One of the latest PS5 scams to be highlighted by wary consumers is being targeted by eBay, as the platform has warned scammers against posting misleading listings for photos of boxed PlayStation 5 consoles. The PS5 launch month has been a nightmare for many consumers who simply wanted to purchase the current-gen console, and part of the issue has stemmed from the lack of protection legitimate buyers had against resellers exploiting online offerings for profit.
The release of both the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S has been a tumultuous experience for almost everyone involved. Stories of packages being stolen by deliverers, delays as a result of bizarre shipping protocols, and muggings over console resales have featured regularly in headlines discussing what the new generation of gaming looks like in its early days. Even from a purely technological perspective, the PS5 and Xbox Series X launch lineups have been barren, featuring almost no true current-gen exclusives. Despite all of this, consumers have remained largely optimistic over the future of PS5 and Xbox Series X/S and, as evidenced by the many stories regarding the resale of both consoles, interest in purchasing them hasn't dwindled either.
That interest means PS5 scammers continue to attempt to exploit fans, so much so that eBay recently issued a statement on the matter, as covered in a report from Eurogamer. eBay's statement indicates that the company is well aware of the current PS5 scams on the platform, which involve users creating listings for PlayStation 5 photos of boxed units rather than the boxed unit itself. While most users aren't fooled, since the listings do acknowledge that the item being purchased is a photo in most cases, it's still a seedy practice that has the potential to ruin some consumers' days.
The PS5 scams on eBay - and across several other platforms - are indicative of a much larger PlayStation 5 scalper problem. As highlighted in a report last week, some enterprising resale groups were able to get thousands of PS5 consoles during pre-orders and online restocks, purely with the intent to resell them for an exorbitant price. Consumers have very little protection against this exploitative practice, and it's made purchasing a new console a headache for thousands of would-be purchasers.
As is always the case with any resale product, the key takeaway from the PS5 scams on eBay is to always be vigilant during the purchasing process to ensure as safe and transparent a transaction as possible. While eBay is working to remove these listings from its platform, plenty of other websites remain targets for PS5 scammers, while those looking to find more legitimate channels can expect to pay inflated prices for any resold PlayStation 5 units. Hopefully, the next big wave of restocks will help alleviate some of the issues consumers are facing - but for now, it looks like it's a major problem they'll simply have to navigate around with little help from anyone else.
Source: Eurogamer