Summary
Nintendo Switch 2pre-orders finally opened in the US last week, andit went about as well as you might imagine. Between quick sellouts and reversed transactions, the whole midnight launch at various retailers was a bit of a mess. That may leave you tempted to resort to scalpers and resale sites, and while I can’t stop you from doing that, I can try to make sure you don’t get scammed.
It didn’t take long forSwitch 2 listings to start appearing on resale sites. They were there before the console had sold out, and one was listed for $2,000 before pre-orders had even gone live at GameStop. Scalpers are banking on people being willing to pay over the odds to make sure they have a Switch 2 on release day, while those who don’t even have a console to sell are hoping you’re so desperate that you’re not paying attention.
It seems some people are selling photos of their Switch 2 pre-orders, masking them as Switch 2 consoles unless the buyer looks very closely. Screenshotsshared by u/Zoroa0570onthe r/Switch subredditshow a $499.99 listing for the Switch 2Mario Kart Worldbundle. That’s the same as the bundle’s MSRP, meaning those on the hunt for a Switch 2 after missing out on a pre-order likely can’t believe their luck and may even click “buy it now” without checking the fine print.
Some Switch 2 Resale Listings Might Not Be Switch 2s At All
They Could Just Be Photos Of Switch 2 Pre-Orders
The description notes that the item listed is actually just a picture of the Switch 2. Even though the seller claims it’s there to trick bots, it also notes that it will not issue refunds. That presumably means if an unsuspecting human were to buy the Switch 2 photo by mistake, they’d be out $550 with no Mario Kart World bundle to show for it.
It’s not the only example either.A Twitter user called glimmershared a different listing from a seller who, although trying to make their intentions clearer by urging potential buyers to “read description”, appears to have sold two pictures of their Switch 2 pre-order for $449.99, the price of a Switch 2. Again, the listing appears to be an attempt to thwart bots and scalpers, but the description notes refunds and returns will not be accepted.
This isn’t the first example of someone selling photos of an in-demand tech product and claiming the reason behind it is to try and mess with scalpers and their bots. Earlier this yearPC gamers seemingly did something similarwhen the much more expensive RTX 5090 and 5080 cards sold out almost immediately.
