A bluffed posting on gaming website Evil Avatar had the Internet in a stir, claiming EB Games and GameStop managers were conspiring to strip away pre-orders from users who were auctioning their receipts on eBay. Considering how strict eBay has become in the past couple of weeks, this next step, while not welcomed by many, wouldn't have been too surprising, though we doubt there's a legal precedent.
Next Generation confirmed with the retailer, however, that no such practice is in place. "Are we canceling pre-orders that appear on eBay? The answer to that is no," said Chris Olivera, director of public and media relations at GameStop.
So, for the time being, eBay auctions remain safe, but Sony recommends you don't pay attention to them.
"It has come to the attention of Sony Computer Entertainment America that a number of websites are currently promoting pre-order offers on discounted or bulk shipments of the upcoming PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system. Such offers are not done with any cooperation from SCEA or its parent company. SCEA strongly recommends against consumers pursuing such offers, as their legitimacy cannot be confirmed. We recommend consumers purchased PlayStation products only from authorized SCEA retailers and resellers."
To sell or not to sell. That, my friends, is the question.