Return and burn: Fake 'PS2' systems retailers took for real
by Randy Nelson 
{ Feb 5th 2009 at 10:00PM } 
Click to enlarge the fine wood craftsmanship
They say there are some things you just can't make up. The accompanying photos, received today from an anonymous tipster who works at one of Sony's distribution centers, are definitely some of them.
What you see are "PS2 consoles" returned to retailers -- such as Best Buy and Walmart -- then subsequently sent to Sony for credit. We're not sure what's more silly: that someone would try to pass off a wooden replica PS2 for return, or that someone would actually take the time to make a wooden PS2 with such detail. The question of "Who would accept these for return?" must also be raised.
We'll take a moment to answer "Yes," "Yes" and "Maybe" to the following questions in advance: "Are those ladies dumbbells inside a PS2?," "Is that PS2 stuffed with towels?" and "Is that some sort of Chinese PS2 knockoff?" We hope that helps ease the pain.
What you see are "PS2 consoles" returned to retailers -- such as Best Buy and Walmart -- then subsequently sent to Sony for credit. We're not sure what's more silly: that someone would try to pass off a wooden replica PS2 for return, or that someone would actually take the time to make a wooden PS2 with such detail. The question of "Who would accept these for return?" must also be raised.
We'll take a moment to answer "Yes," "Yes" and "Maybe" to the following questions in advance: "Are those ladies dumbbells inside a PS2?," "Is that PS2 stuffed with towels?" and "Is that some sort of Chinese PS2 knockoff?" We hope that helps ease the pain.
Gallery: Absurd PS2 Returns
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Sora @ Feb 5th 2009 10:05PM
Rofl at the last one...they stuffed two dumbbells into it xD!
SimbaDogg @ Feb 5th 2009 11:35PM
haha, this is hilarious...made out of wood? that sounds like way too much time put into it. i'd rather buy bricked ps2s on ebay and then return them, not spend hours cutting, gluing pasting like this dude dide
Verlin Gradney @ Feb 6th 2009 5:43PM
Shouldn't be too difficult to track down the people who try to pull this crap off. Retailers have to scan the serial number when they ring it up, all they have to do is contact the retailer with the serial number, then the retailer looks up who purchased the PS2 and bam, they get arrested. Premeditated theft. Felony.
joe @ Feb 9th 2009 9:51PM
It's a pretty good scam, because it would be near impossible to track back to the actual scammer. As previously stated about using the serial numbers to track back to the scammer is FALSE. Also, there is no such charge as premeditated theft either.
BxGT @ Feb 5th 2009 10:05PM
Wow now thats is just hilarious.
PSN: slycooper_rocker (The Agent of Orange) @ Feb 5th 2009 10:09PM
wow. just...wow.
Lennoko @ Feb 5th 2009 10:12PM
My faith in humanity just Died a little bit...not because someone made this, thats awesome, but that someone didn't realise it was made out of wood. How stupid must you be?
Verlin Gradney @ Feb 6th 2009 5:45PM
Well then maybe you should realize the box probably looked factory sealed so the customer service rep didn't feel like they needed to open the box to examine the product. All they do is look at the bar code through the hole in the box.
You are ignorant to think somebody would actually knowingly return a wooden block in place of a PS2.
I've lost faith in all humanity because of your ignorance and short-sighted-ness.
Lennoko @ Feb 6th 2009 5:48PM
Um, when i worked at best buy i was required to examine all Electronic Equipment for Damage. Now i may not know how there walmart works, but mine once made me wait for 20 Minutes while they examined an opened Stereo System. But thanks for playing.
Verlin Gradney @ Feb 6th 2009 5:54PM
So they made you open all factory sealed boxes, even shrink wrapped ones? I highly doubt that. How many "sealed" products did you return without opening the box and inspecting it? Obviously opened product, yes. Factory sealed product doesn't get inspected.
Thanks for playing Mr-Know-It-All-17-Year-Old
Lennoko @ Feb 6th 2009 5:57PM
Where did you hear it was factory sealed. Your trying to hard. And thanks, i do know quite a bit, being 17 rocks.
Verlin Gradney @ Feb 6th 2009 6:01PM
It only makes sense. People that pull the "brick in the box" trick usually reseal the package so the person returning won't look inside the box. Somebody wouldn't knowingly return dumbbells stuffed inside the shell of a PS2.
And I take back the know-it-all comment because you lack common logic and sense.
Lennoko @ Feb 6th 2009 6:05PM
k. You win. You're just so witty my pre-18 brain assploded. From the context of the article, It would seem that it was the retailers fault. And go read the rest of the comments, and please, do correct them too.
h i i r o @ Feb 5th 2009 10:14PM
Great craftsmanship.
Linkario @ Feb 5th 2009 10:16PM
The only thing I have to say about that is...
RIIIIDGE RAAAACER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Einhanderkiller @ Feb 5th 2009 10:21PM
Attack its weak point for massive damage!
Anticrawl @ Feb 5th 2009 10:44PM
Thank god I'm busy playing games in 4D on my PS3
Noshino @ Feb 5th 2009 10:55PM
Games?! on a PS3?!
Josh @ Feb 6th 2009 12:19AM
I thought it was a movie downloading machine.
Josh @ Feb 7th 2009 12:57AM
Uh.... Do yous not get the reference? Is that why you foolishly voted me down?
http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/16/behold-the-ps3-a-movie-downloading-machine/
Ashkental @ Feb 5th 2009 10:18PM
wow, second Hitchiker's Guide to the galaxy reference in less than a week, way to go joystiq!
