Scalpers are selling Switch OLED pre-orders at inflated prices on Ebay, one of which has listed the system for £800.
Whenever a new piece of hardware is announced, the scalpers aren't too far behind. Nintendo's announcement of the Nintendo Switch OLED has seen a number of scalpers attempt to list pre-orders of the console on Ebay for less than reasonable prices. While the majority of listings are only going for slightly extortionate prices, one scalper is trying to flog theirs for a whopping £800.
The listing itself is just a screenshot of what looks like a pre-order confirmation from UK retailer Game, albeit with all the important bits covered up. To really put the cherry on top of this horrible cake, the seller won't even send the system to you and would rather have you travel to Wigan to pick it up in person.
It's not surprising that we're seeing Switch OLEDs being scalped, especially due to what seems like a significant rise in scalping over the past year. Likely exacerbated by the pandemic, everything from new consoles to Pokemon cards have been ridiculously difficult to get a hold of without paying an obscene amount of money to a scalper.
Scalping has become so much of a problem in the UK that government officials are starting to take notice, although getting the British government to do anything useful at the minute is like trying to squeeze water out of a stone. Console manufacturers like Microsoft have even been setting up special pilot schemes to try and get around the scalping problem.
It's pretty much common sense, but please don't buy a Switch OLED from these people, even if they say that their reputation "isn't justified." Prices will go back to normal eventually and Link and friends aren't going anywhere any time soon. There's no difference in power to a regular Switch and it won't even have improved Joy-Cons.
If you're absolutely set on buying one now, you're better off waiting to snag a pre-order from a genuine retailer rather than line the pocket of a scalper. Happy hunting!
Source: Nintendo Life