The PlayStation 5 is one of the hottest new items of the year, with Sony's new console being in high demand everywhere it's available. With the PS5 being completely sold out, it's obviously difficult to get one, leading some to turn to nefarious deeds in order to get their own console. Amazon has now fired one of its drivers, who allegedly stole a PS5 from a customer.
Footage of the deed was captured by Jenni Walker, who ordered the PS5 for her son's birthday according to Eurogamer. In the video, the driver is seen handling a large brown box containing the PS5, delivering a few other packages, then putting the PS5 back in the van and driving off. The footage was later shared by Walker's husband, Richard, on Twitter.
Walker contacted Amazon, which promised to investigate the incident, though it later simply issued Walker a refund for the console. Walker initially resisted the refund in hopes of getting a replacement for the PS5 console that was lost, though that didn't pan out as she hoped. Walker was, however, offered a £5 gift card for her trouble, which was eventually raised to £50, though that hardly seems like just compensation considering how difficult the consoles are to find.
Walker's daughter took a slightly different approach, going to the Amazon depot the driver was based out of and talking to the site's boss, showing them the footage that the family captured of the incident. The boss confirmed that the driver worked for the depot, and the driver was subsequently fired for stealing the PS5. It's unclear what became of the PS5 in question, though the Walkers didn't end up getting the system back.
Amazon released a statement about the incident to the Oxford Mail, stating that the company has "very high standards" for how delivery drivers treat consumers' products, and confirmed that the employee had been terminated for the incident. Amazon has caught flak for its handling of the PS5 and Xbox Series X console launches, specifically in regards to delays and other delivery issues.
The rollout for the PS5 and Xbox Series X hasn't been all that smooth. Inventory issues have plagued thousands of people attempting to get their hands on consoles, and while neither has shipped with disastrous hardware problems, they have had their fair share of issues. Added to that are the combined problems of scalpers and incidents like this one, which makes things all the more frustrating for those that just want to play games on a new system.
The PS5 is available now.
Source: Eurogamer