The Weirdest Things People Received Instead Of Their PS5
The PlayStation 5 finally launched on Nov. 12, 2020. A lot of fans were unable to secure preorders for the new systems, while the lucky ones eventually ran into issues with Amazon pushing back their PS5 delivery dates. Even worse, when PlayStation 5 consoles began shipping to customers' homes, more than a few people discovered that their packages contained multitudes of incorrect items.
All over the world, people are reporting receiving bizarre replacement packages instead of their PS5 consoles. It's unclear exactly how this keeps happening, or what is going to be done about it. These packages seem to be part of some practical joke, and they might be funny if people hadn't already dropped a good amount of money on their new gaming systems. Still, some of these strange deliveries are just so truly odd that they have to be seen to be believed.
Without further ado, here are the the weirdest things people received instead of their PS5.
Toilet paper
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused all kinds of product shortages over the course of 2020. One particular item that has become an unexpectedly hot commodity in the age of lockdowns and quarantine has been toilet paper. It seems that new social distancing restrictions lead to a number of people stockpiling the stuff, which in turn leads to retailers all over the world reporting a severe lack of supply.
However, Amazon apparently had plenty of extra TP in stock. One PlayStation customer in the UK told The Sun that Amazon had delivered a package that he expected to contain his PlayStation 5. Unfortunately, the box actually contained three packages of toilet paper. While that might seem to be a bit of a blessing in the later half of 2020, this customer was not at all pleased.
In an incredibly apt choice of words, this customer then told The Sun, "I've had a right bum deal." Unfortunately for several other customers, this was just the start of the weird items being sent out in place of PlayStation 5 consoles.
Yummy, yummy cat food
When the PlayStation 5 was first revealed during Sony's 2020 Future of Gaming livestream event, one of the first details people noticed was just how big the console really is. While the PS5 isn't about to bust any scales, it is definitely heftier than Sony's preceding systems, coming in at 14.7 lbs. As Happy Mag's Iain Lew once quipped, that means the system weighs roughly the same as a chunky cat. That fact makes this particular replacement delivery feel oddly appropriate.
One fan on Twitter reported received a container of Purina Felix brand cat food in their Amazon delivery box. This person tweeted an image of the package with the caption, "[L]ove to have been waiting all day for my PS5 delivery only for this to show up at 10pm, is this a joke[?]"
This user also made sure to tweet a picture of the kind of tape used to seal the box, which seemed to be different from Amazon's standard packing procedures. The whole package seemed fishy, and not in a way that would be appealing to a cat.
A bag of rice
Adam Sullivan, UI Designer for Space Ape Games, received a single bag of rice in the mail. To be fair, it was a big bag, but it was clearly not what he was hoping to receive from Amazon. Sullivan immediately tweeted an image of the rice inside the Amazon package, writing, "So went to open my PlayStation 5 that I ordered from @AmazonUK and found this! Some one has replaced it with rice! I wish I was joking!"
Sullivan continued reaching out to Amazon UK to try to get the situation resolved, and his story quickly blew up on Twitter when it was reported by national news outlets. Sullivan quipped that it was nice of Amazon to tell him that he didn't have to return the rice, but it was clear that he really wanted to either get his PS5 or his money back. Eventually, Amazon UK issued a refund for Sullivan's original order, leaving him with a ton of rice and no system to play his new PS5 games on.
An air fryer
An air fryer is a fantastic invention that allows people to recreate some of their fried favorites in the comfort of their own kitchen, minus all of the dangerous popping grease. Pretty much anyone would be excited to receive one of these bad boys in the mail. Unfortunately for a couple of Amazon customers, they ended up getting an air fryer when what they really wanted was a PlayStation 5.
Journalist Bex April May posted a video on her Twitter account showing an unboxing video gone hilariously wrong. Though she had ordered a new Sony console, she in fact cut open the box to discover an air fryer. Maybe that's a more pleasant surprise than cat food or a bag of rice, but it's still a far cry from a next-gen gaming system.
"Happy #PS5 day everyone," May tweeted. "Tried to document our [PS5's] unveiling, but Amazon have tricked us with an unsolicited air fryer instead (after giving delivery password). Anyone else had this problem today?"
As a matter of fact, yes — or at least, several people have had very similar problems.