In the world of Pokémon card collecting, scams have unfortunately become a prevalent issue, and in recent times scammers have targeted those purchasing sealed boxes. However, with the help of ZenMarket's proxy shopping service, buyers can take steps to protect themselves from falling victim to these scams.
By utilizing ZenMarket's photo service and following a few key guidelines, Pokémon card enthusiasts can ensure a safe and secure purchasing experience. Read on to learn how to avoid the scam and enjoy collecting Pokémon cards with confidence.
Understand the Scam
Begin by familiarizing yourself with the scam itself. Lately, scammers are replacing Pokémon card packs in seemingly sealed boxes with juice boxes, giving the impression of a legitimate product. They may also include a small amount of flower paper as packing, to help replicate part of the sound of the card plastic wrapping that would usually be in a box.
By being aware of this tactic, you can take proactive measures to protect yourself.
For the scam to work, the scammer needs to:
- Convince the buyer that the boxes are sealed
- Disincentivize making a claim by stating they won't accept claims in the product description
- Hope that customers don't open the item within the claim window
- Attempt to ghost the buyer until the claim window is over
The weight of the juice boxes are close enough to the contents of a Pokémon card box that people who do not regularly open Pokémon card boxes may not notice from the weight alone.
The thing about this scam is that it can almost always be detected by opening a box, and a claim will often be successful if shipped to somebody living in Japan. Because the claim window is often over by the time somebody overseas receives it, these types of sellers drool if they notice the bidder was a proxy shopping service.
Below we have some tips that would be in buyers' best interests to adhere to, so that they reduce their chances of pulling an orange juice or chocolate milk instead of authentic Pokémon cards.
Shop from Authorized or Official Sellers
One of the best ways to ensure the authenticity of Pokémon card packs is to shop from authorized or official sellers. These sellers have direct partnerships with Pokémon and adhere to strict quality standards. When using ZenMarket's proxy shopping service, look for sellers who are officially authorized to sell Pokémon cards. This significantly reduces the risk of purchasing counterfeit or substituted items.
Prioritize purchasing from these trusted sources to safeguard your collection and guarantee the legitimacy of the Pokémon card packs you acquire.
Some authorized Pokémon card sellers include:
By shopping from authorized or official sellers, you can have peace of mind knowing that you are getting genuine products and supporting the official Pokémon card marketplace.
Request Specific Photo Instructions and Inspection
If you opt to shop from secondhand marketplaces or the resale market, it is recommended to proceed with caution. One simply way you can protect yourself is to order the photo service for your items so we can make a claim once the item arrives at our warehouse (i.e within the claim window).
This service is 500 Yen per item and ZenMarket will take 3 photos according to your instructions. This could go a long way in ensuring you are able to make a claim if necessary. It also means you won't have paid to ship an item internationally just to find that you have received juice and unable to make a claim from overseas.
In short, it is a solid investment.
You can request close-ups and different angles to assess the authenticity of the card packs. When using ZenMarket's photo service, go beyond simple photo requests of the boxes and ask us to take photos of what you want to see specifically. Specify that you would like ZenMarket's staff to open the box and take detailed photos of the card packs inside.
This allows you to complete a thorough examination of the packaging, seals, and that there are indeed cards inside.
While we understand that you may not want to open your packs, we would suggest to open a small sample of each of your card pack orders from each seller just to get an idea of what the seller has sent. If even one of these turns up with a juice box, ZenMarket will already be aware that a claim will need to be processed and let you know of the next steps.
Check Seller Ratings and Feedback
Prior to making a purchase, thoroughly examine the seller's ratings and feedback. Many of the platforms available on ZenMarket provide user ratings and reviews, which can give you insights into the reliability and trustworthiness of the seller. Opt for sellers with a good track record and positive feedback from previous customers.
In addition, check that the ratings have not all been added recently - it is best to see a seller with a long-term record than one who has tons of good reviews that only seem to have been added in the last few weeks.
Also, ZenMarket often has seller warnings on our site - these are not just for show. Usually if a seller has earned this banner on our site it is because either a user has flagged them as selling counterfeit products, they are a known scammer, or we have had to make multiple claims against them in the past. Please pay attention to any red banners that we put on item pages so you know who to avoid.
Read Item Descriptions Carefully
Pay close attention to the item descriptions provided by the seller. Look for any disclaimers or warnings that could indicate a potential scam. Be cautious if the description appears vague or lacks specific details about the product. You can always ask ZenMarket's customer support if you have any doubts or concerns, but here are some things to look out for.
No Claim / No Return / No Substitution
While it is understandable that somebody selling something on JDirectItems Auction or Mercari may not want to have to deal with returns or may legitimitely concerned about replacement, many legitimate sellers will allow returns if a mistake is made on their end. As JDirectItems Auction returns require the individual seller to comply and provide return/cancellation instructions, sellers that list that they will not accept claims or returns are incredibly hard to deal with and may straight up refuse to contact us in the event that a claim is made.
Bad evaluation threats / reciprocal evalutation agreements
Many sellers are okay to sell their product provided they can continue doing so even if they provide a poor experience. As such, many sellers that are expecting to provide a bad experience will threaten to leave bad buyer reviews in the case that the buyer reviews them poorly or tries to process a claim. This is aimed to disincentivise people from leaving them a bad review, as poor reviews will affect their ability to make sales, or to have a successful scam.
For the average shopper, this is not a problem most of the time as you can simply either create a new account or after seeing this in the product description decide not to shop there.
For proxy shopping services it poses the problem that we may have a seller refuse to sell to us even after one of our customers have requested we bid on an auction. Also, if we get enough poor ratings from these types of sellers in a short time frame, our bidding account may even be temporarily banned, which has potential to interrupt the bidding/buying service for an indefinite period of time.
Trust Your Gut
Finally, trust your instincts. If something feels off or too good to be true, it probably is. Take the time to thoroughly evaluate the product and the seller before proceeding with the purchase.
Remember that it's better to be cautious and not buy an item than to end up with counterfeit or substituted items.
Conclusion
Pokémon card scams can be disheartening for collectors, but by following these guidelines and utilizing ZenMarket's photo service, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to these fraudulent practices.
When using the photo service, request a comprehensive inspection that includes opening the box and taking detailed photos of the card packs inside. Safeguard your Pokémon card collecting and enjoy the excitement of acquiring authentic cards with peace of mind.
IMPORTANT: If you are shipping to Malaysia, there are two types of taxes that incur for trading cards.
1. Sales tax SST 10% 2. Duty tax or excise tax 10%
Please make sure that you check the customs and taxes policy for your shipping destination.