Nintendo announces partnership with online resale marketplaces in Japan to fight against scalping ahead of Switch 2 launch
Scalping is a highly lucrative practice that is the bane of anyone trying to get certain products at launch at the regular price, especially if demand significantly outstrips offer. And with over 2 million entries for the first set of Nintendo Switch 2 lotteries on the My Nintendo Store in Japan, Nintendo is well aware that its brand new console is poised to become a prime target for unscrupulous resellers trying to cash in on the hype.
That’s why the company announced a partnership with 4 online resale marketplaces in Japan in order to combat the unauthorised selling of Nintendo products online (including, but not limited to the Nintendo Switch 2):
- Mercari
- Yahoo! Auctions and Yahoo! Flea Market
- Rakuten Rakuma
This partnership will see Nintendo and the companies operating those websites cooperate in order to prevent the unauthorised selling of Nintendo products on their platforms. This will take several forms:
- the prompt removal of any unauthorised listings by the companies operating the platforms
- the establishment of a cooperative system, with Nintendo and the participating companies actively sharing information.
Of course, this partnership will not entirely eliminate scalping, but seeing that the resale platforms listed above count among the most populars in Japan, it should make it harder for scalpers to takes advantage of desperate and/or unsuspecting customers.
Though ultimately, the best way for Nintendo to prevent scalping is to make sure offer can keep up with demand, which mandates increasing production capacities — something the company has already pledged to do.
And as a consumer, waiting for new shipments to reach official retailers is much preferrable to buying from a scalper (especially if their price is significantly higher than the MSRP). That way, you not only get to save money, you also refrain from rewarding unscrupulous sellers for abusing the system and exacerbating shortages in the first place.
Source: Nintendo
