Pokemon TCG Collectors: Fighting Against Greed Destroying the Hobby

Pokemon TCG enthusiasts have been expressing their dissatisfaction with dishonest third-party sellers who are causing problems within the hobby.

Despite the continuous complaints on social media, the recurring issue of buyers being jilted at checkout after winning bids on auction sites persists due to the perceived lack of regulation in protecting them.

Expressing their disappointment with a recent transaction involving a graded Pokemon card, a user took to Reddit to share their negative experience. They had successfully bid and paid for a miscut Toxicroak EX at a discounted price, but the seller cancelled the order and relisted it, preventing the user from leaving a review. The user expressed frustration at eBay’s tolerance of such actions.

The seller canceled the order and an accompanying image, which serves as proof of purchase, states the reason as “Out of stock or damaged.”

As anticipated, the meeting prompted other community members to share their own stories of encountering dishonest sellers.

Graded Charizard Pokemon card with game background. — The Pokemon Company

The resale market for graded Pokemon cards is huge

According to one response, many sellers are not well-versed in properly setting up an auction to guarantee the minimum price they desire. This often leads to them falsely claiming a backorder or using other deceitful excuses to cancel a bid after their item sells for a lower amount.

According to another comment, sellers often resort to this tactic when they are dissatisfied with a sale. The commenter shares that this has happened to them numerous times, with the seller claiming that they changed their mind about the item and cancelling the transaction.

“According to another person, they attempted to purchase a Gyarados but the seller cancelled the transaction and claimed it was due to an incorrect shipping address. The seller then relisted the item at a higher price than the original purchase.”

Some people argue that even if a sale is canceled, eBay users are still able to leave feedback for the seller, although the process is not simple. They suggest leaving feedback for a different order, which will then bring up a list of items for which feedback can also be left.

Ultimately, eBay cannot verify that a seller is being dishonest about their reason for canceling. The website’s position on misuse of the procedure states:

“It is prohibited for sellers to misuse the order cancellation process. They must not cancel orders and provide an incorrect reason, such as falsely stating that the buyer did not make payment.”

Despite being a popular event in the Pokemon TCG community, the yearly Pokemon TCG Illustration Contest has faced criticism from some fans who believe that it is allowing AI-generated submissions to be accepted.