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Kid's PS3 Xmas gift replaced with phone book photo

A California teen was looking forward to getting himself a PlayStation 3 console this Christmas, but found instead that he had received a more exotic treasure -- the world's most expensive telephone book. Someone at a game store in the Thousand Oaks shopping mall had decided to replace the black box of Blu-Ray with a phone book instead. Maybe the PS3 thief was hoping nobody would notice?

Unfortunately for somebody, this kid could indeed tell the difference between a PlayStation 3 and a big yellow book, but luckily he was actually a good sport about the whole thing and is said to have been amused. His parents, however, will naturally be taking the $500 book back to the store for a replacement since you can't use a book to watch Talladega Nights. I guess the phone numbers weren't Hi-Def enough, either.

[Thanks, Aerox]


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58 comments | showing # 1 to 50

togepi258's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 21:29
togepi258
That will be an interesting return to the store....I can see it now...
Coonskin05's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 21:32
Coonskin05
Usually I would be the first person to say that people who return games/consoles get screwed, but how do we really know that this isn't a hoax?
ZiiG360's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 21:33
ZiiG360
fake. the kid wouldnt laugh. he'd throw a fit. also, the receipt shows tony hawk and skate, yet the video shows skate and potc?
Neonie's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 21:44
Neonie
Might be able to watch it if the phone book had a lot of ones and zeros in it. Put them all together and you have binary xD.
MechaMonkey's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 21:48
MechaMonkey
At what point in the chain of production and distribution did this happen? One would think someone would notice that the box had been opened previously? Or perhaps they were blinded by the Blu-Rays.
Tragic Hero's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 21:50
Tragic Hero
Well if this is true then how do you return it.

"Hello Sony? You sold me a box with a phone book in it. Do I have proof? Well I can send in the phonebook, that should be evidence enough?"
the GAMEGOBLIN's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 21:54
the GAMEGOBLIN
It's on Fox now. If EB games doesn't take it back they're going to get a hailstorm of public outcry. The way I see it they have no choice.
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 22:07
Jim Sterling
Yup. It's pretty realistic to assume this is a scam, but what else can the store do now?
Scrixx's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 22:12
Scrixx
CAN I HAS PHONE NUMBERS.

Damn, Im good. :D
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 22:19
Necros
Wow. That really sucks for that kid.
Juggernaut's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 22:32
Juggernaut
That kid is full of shit. Either way;

PHOTOS KID, OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!
KamikazeTutor's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 22:34
KamikazeTutor
This thief is dumb, he made it too easy for the victim to phone the police.
freeman1's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 22:48
freeman1
So that's why my new phone book was a PS3...
flaming burrito's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 23:22
flaming burrito
wut? how would you return it? i call shenanigans
Joe Burling's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 23:33
Joe Burling
This is obviously a fake story. If the story was real, the kid (a video gamer) would have shot up a school or a petting zoo or something.
Topher Cantler's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 23:35
Topher Cantler
I think I'd rather have the phone book.
dprime's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 23:36
dprime
I squinted at that picture for half an hour trying to tell the difference. I thought I had it for a second, but I lost it.
Crunshii's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/26/2007 23:51
Crunshii
the shape looks almost as a ps3, and I bet the weight is very close to be the same!

impeccable thief... only thing he missed was to color it black, the kid would have never known!
NyghtcrawleR's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 00:07
NyghtcrawleR
The question is how did gamestop miss this?

Or maybe it just continues to prove the idocracy of gamestop as a whole.
mid3vol's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 00:08
mid3vol
haha. wow.
Lynx's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 00:22
Lynx
I feel for this kid. A few Christmases ago I opened up my Metroid Prime box only to find a fucking DVD of Spiderman, the cartoon series, in its place. Needless to say, I was pissed, but Costco actually took it back no problem when I told them my story. I figured they wouldn't believe me, but maybe this happens occasionally.
Sharpless's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 00:26
Sharpless
There's going to be one very disappointed telephone customer out there.
Cheeburga's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 00:51
Cheeburga
That's a pretty bad ownage.
Quisling's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 00:59
Quisling
lol @ Topher.

I once had a similar problem. In my youth I purchased a copy of Luigi's mansion, brought it home and opened the shrink wrap to play my newly obtained game.

Then, a terrible thing happened: I opened the case, and the disc had vanished!

True story. I called the store and they told me they'd had someone do that a lot recently. I guess they owned a shrink wrap machine and pulled the scam more than once. I got the game replaced and there were no problems. That sucked.
GonzoJoe's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 01:44
GonzoJoe
The trick to returning anything is very... VERY simple.

