With the help of Japan’s prime online retailers, Nintendo has come to hinder the trading of Switch 2 machines, primarily keeping an eye on fakes and scalping activities.
With demand for the Switch 2 far exceeding supply, Nintendo has announced a collaboration with three of Japan’s biggest online platforms to combat the resale of the console.
Each platform is implementing different levels of restrictions, but Yahoo Auctions (and its flea market app) has gone the furthest — banning all Switch 2 listings for the foreseeable future.
According to an official statement from Nintendo Japan, the gaming giant is working with Mercari Inc., Yahoo Line Corporation, and Rakuten Group Inc. To block fake listings of the Switch 2 and other Nintendo products, these restrictions apply over Mercari, Yahoo Auctions/Yahoo Flea Market, and Rakuten Rakuma – three of the biggest online marketplaces in Japan where one can do second-hand reselling of items, both individual and corporate.
Among the three, Yahoo has taken the strictest stance, announcing a complete ban on Switch 2 listings starting June 5, the console’s release date. This applies across both Yahoo Auctions and Yahoo’s flea market app. Listings that violate this policy will be removed, and repeat offenders may face account suspensions. As of now, the ban is open-ended, with Yahoo saying they’ll announce an end date later. The Switch 2 ban falls under Yahoo’s “Prohibited Items” category, which allows for the banning of high-demand products if their resale is seen as encouraging confusion, price inflation, or hoarding.
Meanwhile, Rakuten Rakuma has also issued a statement, saying it’s prohibiting Switch 2 and related product listings before the release date. The company reminded users that listing items they don’t physically possess or can’t verify the condition of goes against Rakuma’s policies.
Mercari has taken a more nuanced approach. In its press release, Mercari said it’s strengthening its measures by agreeing to share information with Nintendo and remove specific listings that violate its guidelines. Since March 2025, Mercari has already been requiring ID verification from users listing high-value items — a policy that will now extend to Switch 2 sellers as well.
A Look at the Bigger Picture
In Japan, over 2.2 million people entered the first official lottery on the My Nintendo Store for a chance to buy the Switch 2 on launch day — far exceeding both Nintendo’s expectations and initial supply. The massive hype has already been exploited by scammers tricking the unsuspecting into giving away personal and payment information through fake lottery winner emails.
Already another sign of Nintendo cracking down harder on fake listings, frauds, and price gouging relating to the Switch 2 launch are this new partnership with Japan’s biggest online marketplaces.
