidl sale have been circulating on social media since yesterday.

Within minutes, every device that offered even a little relief for the next heatwave had disappeared from the shelves-leaving plenty of disappointed shoppers behind. Since then, Leboncoin has been flooded with listings for Lidl air conditioners… at ridiculous prices. Supply and demand, and all that.

Read also – After the chaos at Lidl, Carrefour is preparing to sell air conditioners: should we expect the same chaos?

Lidl air conditioners listed for more than €600

This week’s star product was the Tronic 3-in-1 portable air conditioner (cooler, dehumidifier, fan). Sold at Lidl for €179 instead of €199, it became the object of intense desire on Thursday 2 July 2026, just days before another punishing hot spell is due. It’s hardly surprising: compared with competing models, the price was genuinely accessible.

But there’s a catch. Some opportunists quickly worked out that if certain shoppers were willing to stand around in the early hours-and even fight-to secure the device, those same people might also be willing to reach into their pockets and pay (very) dearly.

Reselling and “scalping” on Leboncoin and Facebook Marketplace

It didn’t take long for adverts for this highly sought-after air conditioner to appear. And, unsurprisingly, the asking prices on Leboncoin and Facebook Marketplace are staggering. Bought in-store for €179, these less-than-scrupulous resellers are offering it for €300, €400, €500, €600, and even €700 for the most greedy.

This is what’s known as “scalping”. Typically, this blight hits concert tickets-whether for Céline Dion or Bad Bunny-sporting events such as the second leg of a Champions League semi-final, or Pokémon cards for collectors. The idea is simple: buy in bulk the moment sales open, then resell at a premium to make a profit.

With these Lidl air conditioners, scalpers are now targeting something that, for some consumers, feels closer to a necessity-particularly people living in poorly insulated homes or directly under the roof, in what are often described as “heat traps”. Unfortunately, there is currently no real way to take effective action against this unethical practice.

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