Is It Safe to Buy PS5 From eBay and Other Marketplaces? Detailed Analysis!

The shortage of semiconductors in the world has affected many industries, including the giant of the gaming industry, Sony. The lack of electronic components first leads to an increase in the price of the final product, but then comes the inevitable stage – scarcity. In such a situation, when purchasing a new console PS5 in official stores is not possible, people are looking for alternatives. Today we tell you whether it is safe to buy PS5 on eBay and other marketplaces, what risks await buyers, and how to recognize scammers.

Where to Buy a Game Console Safely

Millions of gamers are wondering: where is the safest place to buy a console? The answer is obvious – in any official store certified by Sony.

Buying from such a shop will not only allow you not to worry about the console’s performance, even without checking the serial number, but in the case of malfunction, you will have an official warranty. Yes, buying a console, no one thinks about the fact that it has a factory defect, but the reality is that they break.

In 1 in 10 cases it is a failure of the drive, which can turn into serious problems and completely disable the PS5.

Repairing this unit yourself is impossible (and even illegal) due to the need to reflash the operating system. If you do not have a warranty, you will have to pay for repairs, an amount equal to a significant percentage of the cost of the console.

Bottom line – it’s better to overpay and buy your PlayStation 5 from a trusted store, especially if you live in a region or country with few Sony service centers. So, the company is obliged to help you, but without a guarantee, it is your problem, and it is possible that in addition to repair you will have to pay for the console to move to another city and back.

How to Completely Check Your PS5 Console Before You Buy It

If you decide to buy a console and doubt its authenticity, read the article on how to check the PS5 when buying from hand. We recommend focusing on these items:

Checking serial number. This is the first thing you should do. Remember – the code is written only on the bottom panel of the console. Inscriptions on the box or elsewhere may only include the series and model. If you are told otherwise, and the code is the same, you are facing a scammer;
Examine the package contents. It may not seem that important, but when you want to invite a friend to play together or find out that there is no power cable or connection, it will be unpleasant;
Be sure to check the joystick. It has a serial number on it too. Inspect the grooves and screw notches. The DualSense is easy to disassemble, and not only dust clean like the PS5 but also removes traces of flooding in water or sugary drinks;
Check the PS5 case for signs of tampering. The side covers come off easily and safely, be sure to see what’s underneath. Pay attention to the bolts – if you can see that they were unscrewed, at least ask why. If the warranty seals have been removed, this is a serious cause for concern, especially if the console is still under warranty;
The console should not be banned from PSN. It’s easy to log into your active PS account and go to the game store. If it opens, everything works;
Check PlayStation 5 in games. Preferably in two. The first – is a new title in 4K 120 FPS and using raytracing technology to test the performance under load. The second – is Astro’s Playroom to test the functionality of all joystick functions. You can choose from a list of games to try. All the squeaks and squeaks are a serious reason to ask for a discount or even refuse to buy. We have already talked about PS5 noises. We recommend reading about them.

Analysis of Main Platforms Where You Can Buy or Sell PS5

Among a large number of sites, a number of the most popular will consider.

For the Seller

Selling a console isn’t easy either. Is it safe to sell the PS5 on eBay? It’s all relative here. You don’t have to meet unknown people, and the company regulates the honesty of transactions. But no one rules out the nuances – buyers don’t want to take the package, ask to bring down the price, and pile on many questions. It’s all undesirable but unavoidable even in person, so selling a console on eBay is safe and convenient because the site tracks transactions and can influence controversial issues.

To minimize the risk of force majeure, read how to prepare your PS5 for sale, enter safe mode and, if necessary, reset to default settings.

Remember that noise in the acceptable range is the norm for the PS5. We recommend reviewing the material on extraneous noises in the console and how to properly insert the disc into the drive to defend your position in the haggling firmly.

An important point – if the console began to malfunction and this was the reason for the hasty sale, we recommend reading the problems that can be eliminated on their own and will pass any check by the buyers:

Freezing, sluggishness at a good connection speed;
Spontaneous switching the console on and off;
DualSense malfunctions: Inability to connect wirelessly and the appearance of a noticeable delay in games.

