Family Opens Fake, Wooden PS4 Christmas Morning

Megalith

Megalith

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Wait, what’s to stop me from buying a PS4, returning a piece of wood instead, and telling Target that someone screwed me over?

…the joy was quickly ripped away when he opened the box and inside was a wooden model of a PS4. The fake PS4 perfect fit in the packaging that wasn't tampered with. On the underside of the fake were scribbles and a profane message.
 
What PS4 comes in a white box like that? Is that is what is inside the bundle systems now?
 
Glad to see Target make good on the purchase and even sweeten the deal with an extra $100 gift card and extra game.
 
You think that's devasting kid? Wait till you find out it wasn't a bad elf that did that, and that Santa isn't real. Ya.



I don't want to generalize, but I would *imagine* that simply having tape on both ends of a box is good enough for most customer service associates at these stores. Not because of policy, but because they don't give a crap OR they don't want to listen to sob story from the scammer trying to return it.

Some companies, especially larger ones, also accept these scams as a matter of policy. It's cheaper to suck up the cost of a couple PS4's here and there then invest in preventative measures. Much cheaper.
 
At first I found this story to be a funny prank. Parents made a replica and played a joke. But then reading and seeing it happened to a 9 year old, yeah. Not a prank.
 
Baditude said:
Glad to see Target make good on the purchase and even sweeten the deal with an extra $100 gift card and extra game.
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They'll also press charges on the person who returned it, target takes down the serial numbers on the boxes for sales and returns.
 
westrock2000 said:
You think that's devasting kid? Wait till you find out it wasn't a bad elf that did that, and that Santa isn't real. Ya.



I don't want to generalize, but I would *imagine* that simply having tape on both ends of a box is good enough for most customer service associates at these stores. Not because of policy, but because they don't give a crap OR they don't want to listen to sob story from the scammer trying to return it.

Some companies, especially larger ones, also accept these scams as a matter of policy. It's cheaper to suck up the cost of a couple PS4's here and there then invest in preventative measures. Much cheaper.
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I know, even if it had tape they are supposed to open and inspect the item. I know it doesn't happen but still doesn't excuse them either. Good on target for helping out.
 
I cringed reading that article. Not only does it have typos, but they tried way too hard with the Christmas theme. It's just kind of pathetic when I see that combination...
 
Megalith said:
Wait, what’s to stop me from buying a PS4, returning a piece of wood instead, and telling Target that someone screwed me over?

…the joy was quickly ripped away when he opened the box and inside was a wooden model of a PS4. The fake PS4 perfect fit in the packaging that wasn't tampered with. On the underside of the fake were scribbles and a profane message.
Click to expand...

To some degree it fits into the category of things where most people wouldn't intentionally try and pull this scam (return a product and say you were screwed over) just because they would try and be honest.
 
Semantics said:
They'll also press charges on the person who returned it, target takes down the serial numbers on the boxes for sales and returns.
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Pretty much. I want to see an update to this once Target deals with it.
 
While this sucks for this family fuck them for running to the media. Go to the store, take the item back and be done with it. Like how the reporter has to comment on how they are the only station the showed up when they took the item back. Big fucking deal, nobody should have shown up.
 
Serial number is going to be the downfall of the pranksters. Once Sony gets involved the PS4 will be taken off line and associated account permanently banned.
 
Trimlock said:
They are supposed to be checking the boxes on returns
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sometimes they don't look opened or are not returns and inside theft is to blame it seems target comes up more often than others perhaps they have some sort of draw to thieves the others don't a mark perhaps that draws the eye...:p

This is becoming enough of a thing i would say it is sound advise for everyone to open it in the store and check it before you drop 400-1000 dollars on something that is supposed to be in the box.

Sony usually has a window to allow for the direct scanning of the serial on the console itself ps2 ps3 and i think the ps4 all have it you can look in there see shit like this.

Honestly I think this needs a harsher punishment than normal theft.

I can only imagine how pissed i would be if i were to have this happen to me...

