According to one fan, “GameStop did right by me,” IGN reported. “A new system was substituted for it. To address the staple issue, they must have shipped Switch 2s to that location today.
Another customer, who also had their Switch 2 replaced, claimed that GameStop acted swiftly to obtain extra inventory from nearby retailers so that replacements could be delivered right away.
As detailed below, the retailer promised to “make customers whole” in a statement to IGN yesterday. Fortunately, it appears that this process has started.
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Staples can easily pierce the console’s packaging, which consists of a thin cardboard box and a thin plastic envelope containing the main Switch 2 unit, as seen in photos taken by a string of Switch 2 customers.
“The receipt for my friends’ and my Switch 2s was stapled to the box by GameStop. One fan wrote, “FML,” last night after returning home from a midnight store opening where they had eagerly picked up their console. “Genuinely insane now I’m gonna have to wait three months for the restock.”
Receipts from the same GameStop location in Staten Island, which seems to have stapled receipts to a large portion of their midnight launch Switch 2 inventory, are included in numerous photos illustrating the issue. One attendee shared a video of the midnight launch, which shows a long line of customers waiting at this specific GameStop location. Many of them now seem to have been affected similarly.
Another impacted customer stated on Reddit, “Midnight release went bad for me,” adding that staples had also punctured their console screen. “Everyone there appears to have had the same thing done to their boxes. Tonight, there were more than 100 people present.
“Hi there! In an effort to get in touch with GameStop and Nintendo, a third fan with a broken Switch 2 posted on social media, “My Switch 2 has staple holes in the screen.” “They stapled the receipt to the box at 1756 Forest Ave, Staten Island, NY 10303 and it damaged the screen.” Nintendo and GameStop have not yet responded to the fan.
“Me and my homie here (we never met before) were unfortunately at the same GameStop and this happened to me and another buddy!” On Reddit, another admirer posted. “Think the entire pre-order batch is completely f***ed.”
IGN questioned Nintendo and GameStop for their opinions and if merchants might be alerted of the possible problem with handling Switch 2 inventory.
A GameStop representative later told IGN, “We are looking into the matter and will make customers whole.”
Those impacted have criticized GameStop, but fans are also surprised that Nintendo did not take more precautions to safeguard the main unit of the Switch 2, including its screen, inside the console’s packaging.
One fan with a broken Switch 2 remarked, “I’m not going to be too critical of the staff, but it looks like it was packaged carelessly.” “Why is there so little protection and the screen is facing up? They are still fools for stapling it, after all.
The primary element of the Switch 2 is placed at the front of the cardboard box that holds the console, and the screen is oriented outward. (After opening my own Switch 2 console this morning, I can attest that there isn’t much to shield the screen from harm.)
Many fans have been contacted by IGN after they were left with a Switch 2 that was damaged on the day of the console’s launch due to circumstances beyond their control. We were informed by a GameStop customer that they would return the console when the store reopened later today. They probably won’t be alone.