[Whitewolf7789]

Amazon does not sell ps5, they are all sold though third party sellers

Even so, not every third party seller will contact the manufacturer. Don't base your experience on each and every seller.

That aside, where does your SE currently stand?

The seller contacted me again to confirm the console is missing so that they can report to Sony, but scared that they aren't lying, I did not confirm anything. eBay sees that I started a missing items return so the seller is obligated to provide a return label, otherwise I get refunded. However, I am worried that even after the refund the seller may report it and brick it like they threatened. I called Sony and they said it can only be bricked if it was purchased directly from Sony. Now, I will have to take the risk - if the seller bought it directly from Sony or not. (The seller mentioned he is insured. The seller additionally has stores across Amazon and Walmart, so there should be no concern that he is an individual.)