For the Buyer

There are no consoles in the stores, so you must look for options and choose among the safe sites. The best option is the official Sony store, but resellers work in groups and sweep up all the receipts in a matter of minutes. For example, the CrepChiefNotify group from the UK was buying up 1,000+ consoles (of different brands) with every new arrival. On the plus side, unlike scammers who send bricks in the original sealed PS5 boxes, resellers sell the original consoles but at a significant markup.

And such stories aren’t alone – there are plenty of posts about failed PlayStation 5 purchases on eBay, told on Reddit, and even delivery car robberies with consoles.

eBay

There is always a chance of running into scammers. But if the product is scarce and there is a lot of noise around it, you should be even more careful. The imagination of dishonest sellers knows no boundaries. On eBay, they already sold photos of PS5 for hundreds of dollars, empty boxes, photo shoots with the console, and made lotteries – for a symbolic amount. In addition, they offered to participate in the drawing of the new generation console. Of course, these “sellers” included the “nuances” of the deal in the description and always wrote that there were no refunds.

Scam PlayStation 5 listings on eBay peaked at the start of the sale, and the phenomenon was so massive that eBay wrote a post condemning such sellers and assuring them that it would soon ban their accounts. Today it’s not as widespread, but there’s an even greater danger – criminals have their hands free again.

Amazon

As in the case with eBay, buyers on Amazon encountered all kinds of fraud – some were sent cat food, a fryer, and other products that were not even close in value to the PS5.

In addition, Amazon is a “notorious” delivery service – when couriers drove up to the house, stood for a while, marked the order as delivered, and left with the console, also not unique.

If you want to buy on Amazon – use CamelCamelCamel. It helps not to watch the price yourself. Instead, set your desired price, and as soon as the site has the appropriate offer, you will receive an e-mail to your address. Also, on the site, you can see the maximum and minimum prices for all time and other data.

Other Sites

For convenience, we have made a summary table of popular and trusted craigslists to buy PS5 on the Internet. Of course, when purchasing from them, you still need to be careful and monitor your country’s console prices.

Marketplace	Information
StockX	It was created in 2016. This popular service deals with original resale goods – especially sneakers and consoles. The security is good, but you have to pay more. As of mid-2021, StockX had sold more than 140,000 consoles, and the pace has only increased;
Facebook	You see the person’s profile when you buy a PS5 through Facebook directly or in a group. This option does not guarantee security – there is no middleman, but you can evaluate the Facebook profile. Scammers rarely use the main account – avoid profiles that are unfilled or crowded with ads. Be sure to ask for additional photos from a non-standard angle – that way, you can make sure the photos are real and not downloaded from the Internet;
Mercari	A legitimate site, but there are scammers on it. Users are not advised to buy PS5 here.
OfferUp	Users do not trust this site – on Quora and Reddit, there are many posts about fraudulent schemes related to the store;
Alibaba	You can find very cheap options. Be sure to read the reviews and see the terms – usually, the catch is in quantity (buy from three pieces at a nice price) or expensive delivery at your expense. You may also have problems with Chinese consoles in terms of connecting your wallet and registering a region to buy games;
Walmart	A good option, the store regularly restocks consoles, and the number of user complaints is minimal;
Craigslist	A well-known buying and selling site, but in the case of the PlayStation 5, there are often scammers. Do not transfer money before checking and check the product if you decide to buy;
Kijiji	Very popular on Canada craigslist, but judging by the reviews, we recommend buying PS5 on the site with great caution.

To summarize, where are the safest places to buy a PS5: eBay, Amazon, StockX, and Walmart. That’s not to say that you can’t buy an original PS5 profitably on the other sites, just that the risks are higher. Therefore, we advise you to be careful about buying from any place.

Keep an eye on the cost for Europe and Japan at this PS5 resale price tracker site – a selection of different languages and currencies is available. If you have questions directly to Sony Technical Support, you can find the numbers and contacts of the company in other countries. Feel free to ask questions!

Useful Video

In this article, we’ve analyzed the main aspects of buying/selling a console online and tried to tell you about all the nuances of the purchase. Is it worth buying PS5 on eBay or other well-known sites? If you want to buy PlatyStation5, do not want to wait, and are willing to overpay, the answer is an unequivocal “yes”. Using the information from the article, your own experience, and be sure to check the product and the seller (do not look at profiles without reviews), you can buy PS5, perhaps not as fast and profitable but safe.