I know how miffed i was when amazon sent me the wrong item I got the gun to a wire feed welder a 60-80 dollar part where I had ordered type 5 titanium filler rod a 10 piece bundle for a project I am planning cost 12 dollars. The seller was very happy to take my exchange...
 
AceGoober said:
Serial number is going to be the downfall of the pranksters. Once Sony gets involved the PS4 will be taken off line and associated account permanently banned.
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Actually from what i hear this is seldom what happens as thieves typically flip it for cash and let who ever buys it off the truck deal with it.

Honestly I would want sony, apple, samsung, Microsoft to push a special update to the stolen device that bricks it with the only response on the screen is a page saying this device has been marked stolen serial number XXXXXXXXXXX please call this number or the local authorities to begin processing the investigation.

And this is the only response the device will give with the exception of phones those will have a emergency call button and be able to dial 911. Otherwise the options are turn in the stolen property or throw it out and go buy a not stolen one.
 
Exavior said:
While this sucks for this family fuck them for running to the media. Go to the store, take the item back and be done with it. Like how the reporter has to comment on how they are the only station the showed up when they took the item back. Big fucking deal, nobody should have shown up.
Click to expand...

Running to the media works. Especially for those that get screwed from online purchases. How many times have you seen these companies tell consumers tough cookies and left them holding the wooden box and little junior unhappy. Good for them if it makes the company tighten up returns or whatever process to keep this from happening again.
 
Exavior said:
While this sucks for this family fuck them for running to the media. Go to the store, take the item back and be done with it. Like how the reporter has to comment on how they are the only station the showed up when they took the item back. Big fucking deal, nobody should have shown up.
Click to expand...

From what it sounded like the press and media was there covering the onrush of returns a very typical story that is done nearly every year.

Also if they had not done so most places like target and walmart will tell the family to pound sand and accuse them of being the ones to put the fake in the box to begin with.

Those stories make the news far more often than the ones where the outlet mans up and does the right thing. To make it right by the family.
 
Call me paranoid, but after having something similar happen to me with a window air conditioner unit, if I can I open the box in the store I check it right there on the spot. If not, I open the box in my car and check it.

The store where I bought the air conditioner from took back the air conditioner that I bought since it obviously wasn't the one that was supposed to be in the box. Inspecting the box closer, you could see that they opened up the bottom of the box and then carefully re-taped it. Unless you looked REALLY closely you couldn't tell that it was resealed.

The only thing that's bugging me with this PS4 story is that it seems like whomever did it went through a LOT of trouble to make a wooden PS4. It's obviously not an exact model of the console, but it's still about $20 worth of wood and wood screws in that thing (not counting the tools and time put into it too). It'd have been cheaper and less money to put a bag of sand in the thing.
 
Semantics said:
They'll also press charges on the person who returned it, target takes down the serial numbers on the boxes for sales and returns.
Click to expand...

That probably won't fly unless they can prove the box wasn't tampered with from the time of return to the time the family opened it. Or it was already bought via stolen cc, etc.
 
I could probably build a dozen fake wood PS4s just from leftover wood scraps in my basement, that isn't $20 of materials there :p
 
I bought an Xbox One for my boy this Christmas, I couldn't imagine how devastated he would have been if he thought Santa was fucking with him. Thankfully, I had opened the box to install all the updates, games, and apps prior to xmas so he didn't have to wait for an hour or two after it being physically set up to use it. Had it been a wooden console, I would have had a couple weeks to return it and get a real one.
 
auntjemima said:
Pretty much. I want to see an update to this once Target deals with it.
Click to expand...

I'd like to know if this was a return or an inside job.

If this was a return, the return person wasn't doing their job.
Years ago I bought a digital picture frame that Target had on clearance. After I got home I looked it up on line, and the reviews where terrible, so I returned it the next day. It was still in a sealed box, but they opened it and check to make sure everything was there anyways.
 
Semantics said:
They'll also press charges on the person who returned it, target takes down the serial numbers on the boxes for sales and returns.
Click to expand...

