Switchmas Day is finally upon us, but some unlucky Switch 2 recipients have had a nasty surprise when unwrapping their presents from Miyamoto Claus. Reports have surfaced of retailers carelessly stapling receipts right through the console’s packaging and into its screen.
Anyone that’s already purchased a Switch 2 might have noticed just how neatly Nintendo’s squeezed the thing into its relatively small box. In order to achieve that compact footprint, the company has settled on a packing configuration that places the slimline console right at the top pile, up against the cardboard surroundings with just a thin sleeve to protect it from scratches.
It most cases, it’s a perfectly fine approach, but not when retailer carelessness – and improper use of a staple gun – is factored in. Numerous customers have taken to the internet following yesterday’s midnight launch to report they’d excitedly unpacked their Switch 2s, only to discover that staples used to attach their receipts to the front of the box had gone straight through two layers of cardboard, through the console’s protective sleeve, and become embedded right into Switch 2’s prominent screen.
“GameStop stapled the receipt for me and my friends Switch 2s to the box,” one disgruntled customer wrote on social media, adding an entirely understandable, “FML.” They also attached a sad image of their console’s shiny new display, now sporting two very noticeable puncture holes. Similar stories have been posted to the GameStop subreddit, although some have now been removed after they highlighted a specific GameStop store.
“This happened to me and another buddy [at the same GameStop]!”, one Redditor wrote in response to a now-deleted post. “Think the entire pre order batch is completely fucked.” IGN, which saw the posts prior their removal, reports the issue primarily appears to have impacted Switch 2’s purchased at one busy GameStop in New York, but it’s unclear if the aggressive frontal use of a staple gun is company policy across all its stores.
Eurogamer contacted GameStop for clarification on the extent of issue, to see what it’s doing to prevent similar occurrences elsewhere across its stores, and how it will be ensuring impacted customers receive a new Switch 2 in a timely manner – hopefully one that doesn’t whistle in the wind this time around. “We are currently investigating this matter,” a company spokesperson responded. “We will make the customer whole if there was damage.”