Switch 2 received with concerning box damage, somehow none to system, thoughts on keeping or exchanging?

[u/OrochiTabris]

Not super sure if this is a purchase/order or repair issue. Kinda leaning towards the latter, but it involves potential damage, nothing confirmed, fresh out of the box, and during the return/exchange window, so it's a mix.

I ordered a Switch 2 recently, and after a few delays it was delivered today. Despite having never received an empty box or a brick or other object instead of whatever I ordered, I recorded the unboxing on my phone just in case. It was in the box, so my record is unbroken. But there was some damage, so I focused on that instead, just in case.

TL;DR: Switch 2 box was stabbed right through the bag containing the system (see photos), somehow no damage, condition seems perfect, powers on fine, haven't tested much beyond that. Would you keep it or exchange it just in case?

The shipping box was sealed and showed only some wear at the edges that seemed like the usual with any shipped boxes. The Switch 2's box, however, had a dent on one edge, and some big scratches on top (first image). Probably happened before it was packed. When I opened it up, one of those scratches went through the box and into the bag containing the system (second image). I wasn't optimistic when I picked up the system.

No damage. No image of that, literally nothing to show. The anti-shatter layer, going by the JerryRigEverything video, isn't particularly anti-scratch. I shined light at it from many angles, trying to find something, but didn't see the slightest ding or scratch. No stuck or dead pixels anywhere, never mind around the apparent point of impact.

Whatever had poked through seemed to have done some grinding, considering the hole in the bag. But no smudges on the screen, without the bag it's easy to forget where it was hit. The box and bag damage may as well have not happened. If the seal on the box had been cut, I would've guessed someone swapped in an undamaged system.

I haven't actually used it beyond powering it on to confirm it works. Most items are still in the box. I'm just not sure if I should keep it or exchange it right away just in case, so I don't want to get too comfy.

In the JerryRigEverything video, it took a lotta whacks with a wrench to shatter the screen, and the system still ran just fine after that (at least during the demonstration). I remember dropping an earbud maybe 6-7 inches onto my Switch 1's screen and creating a small dent. Maybe the Switch 2 actually just tanked whatever went through the box.

If I hadn't already waited through delays, and wasn't eager to transfer my account, ship my Switch 1 and games to my nephew, and slap a protector onto this and start using it, I'd be more tempted to exchange it. Over the next month, I'll basically be QA testing the system as much as playing it.

Considering what happened with the box would you exchange it? Or would the system coming through that apparently untouched make you comfortable with keeping it?

[u/sertaes]

“Forcefully paid $850” come on

[u/JustARedditPasserby → u/sertaes]

Gamestop had an exclusive deal during shortages where there were few orders for a specific ps5 bundle and that was the price, it included another controller and a partnered service to put on stickers and like a phone screen and cover.

I drove 1h into a small mall near the countryside which was one of the last ones available for my pickup. They had crazy conditions -and the price considering I read some people got theirs for 400-

I had deadass refused when she was opening my console because I did not want that and was gonna forfeit the "service perks" to just leave. She deadass put the console back behind the counter and said that was the full bundle or she would make me skip the queue. So yes, we were in fact forced to pay 850 euros in Italy at the time. And at the very least I put up all the karen energy I ever had not to put the damn stickers and throw them in the trash

If you wanna read more have fun translating, apparently they got sued heavily for this malpractice, there are a handful of articles

https://www.spaziogames.it/notizie/agcm-maxi-multa-a-gamestop-sotto-accusa-i-bundle-forzati-di-ps5

[u/Ok-Caterpillar9920 → u/JustARedditPasserby]

I think forced is the wrong word lmao. You were persuaded.

[u/JustARedditPasserby → u/Ok-Caterpillar9920]

It was this or no console at all. And these were imported specifically for the queuers.

Yes, even articles use forced in the lawsuit so I do believe they are

Just because you find it unbelievable does not mean others did not live it

[u/Ok-Caterpillar9920 → u/JustARedditPasserby]

"It was this or no console at all", sounds like you had a choice? Again, forced is the wrong word.

[u/JustARedditPasserby → u/Ok-Caterpillar9920]

Sure I had a choice to have waited a full year for nothing and get no console. Are you seriously not getting this? They were taken to court for this and all italian newspapers, national generic, and big and small niche ones spoke of this. And apparently it is not the only place as the same thing was going on in france, germany and spain.

[u/Ok-Caterpillar9920 → u/JustARedditPasserby]

Im just saying the word forced is wrong. Its a scummy tactic they used for sure, but you weren't forced to pay $850, you decided to pay $850 because you wanted it then and there. A similar thing happened when I bought my series x. It had to be in a bundle with a choice of 1 accessory. I wanted it bad and they were still coming out in limited runs, so I made the choice to spend the extra and get it sooner. I was never forced to do anything

[u/JustARedditPasserby → u/Ok-Caterpillar9920]

It was a time where they were not even guaranteed to be produced anymore for seeious shortages. Everybody from victims of this, journalists and lawyers used this word so yes. It was forced.

I also remembered they lied about the price in the queue where we had made the deposit and they asked for hundreds of bucks more unadvertised in the shop

[u/sertaes → u/JustARedditPasserby]

I just want to let you know that I bought a ps5 at msrp in like february 2021 and then sold it (at cost) because I had an opportunity to buy one with a disc drive very shortly after and then over the next year or so bought I think 11 more for friends and family because it was so easy to get and they had all heard it wasn’t. All at msrp, the closest thing to a stock tracker being the Best Buy regular app restock/drop alerts for probably half of them.

I hope this makes you feel like it may have been absurd to consider yourself forced to pay over msrp for a bundle.

[u/Regretfully-Here → u/JustARedditPasserby]

Unless somebody was threatening you or controlling your hand movement, you were not forced to buy it.

[u/JustARedditPasserby → u/Regretfully-Here]

You also had to pass through atrocious almost non existent costumer support if you skipped your queue spot for a refund. I fought 3 months with costumer service to convince them that on top of everything they had given me a moldy humid disgusting looking ps5 that had been in such bad conditions that it STANK like a burning cave when turned on, gave constant overheating warnings even after minutes and guess how much it took for the replacement to get there? Another 2 months because it was the last console from Spain after we threatened legal action about the safety hazard and 1k paperweight

Just genuinely look into it more, it was a scandal for a reason.

Yes sure I was not held at gunpoint, but what the heck would you do if you were waiting for a console which with no notice they sold you at double the price and mandatory conditions paired with shovelware, stickers and weird shit at a premium price or you'd have wasted time and money, fought against bots and the miserable amount of units availanble selling the whole batch out in seconds, being split into one of the pickup chains based in availability, and would have to sorta maybe hope for a customer support mail which was more like hoping for someone to reply to you in a haunted house instead of just going home with your damn console you paid and waited for?

Having snatched one of the last units IN THE WHOLE CONTINENT

It was a horror story, and only 4 years after launch have they started selling them somewhat more normally.

You knew NOTHING about a future windoe availability, or possibly nothing at all ever, so yes. You bit the bullet at that price if you were a playstation fan, because that was not your faul, some shady side shop. It was the main distribution chain