With a new console launch invariably comes issues for a small percentage of early adopters who got their hands on the device. We’ve seen reports of people sending in their Joy-Cons to be fixed and others sending in the Switch for repairs with their saves intact, thanks to a cloud system that only Nintendo can use right now.
However, this is the first time we’ve seen a report of someone getting a repair back with someone else’s data entirely on it. A redditor posted a story to the r/NintendoSwitch subreddit just a few hours ago sharing what happened to him.
I sent my Switch in last Monday and got it back this morning due to the scratched screen. I explicitly said that if they couldn’t repair the console to return the scratched console because save data should take precedence. When I got my Switch back this morning I was able to verify that the screen had been replaced and that the serial number on the bottom of the console matched the one I’d sent in.
When I booted up the system however I saw that someone else’s account info, save data, and screenshots were all linked to my console. The serial number under system settings didn’t match the one on the outside of the console either.
What gets even weirder is that the person who received his Switch replacement was able to track down the person whose save data appeared on the console, thanks to the social network accounts linked in the settings of the device. They were able to glean a lot of information about this person just from the way the Switch was set up.
I was able to actually trace down the owner of the save data and the Nintendo account through the linked social media accounts on the Switch and was even able to find the exact person on FB to send a message. I was able to do this because I saw that the Nintendo eShop tax settings were set to West Palm Beach, FL. Also, I saw that the console had linked to an Apple store wi-fi network so I assumed that the person must work at and Apple store. I then saw the full name of the person under the linked social media accounts.
It’s important to note that the OP of this post didn’t send their device directly to Nintendo for repairs, but rather a Nintendo authorized repair outlet. The person has been in contact with Nintendo to get the issue resolved and it’s being handled, but it sucks that the save data is possibly gone.
This just highlights one more reason why Nintendo needs to provide its customers with a way to upload or save their data before they send their device in for repairs.
Nintendo eShop Card – $50
