A group of Nintendo fans on Reddit are banding together to stopNintendo Switch 2scalpers in their tracks. Even now, long before preorders have begun, scalpers are already listing the Switch 2 on resale sites like eBay. Listings contain assurances like “preorder confirmed,” indicating that the seller doesn’t have access to the item yet. These items are going for as much as $670 USD - quite a bit more than theSwitch 2’s base price- despite the fact that there’s no guarantee the seller will actually get their hands on the console.
However, a group of Reddit users, includingMrJava-(viaPC Guide), have taken it upon themselves to dole out a kind of vigilante justice,seeking out and reporting Switch 2 preorder listings on eBay. Apparently, they’ve gotten a good result, too: the screenshot below shows six different email subject lines from eBay, each allegedly referring back to another Switch 2 scalper’s listing being taken down. And they’re not the only one. In the comments, several other users claimed to have done similarly, although with varying degrees of success.
Nintendo Fans Are Banding Together Against Scalping
Plus, How You Can Do The Same
Although scalping and dropshipping aren’t technically against eBay’s terms of service, so long as the seller doesn’t artificially inflate the price on their own and ships the item within 40 days of purchase, they’re generally considered bad practice. It’s morally objectionable, and has also led to supply issues in the past.Resellers bought up massive stockpiles when the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S were first released, selling them at artificially inflated prices to anyone who was willing to pay.
Nintendo has its own plans tocombat Switch 2 scalping, but they’re not 100% effective - some scalpers will inevitably still manage to fly under the radar, and buy enough consoles to turn a tidy profit. In order to discourage the practice, Reddit users like MrJava-, along with others likewhiskeyjack1053, have taken toreporting Switch 2 eBay listings whenever they find them.
If you’d like to help, MrJava- commented with some tips and tricks, includinga simple script you can use to report Switch 2 preorder listings on eBay. All you need to do is select “Listing practices” under Report category, “Inappropriate seller terms” under Reason for report, and “Presale” under Detailed reason. Then, in the description box, you may copy and paste the following: “This person is selling their presale item. They DO NOT have this item. Nobody has a Switch 2.”
Of course, this solution is only temporary:the only reason these listings are currently against eBay’s TOS is because the items can’t possibly ship within 40 days of purchase. By the end of the month - on April 26, when we’re exactly 40 days fromthe Switch 2’s release, presale will technically be allowed on eBay. Still, it’s encouraging to see thatthese scalpers haven’t been able to corner the marketas they have been during previous console releases.
Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-Orders Could Go Up Any Day Now
The World Waits
At present,we still don’t know when Switch 2 preorders will be available in the United States. The Switch 2 is currently available for preorder throughout most of the world, butNintendo delayed US preordersfor the console last week, citing concerns over potential price increases imposed by recently instituted tariffs.
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However, those tariffs were recently granted a 90-day pause (except tariffs on products shipped from China), sopreorders could go live in the US any day now. Reports even suggest Nintendo may be setting up tostockpile millions of Switch 2sduring the pause to avoid any price increases.
But things are still up in the air. It’s clear Nintendo is trying to get a handle on what’s been a needlessly chaotic console launch, but there are still several factors out of its control. That’s why player efforts to prevent scalpers like these are so important, and will hopefully help ensure that everyone who wants one can get their hands on theSwitch 2.