Press charges for what? They have no case. There's no way Target can prove that the person who did the original return is the one who committed the fraud. There's too many hands in between the manufacturer and the final retail store for them to clearly say without a reasonable doubt that so&so committed a crime.

Furthermore, the serial number means jack if they used a gift card, prepaid card, or cash. There's no registration required and I highly doubt the fraudster filled out a warranty registration card.

Not condoning the practice, but I'm almost positive target will simply add this to their loss line items.
 
i dont know why, but as a hardcore gamer. I dont think i would buy my 9 year old kid a current gen console... :|
 
Fifth Horseman said:
Call me paranoid, but after having something similar happen to me with a window air conditioner unit, if I can I open the box in the store I check it right there on the spot. If not, I open the box in my car and check it.

The store where I bought the air conditioner from took back the air conditioner that I bought since it obviously wasn't the one that was supposed to be in the box. Inspecting the box closer, you could see that they opened up the bottom of the box and then carefully re-taped it. Unless you looked REALLY closely you couldn't tell that it was resealed.

The only thing that's bugging me with this PS4 story is that it seems like whomever did it went through a LOT of trouble to make a wooden PS4. It's obviously not an exact model of the console, but it's still about $20 worth of wood and wood screws in that thing (not counting the tools and time put into it too). It'd have been cheaper and less money to put a bag of sand in the thing.
Click to expand...

He even put a message on the wood... Guy who took it is a dickbag if he had just used rocks he would at least have just been a thief.

And sadly the thief has maybe one way of being punished but I'm sure who ever bought the discount ps4 from the thief is who will be punished... As the only way to do anything at this point is on Sony to blacklist the serial but that is not typical as it can still get psn and game money and to blacklist them would just be bad for the image...

Target gets free PR and still only has to mark the one machine down and game and 100 card... Any other time of the year though he would likely have been Sol.
 
Spidey329 said:
Press charges for what? They have no case. There's no way Target can prove that the person who did the original return is the one who committed the fraud. There's too many hands in between the manufacturer and the final retail store for them to clearly say without a reasonable doubt that so&so committed a crime.

Furthermore, the serial number means jack if they used a gift card, prepaid card, or cash. There's no registration required and I highly doubt the fraudster filled out a warranty registration card.
Click to expand...

When you return an item to Target, they usually ask for your information, and for more expensive items, usually they want to see your ID.

Now the crook could have used a fake ID, but I'm sure whatever ID was used to return this will be flagged in Target's system, and if they try to return something else, they might call security on them.
If they where stupid enough to return it with their real ID, then I'm sure they will be getting a visit from the police.
 
I knew of "friend" of a friend that did this all the time at Fry's. He would purchase an item and then return it with a hard cover book inside. He had a shrink wrapper so they never checked the contents of the package.

Same scum would call fast food places and get the manager on the food. He would claim they royally messed up his order and get his name on a list. Then he would go to said fast food store and tell them the fake name and get free food.

The kid was in his early twenties and lived at home with his parents who were very well off. He could easily have anything he wanted but he loved to steal for some reason.
 
2x4 pine PS4 ftw would get more use then the actual system.
Untill Deep Down comes out..
 
The effort and resources to cut it to shape and screw it together seem overkill. Seems more like something you would do if you were involved in distributing the product before its first public release where you need it to go undetected for a while. Or you over thought it and stole it to prove you could steel it and not because you need the cash.
 
Bowman15 said:
Running to the media works. Especially for those that get screwed from online purchases. How many times have you seen these companies tell consumers tough cookies and left them holding the wooden box and little junior unhappy. Good for them if it makes the company tighten up returns or whatever process to keep this from happening again.
Click to expand...

Running to the media works if the store decides to screw you over. They were on tv and were followed to the store before they even tried it return it. That is where my problem is. They are just another family wanting their 15 minutes of fame.

Lunas said:
From what it sounded like the press and media was there covering the onrush of returns a very typical story that is done nearly every year.

