Lazada is a convenient way of ordering third-party accessories online because of its cash-on-delivery option for most items. However, most people do not recommend purchasing actual consoles or even games from it because of over pricing and potential hassle from warranty mishaps.
Another potential risk has been brought up when Nintendo Soup exposed 3rd-party Nintendo Labo Kits being sold in the platform with no included software, making them close to useless since the whole gimmick of the Labo line is "bringing toys to life".
Disclaimer: Not all merchants in Lazada who sell Nintendo Labo products engage in questionable activities. We just compiled a few red flags to check to protect you from a po
First, let's look at their prices:
| Kit Name | US SRP | Local SRP | Suspect Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toy-Con 01 - Variety Kit | $69.99 (P3,795) |
P3,995 | P3,360
(from P5,712) |
| Toy-Con 02 - Robot Kit | $79.99 (P4,333) |
P4,495 | P2,773
(from P4,437) |
| Toy-Con 03 - Vehicle Kit | $69.99 (P3,795) |
P4,595 | - |
Most merchants who tend to overprice also employ the same tactic. They will try to impress you with a seemingly good deal of a hefty price-cut. In this case, the Variety and Robot Kits cost less compared to local retailer SRP to varying degrees.
The next red flag is the packaging itself. The boxart looks different when you compare it with a genuine one. They even removed the official Nintendo Switch logo and replaced it with a generic Switch Labo text and mispelled the word Play in the slogan.
Genuine kits include a cartridge that you can use in your Nintendo Switch consoles so you can actually use your Toy-Cons in various games and applications. Without it, the items you purchased are just expensive pieces of cardboard.
This fine print appears at the bottom of the product description. You have to press the View More button and scroll down to see it. There's nothing inherently wrong with it since it's normal to see such disclaimers in trailers and product posters. However, some merchants can use this as an excuse as to why the software is missing.
Finally, you should also check variables such as the product feedback, reviews, and store rating. Unfortunately, most of the aforementioned questionable products do not have any reviews or confirmed purchases, making it extra difficult to determine if they are legit or not. If you are still willing to take risks, contact the merchant first and ask if the Labo kit they are selling also includes the required software for the actual games. Contact the merchant and coordinate with Lazada directly if you have issues with your purchase.
To ensure that you are purchasing a genuine copy of the product in its entirety, we highly recommend that you buy them from trusted local retailers like DataBlitz and Game One PH/i.TECH. The latter even has an online store that offers shipping nationwide.
Source: Nintendo Soup via Nintendo Life
