On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, Nintendo Co., Ltd. issued a statement regarding its efforts to prevent unauthorized listing practices of its products.
The company revealed its intention to cooperate with three companies: Mercari, Inc., LY Corporation, and Rakuten Group, Inc.
Measures Against Unauthorized Listings of Nintendo Products on Domestic Flea Market Services
[任天堂HP]ニュースリリース「フリーマーケットサイトにおける任天堂商品の不正な出品行為を防止する取り組みについて」を掲載しました。https://t.co/5jjO9fHO1p
— 任天堂株式会社（企業広報・IR） (@NintendoCoLtd) May 27, 2025
Nintendo Co., Ltd. announced initiatives with Mercari, Inc., LY Corporation, and Rakuten Group, Inc., all of which operate flea market websites.
Specifically, regarding unauthorized listing practices of Nintendo products, including "Nintendo Switch 2," that violate the terms of service of each company's services—"Mercari," "Yahoo! Auctions," "Yahoo! Flea Market," and "Rakuma"—they will proceed with countermeasures such as:
- Proactive listing deletion
- Building a cooperative system that includes information sharing
Also, Mercari, Inc. and LY Corporation also announced their initiatives in press releases around the same time.
Mercari's Announcement
Nintendo's Initiatives
- Providing Mercari with specific new product launch information, product information, and product images.
- Issuing warnings on their website and elsewhere.
Mercari's Initiatives
- Issuing warnings about specific new products on the "Mercari" app and official blog based on information provided by Nintendo.
- Strengthening and implementing deletion measures for listings that violate Mercari's terms of service for specific products agreed upon in consultation with Nintendo.
LINE Yahoo's Announcement
Nintendo's Initiatives
- Providing product information, product images, and sales trend information for the relevant products.
LINE Yahoo's Initiatives
- Warning users about compliance with terms of service and guidelines.
- Deleting listings of the relevant products that violate the terms of service.
- Suspending accounts of users who engage in unauthorized listing practices that violate the terms of service.
High Hopes for Halting Rampant Resale Activities
In recent years, "resale activities," where highly scarce products are unfairly hoarded and then sold at exorbitant prices to users who genuinely want them for their intended use, have become a social problem.
Especially in the gaming industry, home gaming consoles are often targeted, and while various retailers have resorted to measures like lottery systems, their effectiveness has been limited.
Nintendo Co., Ltd.'s adoption of a method for the lottery sale of its latest console, "Nintendo Switch 2," which references the account's play time and subscription history to paid services, garnered attention.
We hope that this initiative, announced prior to the launch of the "Nintendo Switch 2" on Thursday, June 5, 2025, will serve as a deterrent to malicious resale activities.