You just buy from places where the employees don't get paid enough to give a fuck.

Like Gamestop. You think 6 bucks an hour is worth listening to you bitch and moan? Fuck no. Just take the damn game.
cjpkiller's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 01:53
cjpkiller
lol... owned.
AlucardX24's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 02:15
AlucardX24
At least the phone book was more entertaining than a PS3.
Emrah's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 02:21
Emrah
Buy two yellow pages, intricately intercalate their pages, then ask for a ps3. Will we see more of this happening? I guess in the end the packaging will have to be see through after a while to avoid such scams (be it on the customer or merchant side)
Zelnor's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 04:54
Zelnor
If I'd found the guy, I'd propel that phonebook into his crotch. Hard.

Also, congrats for the shopping mall staff for not noticing such a blatant theft - Here, all things over 100 €, at least electronic ones, are behind glass.
GuitarFearow's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 05:44
GuitarFearow
This story is pretty familiar:

http://www.yougamers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67332

But at least that time, they got a shell.
AgentMOO's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 06:44
AgentMOO
But when they returned it, did the kid get to keep the phone books?
atheistium's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 07:42
atheistium
the phone book could have some epic pen and paper rpg tiem? :P
loki d20's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 07:54
loki d20
Do we really need more news posts to stir up the fanboys (on both sides of the fence)? Honestly? The story is fine, but the way Jim presents it, it's just smacking PS3 owners in the face and giving 360 fanboys another thing to use to smack talk it up here.
Taicho's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 08:12
Taicho
I heard the phonebook has better exclusives. Also, you don't have to pay $50 a year to use the phonebook online.
michiyoyoshiku's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 08:18
michiyoyoshiku
2 phones are indeed more fun than a PS3
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 08:47
Holyetheline
hahahahaha. The shape of the phone books is great. Very PS3-esque.
D-Nez's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 10:22
D-Nez
the part that doesnt make sense to me is don't they scan the serial number as you purchase the console? With my 360 I recall the clerk scanning the serial number on the back of the 360. There's a opening in the box that allows access to the s/n. I would've assume this as the case for all consoles to track when they were purchased for warranty purposes. Guess OSny does it different??
Guagloves's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 10:32
Guagloves
I'd rather have that phone book as well as it is more useful than a PS3.
Quest's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 11:05
Quest
hehehe people steal PS3 and others gets PS3 for christmas hummm does it mean that people wants a PS3 .... think so you bunch of 360 fanboys :)
geminibros's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 11:49
geminibros
Please... I can barely use my EYES to watch Talladega Nights.
SeventhSense's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 11:53
SeventhSense
He obviously took the ps3 out and put in the phone book. I work at a game store and I see this crap all the time. people always claim that their factory sealed game did not come with the cd and other random stuff. Someone tried to return SKATE for ps3 once claiming that his factory sealed copy came with a scratched up, burn of "Tenacious D and the pick of destiny". good laughs all around.
brainderailment's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 12:14
brainderailment
When I worked at gamestop, I had to check everyone's pockets and bags before they left work. I don't know if the person who apparently swapped the ps3 with the phone books WAS the manager, but if he wasn't a manager and did figure out a way to get that thing out the door, he deserves to have it.
brainderailment's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 12:16
brainderailment
Oh yeah, I forgot, you have to scan in the serial number on the console to make the sale, otherwise you can't finish the transaction.

This is bullshit and the store won't have to do crap, because they have proof that the console was in the box on the receipt.
brainderailment's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 12:28
brainderailment
Here is the serial number to the console that was sold to these fools.
"CE132383231"
It's clearly shown on the video linked.
cryocide's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 14:00
cryocide
Should be easy enough for Sony to track the first time the jackasses put it online.
DrYou's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 14:22
DrYou
lol owned
Lightthrower's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 14:47
Lightthrower
Oh god a link to Faux News, damn you Jim!
Psywolf's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 16:32
Psywolf
maybe it was the ps3 they used to demo in the store and the empty box kept falling over on the display so they placed a phone book in it to hold the box in place

not thinking the clerk grabs the box and sells it because it weighed the same

could happen

but to all you people saying the phone book is more fun than the ps3 hasn't played heavenly sword or drakes fortune cause those games are awsome
MasterMS's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 16:44
MasterMS
Hmmm Don't know if I buy this. If it really happened I mean ether way the kid is screwed. I don't know how he can prove this.
Eschatos's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2007 18:26
Eschatos
Kid deserves it for trying to get a PS3.
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