eBay is clamping down on users trying to sell empty PS5 boxes to desperate rubes

If you got your hands on a PS5 last year, then you were one of the lucky ones nay the chosen elite who were destined to wield Sony’s almighty new gaming console. Do you go to sleep every night with a glass of bitter gamer tears, freshly squeezed from the faces of last-generation console peasants? I bet you do.

Anyway, with most retail stores selling out within minutes whenever new stock does arrive, many people have turned to the secondhand market to find a PS5 console.  Those sales usually come with a higher price tag thanks to rampant scalping, but every once in a while a deal pops up that seems too good to be true.

And usually, it is.

According to eBay, it’s now dealing with users that violate its policies, especially those who have listings for empty boxes or photos of items misrepresent what they’re selling by the cheekiest of margins. Now granted if you take the time to read these listings, you’ll see that it’s a ruse and I genuinely feel sorry for anyone suckered into paying over $1000 for nothing more than the thin cardboard box that the PS5 came in.

I’m also a horrible person who’d like to be present when that shock registers on the face of anyone who has been duped and they receive their box, but that’s a discussion for when I choke on a plate of hair after succumbing to a peer pressure eating challenge and wind up in hell. The good news here is that eBay claimed in a statement issued to Snopes that empty box listings were never paid for, and they’re taking an active stance in combatting impulse purchases such as this. “We have been taking action to remove fraudulent listings from our marketplace,” eBay said.

For any purchase, but especially highly-priced or in-demand items, we recommend that buyers exercise caution and thoroughly read the listing description.

Provided that certain parameters are met, users are entitled to a refund via eBay’s Money Back Guarantee. Until then, scammers are likely going to keep on rolling with this age-old grift. This isn’t the first console generation to see people try their luck at scoring a few quick bucks, but it may just be the most profitable one yet thanks to a perfect storm of a world caught in the middle of a pandemic, low supply, and very high demand.

Last Updated: January 19, 2021