Ashkental @ Feb 5th 2009 10:21PM
Ok, so i thought that was a reference till i actually saw the pictures... lol... XD
Morris_The_Grey @ Feb 5th 2009 10:20PM
DUMB BELL ERROR
Those FATASS PS2s suck.
Jerk Face @ Feb 5th 2009 10:20PM
That's pretty fucking funny.
j.howlett @ Feb 5th 2009 10:24PM
i want a replica to use as a dvd rewinder
Duke @ Feb 6th 2009 10:52AM
Thats genius. Thanks for the laugh!
pockyninja @ Feb 5th 2009 10:27PM
I had someone try to return an original PSP to my store... in 2008. Despite the fact that it was missing the thumbstick, he insisted that he bought it the previous week.
I told him it was a little past the 90-day return policy.
Jay [psn: jayrockslife] @ Feb 5th 2009 10:28PM
LOL. That is hilarious.
If they were smart, they would have done it with a PS3 instead..
adolson @ Feb 5th 2009 10:33PM
This gives me an idea..
Quattro @ Feb 5th 2009 10:33PM
How could any one fall for those?
PyrosNine @ Feb 5th 2009 10:44PM
Actually, one of those PS2 was the real deal. It was just a modded ps2, with the flip top for swapping discs. It still can't be returned to Sony, specifically because of said mods, but it at least doesn't have a towel and junk in it.
Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Feb 5th 2009 10:58PM
Yep, I was going to point out the fliptop as well. You'd figure someone trying to fuck over a store would be smart enough to not advertise they steal software but then again....
DWells55 @ Feb 6th 2009 10:58AM
Not everyone who copies games is pirating them. I make legitimate backups of my 360 games since it's easy and cheap and the drive in one of my consoles has a habit of slowly damaging discs with perfectly circular scratches. I modded my little brother's console as well; he has a habit of not properly handling games, so rather than a $60 original disc getting ruined, it's just a $1.50 DVD.
PyrosNine @ Feb 6th 2009 11:32AM
yeah, if I could, I'd get mine modded because I have alot of scratched discs. The PC can read them, rip them, and burn a playable 'repaired' disc with no breach of warranty because the original still exists, but is just unplayable.
That, and imported games. Which are love.
Pn04 @ Feb 5th 2009 10:38PM
The question isnt who would do this or who'd spend the time. because obviously there's always going to be someone trying to buck the system. The question should be WHO THE HELL ACCEPTED THESE AS REAL???
Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Feb 5th 2009 11:25PM
First rule of working retail. Deny stuff like this everytime you see it. Argue as long as you have to because no company will accept a return like this.
Second rule of working retail. Sigh heavily as someone escelates to a manager that doesn't know his head from his ass but somehow values the return business of a fucking thief over his stores ability to legitimately get reimbursed from the manufacturer over defects.
AKA, yell loud and high enough and you'll get your way.
Verlin Gradney @ Feb 6th 2009 5:50PM
As I replied to another commenter, you have to be extremely short-sighted if you believe that the customer service rep who did the return knowingly took it back. If the store saw that dumbbells were in the box, they would "eat the cost" and delete the item out of their inventory as theft, and not send it back to the manufacturer for reimbursement.
Thing is, if somebody complains that is how they got the product and you deny the return or exchange, then the store will end up on consumerist.com because all retailers are "evil scum" who are trying to rip everyone off.
Double edged sword if I wouldn't say so myself.
Xta Large (Formerly Fatass) @ Feb 5th 2009 10:35PM
I wish I had the nads to do something like that.
BlaqueBeird @ Feb 6th 2009 12:32AM
+5 Nads of the Lion
Gives a +5 bonus to all Charisma and Intimidation rolls
Sin Adam @ Feb 5th 2009 10:49PM
...
ChiTownRuler23 @ Feb 5th 2009 10:46PM
it kinda sad how many people fell for this shit to
Jason @ Feb 5th 2009 10:57PM
Replace PS3 guts with a couple of cans of shitty beer left over in the fridge and voila : http://i42.tinypic.com/14kxtvs.jpg
PSN: Erdie @ Feb 5th 2009 11:21PM
Cheap bastard.
Maverick Saturn @ Feb 5th 2009 11:04PM
Eeeeediots, how could they have fallen for that :S Don't get around much do they?
Shadsy @ Feb 5th 2009 11:08PM
I think that's the devkit they made the Mercenaries 2 port with.
Adorada @ Feb 5th 2009 11:09PM
Reminds me of that 360 that was stuffed with some kind of book.
Sad that the retailer actually took it back, and pitiful that the person took that much time to make a wooden PS2.
And on a side note, what a waste of $20 for that PS2 flip-top.
mcatrage @ Feb 5th 2009 11:09PM
The wood one with materials and time cost more than buying a new PS2. Aren't they like $100 now?
Wiinterfang @ Feb 5th 2009 11:18PM
This had me laughing for a good 5 minutes with a confused face.
Angel Mass @ Feb 5th 2009 11:23PM
So why they return it, they couldnt upgrade its firmware?
Silly people, there is no such thing as PS2 firmware upgrades
Poisoned Al @ Feb 5th 2009 11:50PM
This reminds me of someone who bought a Mega Drive for cash. Gutted it. Keep the working insides and sent back the case with a bag of rice in it for a refund.