Instead of buying Switch 2 pre-orders from scalpers, Nintendo fans are trying to have their listings taken down.
Just as with any new hardware, it was inevitable that the Nintendo Switch 2 would become a popular target for scalpers. Fortunately, Nintendo knew this too and months ago announced it was taking measures to prevent it from happening.
Nintendo’s efforts haven’t been foolproof though, as you’ll still find Switch 2 pre-orders being sold on eBay. Nintendo is charging £395.99 for the console, but eBay prices have been upwards of £700, which is how much a brand new PS5 Pro costs.
Given how difficult it is to land a Switch 2 pre-order to begin with, regular fans have taken matters into their own hands and are encouraging others to snitch on the scalpers to eBay.
According to eBay’s presale policy, listings for items marked for presale, like Switch 2 pre-orders, must ‘guarantee postage within 40 business days of purchase.’
Since the Switch 2 isn’t scheduled to launch until June 5, which is 56 days away at the time of writing, these pre-orders break the rule and thus shouldn’t be allowed on eBay to begin with.
Not to mention that owning a pre-order is very different to owning the actual console. Scalpers obviously don’t have the Switch 2 on hand and considering their pre-orders could be cancelled for one reason or another, they can’t guarantee any buyer will get what they’re paying for.
Several fans on the Nintendo Switch 2 subreddit have detailed how to report these scalpers to eBay and have their listings removed. The most popular example is this thread by FroggoOwO, but other Redditors like No_Affect2755 and Ssjshafted claim to have successfully removed scalpers as well.
A different thread by rmajor86 sees a number of commentors agreeing to do the same, although a few say their attempts haven’t been successful and others think the whole thing is pointless since the scalpers will just repost the listings at a later date.
This isn’t a new practice though. People tried the exact same thing to prevent scalpers from selling pre-orders of The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom ahead of its launch in 2023.
Nintendo did say it would try and counter scalpers by simply manufacturing more consoles, so hopefully it has enough of a stockpile to ensure the Switch 2 won’t sell out completely at launch.
For now, it’s limiting pre-orders to those who’ve frequently used their original Switch and have had a Nintendo Switch Online subscription for at least two years. As such, there’s no option to pre-order the Switch 2 straight from Nintendo’s website, at time of writing.
However, his doesn’t mean other retailers are following the same rules. The likes of Argos and Amazon have been offering pre-orders since last week and, unsurprisingly, they’ve been selling out quickly.
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