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Amazon Germany: PS5 fans flock to site in desperation as hunt continues for stock of new console

Desperate customers forced to search for unconventional ways to get hold of console due to overwhelming demand

Anthony Cuthbertson
Thursday 19 November 2020 18:30 GMT
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(AFP via Getty Images)

PlayStation fans in the UK are rushing to Amazon Germany in an attempt to get hold of the new PS5.

The console has sold out just about everywhere in the country – leading desperate customers to search outside of the country for any available stock, too.

Rumours had suggested that Amazon Germany would get a restock at the same time as its UK version, which arrived at midday UK time. Other European countries also received a fresh batch of PS5 stock at the same time.

But the moment arrived and the console either did not get restocked or was snapped up so quickly that it immediately went again. Visitors to the page only saw a message that the console was unavailable, and the option to buy accessories.

However, new stock appeared on Amazon’s Germany site at around 1pm GMT, with it still available at the time of writing.

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The frenzy mirrors that in the UK, where the Amazon website went down and then came back up again, without any stock.

Amazon’s French, Italian and Spanish sites – Amazon.fr, Amazon.it and Amazon.es – were also due to update their stock at midday on Thursday, however all three countries appear to have quickly sold out.

Hopeful buyers in the UK have been forced to either wait for major retailers to restock, or head to second-hand retailers and online auction sites like eBay in order to get their hands on a device.

The next-generation console is fetching bids upwards of £700 on eBay, with some ambitious sellers listing the PS5 Standard Edition version for up to £1,000.

CEX is also offering the console at hugely inflated prices, charging around £750 for unboxed consoles. The retailer is also offering to buy new PS5 consoles for around £600.

New stock is unlikely to reappear on the sites of major retailers on Thursday, however customers can expect to see online stores begin to be replenished over the coming days.

Customers can sign up for newsletters from retailers like GAME and Currys PC World in order to be the first to be informed of new stock.

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