Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order listings are flooding eBay — how to tell which ones are scams

If you’ve been struggling to get your hands on a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order, you may be tempted to head over to eBay and see what’s being offered there. But be warned, it seems as though scammers are up to their old tricks — resurrecting the “you’re buying a picture, not the console” scam.

There’s no shortage of Switch 2 listings on eBay right now, but it doesn’t take long to find the ones that aren’t selling in good faith. We’re not talking about the listings demanding $1,000 for the console, though those do exist. No, I mean listings with sneaky descriptions like this:

This particular listing is priced at $540, $40 more than it would cost to buy the Switch 2 Mario Kart bundle in a regular store. And all you’re getting is a printed photo of the console. To add insult to injury, they're not even sending it to you in color.

This isn't the only example of this on eBay right now either. While there are plenty of seemingly-legitimate listings, offering pre-ordered console, there are multiple fake ones. It took me around 2 minutes to find at least two more bogus listings.

We have reported all 3 listings to eBay, and will do the same for others that we come across.

Some of these fake listings aren't necessarily scams

It's worth mentioning that there are other sneaky listings on eBay, but they seem to be a little more upfront about why they're offering images of the console, instead of the Switch 2 itself. In short, it's an attempt to thwart bots and scalpers.

This listing actually has a warning telling people not to buy. Apparently this listings, and other like it, are designed to try and flood eBay with listings that will confuse bots. That way it's a little harder for them to buy all the genuine consoles that are on sale.

Considering how much of a blight bots are whenever something popular goes on sale, I do support legitimate measures to curb their shenanigans. But I'm not so enthusiastic about anti-bot tactics that could potentially confuse real people. More so considering these listings still declare "no refunds".

So if you’re out looking for a Switch 2 pre-order, you need to be careful about what you agree to spend your money on.

How to avoid Switch 2 eBay scams

The most obvious way to avoid scams like this is to avoid eBay and other online marketplaces altogether.

Stick with buying the Switch 2 from legitimate retailers, and you’re guaranteed to get a brand new console, warranty and the usual slate of consumer protections that come with buying from major retailers rather than private sellers.

Check out our Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order live blog for ongoing coverage on which retailers have stock — and when.

The added benefit here is that you won’t be funding scalpers, and paying an inflated price for the Switch 2. The MSRP is expensive enough as it is, there’s little point in paying more just so a scalper can make a profit.

If you do feel you have to buy a Switch 2 from a reseller (we don't recommend it!), be sure to do your due diligence. Try and buy from sellers with high feedback scores, rather than new accounts, and be sure to read the description carefully before you checkout.

This won’t guarantee you won’t get scammed, but it does mean you’ll catch any scammers trying to loophole around the rules by revealing the scam in the description.

Finally use a payment method that offers some kind of buyer protection. eBay should be offering this already, but it always pays to be able to go back to your credit card company or PayPal if things don’t go your way.

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