Yahoo! Auctions, Japan’s equivalent of eBay, issued an announcement on October 14 about listings that include the Nintendo Switch 2. The platform will continue its strict ban on all deals involving the console, and has announced that bundles containing the upcoming Pokémon Legends Z-A and Switch 2 will likewise fall under the same restriction.
Although it’s been months since the Switch 2’s global launch and the start of Yahoo! Auctions’s ban, the platform cites concerns over potential “disruptions of the marketplace and fraudulent listings.” This is likely due to demand for the console still being high in Japan.
This comes only a few days after Mercari, another leading Japanese e-commerce platform, announced that it would be cracking down on exploitative or fraudulent product listings. In the announcement, they specifically single out the Switch 2 as an example. Interestingly, when the console initially released in June, Mercari maintained a comparatively easygoing attitude towards Switch 2 listings, prioritizing marketplace freedom. However, it seems they’ve decided to revise their stance in light of numerous issues between sellers and buyers on the platform.
The recent announcements may also be related to agreements with Nintendo, given that both Yahoo Japan and Mercari signed anti-scalping partnerships with the company in May this year.
