PS5 shoppers were sent random items instead — Here's what Amazon is doing about it

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Amazon is reassuring frustrated customers

PS5
(Image credit: Sony)

PS5 orders (and pre-orders) have proven to be an absolute mess. Whether it's because Walmart sold out its stock in less than a minute or because scalpers are programming bots to buyout thousands of consoles then resell them for triple the price, there are too many facets of this experience that have been nightmarish for consumers.

However, things seemed to just keep getting worse when buyers in the United Kingdom opened their PS5 packages to find random items instead. IGN reporter Bex April May recounted her own experience in which she opened up the supposed PS5 package and instead received an air fryer.

Amazon is finally responding to this mess, confirming that it managed to secure a new stock of PS5 consoles. Customers in the United Kingdom who reported being affected by this will be sent a new PS5 within the next two weeks.

The email Amazon sent reads: "We are pleased to confirm that we will be able to secure a PlayStation 5 for you as a replacement for the order that you didn’t receive." However, consumers do need to confirm that they wish to re-order the PS5 from Amazon in order for it to go through.

Even then, there's no explanation for how this even happened. Hundreds of consumers were either left with random items or a notification that suggested the console was delivered but no actual box showed up. Certain theories suggest this wasn't an accident, but instead, the product of conscious manipulation.

In May's tweet, we can see that the box was shut with clear tape, and apparently, many consumers in the UK also noticed this. Amazon boxes are usually sealed with a distinct black tape that shows the company's logo. It's possible that someone opened these boxes, stole as many PS5 consoles as they could, and replaced them with miscellaneous items before shutting the package again with generic boxing tape.

Obviously, this is just speculation, but something strange definitely happened and Amazon has yet to confirm what exactly went down.

Claire Tabari
Claire Tabari
Contributing Writer

Self-described art critic and unabashedly pretentious, Claire finds joy in impassioned ramblings about her closeness to video games. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Media Studies from Brooklyn College and five years of experience in entertainment journalism. Claire is a stalwart defender of the importance found in subjectivity and spends most days overwhelmed with excitement for the past, present and future of gaming. When she isn't writing or playing Dark Souls, she can be found eating chicken fettuccine alfredo and watching anime.