GameStop investigates Astoria store over forced Switch 2 pre-order bundles
"Any customer who was turned away at the Astoria location should reach out via DM so we can make it right."
Update: See our in-depth Nintendo Switch 2 review, which is live after a week of thoroughly testing the new console. Check out our full Switch 2 news stories, too.
🕵️♂️ GameStop is investigating complaints about an Astoria store pushing expensive Switch 2 pre-order bundles
😡 A customers reported being forced to buy bundles with accessories, raising the price
🙏 GameStop's Help account urged affected customers to reach out via DM for resolution
😬 Switch 2 pre-orders on GameStop's website sold out quickly after technical issues and crashes
Hundreds of people turned to traditional brick-and-mortar GameStop stores to pre-order Nintendo Switch 2 consoles. However, complaints were made against an Astoria store in Queens, New York, for pushing expensive Switch 2 pre-order bundles onto customers.
In a post on X, Elea Tsentzelis, an Emmy winning audio engineer, claimed that the GameStop store they lined up for was "forcing" people to buy bundles that included accessories such as cases, and screen protectors, which would hike up the price.
"So this GameStop is forcing you to buy bundles, cases, screen protectors, etc." Tesentzelis posted. "They’re claiming they can’t process the SKU just for the console, but we all know what’s going on here. Personally, I want Donkey Kong [Bananza] and a screen protector, so it isn’t a big deal, others are leaving."
As someone who worked at a retailer during the PS4 and Xbox One console launches, this practice isn't uncommon. However, it was always an offer, not a requirement. Stores want to make as big a mark up as possible, and bundling in superfluous accessories – especially if they're a company's own brand – is an easy way to achieve this. Pushing warranty schemes is also a high priority during new console launches.
However, I've never known customers to be forced into buying a bundle, and it isn't surprising that some people walked away entirely. Obviously, this isn't ethical or fair for people who just wanted to pre-order a Switch 2, and it's led GameStop to announce it’s investigating the matter.
In a response to Tesentzelis's post, the GameStop Help account said: "We are actively investigating this. Any customer who was turned away at the Astoria location should reach out via DM so we can make it right."
The problem is, I'm not sure how GameStop can make this right. One, it will be near enough impossible to verify who was actually at the store. And with Switch 2 stock being in such short supply, it's not like they can easily rectify the situation.
By chance, we visited the Astoria store and found that less than 100 Switch 2 consoles were available before doors opened, with the majority being for the Mario Kart World bundle.
GameStop was the last retailer to go live with Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders, and it wasn't exactly smooth sailing. The company's website and app crashed immediately, and many consumers quickly abandoned their efforts to buy the console. A few hours later, GameStop announced it had officially sold out of Switch 2 pre-orders.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.