Also if they had not done so most places like target and walmart will tell the family to pound sand and accuse them of being the ones to put the fake in the box to begin with.

Those stories make the news far more often than the ones where the outlet mans up and does the right thing. To make it right by the family.
Click to expand...

Where did you get that from? They interviewed the family with the unit in their home. Then made a comment about how they are the only station that showed up for the family's trip to the store to return the item. This means that they were there for the family, not just already there when this happen.
 
I just exchanged a TV at Target on Saturday. All they needed was the receipt. They didn't even check the TV that I brought back.
 
Trimlock said:
They are supposed to be checking the boxes on returns
Click to expand...

Semantics said:
They'll also press charges on the person who returned it, target takes down the serial numbers on the boxes for sales and returns.
Click to expand...

this is all assuming it wasn't an employee that did it to begin with, which is the more likely scenario...someone intimate with the locations of the video cameras & whatnot so they can slip it out unseen to take it home, replace it with the fake, then bring it back again and return it unseen. no record of it ever happening until Xmas day for some unlucky 9-year-old.

i also had a similar thing happen this month, although not anywhere near the price of a PS4. i bought the boxed PC version of Diablo III Reaper of Souls from GameStop; when i got the package and opened it, it looked like it was a store display because the box was all crinkled & scuffed up. naturally, it had already been opened, and when i tried to enter the key online to add it to my account, it said it had already been claimed.

GS phone support was pretty much useless. i called the 1st time and after holding for 30+ mins, someone picked up and immediately hung up again without saying anything. called right back and waited another 45 mins before getting through to someone. they told me that they would be sending me a replacement, but 10 days later, there was still no replacement to be found. so i called back and waited on hold for 56 mins and gave up trying to get through via phone. went to the local store and neither they nor any of the stores in my town (3 stores total) had it in stock locally, so they said they would be getting one shipped in from a nearby city...i'm still waiting for them to call me to let me know to come pick it up.

i placed my original order Dec. 9..... :rolleyes:
 
daemon616 said:
I knew of "friend" of a friend that did this all the time at Fry's. He would purchase an item and then return it with a hard cover book inside. He had a shrink wrapper so they never checked the contents of the package.

Same scum would call fast food places and get the manager on the food. He would claim they royally messed up his order and get his name on a list. Then he would go to said fast food store and tell them the fake name and get free food.

The kid was in his early twenties and lived at home with his parents who were very well off. He could easily have anything he wanted but he loved to steal for some reason.
Click to expand...

No mystery to this at all. For this psychopath, committing acts of evil is more daring than being honest and if you don't think theft is evil, well....
 
Reminds me of one time when I was working overnights at Walmart. They used to call me when someone was returning electronic equipment since I was the only nerd on staff I guess. Once I got to the register to inspect a Wii. Inside the box was a Super Nintendo. I looked at the customer, she looked at me, I looked at snes, then back to the customer, she looked at me, I look at the snes, then back to the customer she looked at me, I pulled the snes fully out the box propped up the box and sat the snes next to the picture of the Wii then looked at the cashier who then looked back at me, I then looked at the customer who finally resolved the awkward silence with "oh wtf, I guess my nephew tried to pull a fast one, I'll take this back and get the right one"
 
yea I would say more likely swapped out at the end of the shift by an employee than someone returning it hoping not to get caught at the desk. Either way cannot be proven unless video captured either event. Or maybe the family that reported it staged it from the start? He who smelt it dealt it?
 
Darunion said:
yea I would say more likely swapped out at the end of the shift by an employee than someone returning it hoping not to get caught at the desk. Either way cannot be proven unless video captured either event. Or maybe the family that reported it staged it from the start? He who smelt it dealt it?
Click to expand...

About a decade ago when I worked returns at a big retail store, it was common for people to return boxes with a phone book inside instead of the device. When employees stole things, they "fell off the truck." I don't remember an employee ever leaving behind a box or anything like that.
 
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