YouTuber Getting a Bricked PlayStation 5 From GameStop Shows The Dark Side of Scalping and Supply Shortages

The scalping issue and supply shortages of next-gen consoles are getting worse day by day. Recently, Sony Interactive Entertainment also mentioned lowering the production of PlayStation 5 units for this fiscal year mainly due to components and logistics constraints.

But unfortunately, the dark side of scalping is much worse than we imagined. Recently, a YouTuber getting a bricked (or stolen) PlayStation 5 from GameStop majorly highlights this rising issue.

Bricked (or stolen) PlayStation 5

Jake Randall bought a brand new PlayStation 5 bundle from Sony’s authorized retailer, GameStop, way back in August 2021 for almost $800. But when he tried to connect the PlayStation 5 to his television, he was given an error code. The error code reads, “This PS5 service access is permanently or temporarily suspended.” The PlayStation didn’t let him connect to a network account or just go online at all.

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After some days, while searching on the error code, he found out that this error code pops up when a PS5 console has been reported as stolen. The serial number on the box does not match with the serial number on the console.

Well, a number of things could have happened, but it seems like someone just swapped the stolen console from PlayStation direct and not the outer box.

This whole situation sounds pretty confusing, as the YouTuber had a built-in warranty with it. Moreover, he bought the console from an authorized retailer and not from a reseller. After finding out that his PS5 is a stolen console, he immediately contacted Sony so that they can fix it all up.

After going back and forth between different departments at Sony Interactives Entertainment, Randall moved up to GameStop for help. In September, finally, after a series of frustrating phone calls, Randall was able to get a refund for the console.

Something worth noting here is that paying extra money for PlayStation 5 is not worth it. Most of the resellers are scamming innocent buyers out there, forcing them to pay extra bucks to get their hands on next-gen consoles. Buying it from authorized retailers allows you to basically ask for refunds or even replacements.

What do you think about this rising scalping issue? Have you also faced any similar situations? Let us know.

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