Sony's newly-released PlayStation 5 seems the most sought-out piece of property in the world at the moment. The next-gen console dropped earlier this month but stock has been limited and even folks who preordered have experienced difficulty landing their systems.
The manufacturers have promised to make more units available for the holidays but, while the wait persists, there have been several reports of delivery companies swindling Amazon customers. Some folks in the UK have reported getting Foreman Grills and other items - even cat food - in their packaging instead of the console they ordered.
Others have reported seeing drivers stop outside of their houses only to drive off without delivering their PS5s. Jenni Walker of Oxfordshire in the UK bought her 16-year-old son a PS5 for his birthday - he turned 16 on the day the console launched in England. The teenager would have had quite the blast on his special day, however, CCTV footage caught the delivery man driving away without delivering the PS5 after having delivered other packages.
The camera caught the unnamed driver putting a large box back into his van and then driving off.
Walker's family brought this up to Amazon, who assured them the matter would be investigated. Her money was ultimately refunded and Jenni received a £50 gift voucher for her trouble. Of course, that seems pretty low when one considers how difficult it will be to get another PS5, but it's significantly better than the £5 she was initially offered.
While Jenni did not want the driver to get in trouble, for some odd reason, her husband wasn't as forgiving and made the footage public.
Walker's daughter personally drove down to the local Amazon depot and showed them the CCTV footage. The person in charge confirmed the driver was part of his staff and said he would be fired.
"We have very high standards for our delivery service providers and how they serve customers," Amazon said to the Oxford Mail on Thursday. "The delivery associate will no longer be delivering on behalf of Amazon."
The retailers have promised to do right by everyone who's experienced something similar where the PlayStation 5 is concerned.
As for the Walker family, they're currently scouring the internet in search of another console.