eBay Warns of PS5 Scammers Selling Photos As Consoles

It’s not exactly a secret that with the release of the PS5 earlier this month, there has been a huge problem with scalpers decimating the stock levels available to real consumers. Albeit, that doesn’t always work in their favor as one such person recently had their entire stash stolen at gunpoint!

With such high demand, however, and with Christmas quickly looming, we daresay that there are more than a few people out there absolutely desperate to get their hands on one of these new next-gen consoles. In tapping into this, however, eBay has warned its customers of scammers attempting to sell ‘photographs’ of the systems under the guise of it being an actual console.

eBay Warns of PS5 Photo Scam

Now, I’m fully aware that this isn’t a new scam. It has, actually, been used (in various means and for various products) for quite a long time now. For those of you unaware, however, let me quickly run through it.

Put simply, the scammer places the item for sale and, in casual appearance, it would suggest that the product contained within the image is what you are purchasing. A closer look at the small print in this con, however, generally tends to reveal that rather than buying the product, you’re instead simply purchasing a photograph of it.

It’s a hugely difficult legal loophole as, while this is clearly misrepresentation, the seller can argue that, based on the description, you got exactly what was advertised. It is, therefore, not their fault if the buyer didn’t thoroughly check what they were purchasing.

What Does eBay Have to Say?

Coming in a report via Eurogamer, eBay has issued the following warning to consumers on their website looking to purchase a PS5. Albeit, the advice given within can generally apply to any listing on any online forum:

“We condemn these opportunistic sellers who are attempting to mislead other users. We are in the process of removing all listings for photos of PS5s from our marketplace and will be taking appropriate action against the sellers.

For any purchase, but especially highly-priced or in-demand items, buyers should exercise caution and thoroughly read the listing description. Buyers who receive an item which is not as described are entitled to a refund via our eBay Money Back Guarantee, provided they completed the transaction on the eBay platform.”

So, in a nutshell, if you are looking to purchase a PS5 on eBay, make 100% sure you thoroughly read the product description. A good indication to this scam can generally be found in the product weight as this is usually one of the tricks the scammers use to claim validity of the listing. – Put simply, yes, many people want a PS5 and would love to own it this side of the year, but be careful folks, it’s a dodgy internet out there!

What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!