GAME Under Fire for Inflated Delivery Fees on Sought-After Pokemon Cards!

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Summary

  • UK retailer GAME has been accused of scalping Pokemon TCG products with an inflated delivery fee.
  • Customers are frustrated by restricted delivery options for Prismatic Evolutions Mini Tins.
  • Concerns have been raised over deliberate high shipping costs by GAME to capitalize on demand.

UK retailer GAME is facing criticism for allegedly engaging in “reselling at marked-up prices,” specifically with regards to Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) products. This controversy arises due to customers being required to pay an excessive shipping fee, while the focus is on the recent Prismatic Evolutions expansion of the Pokemon TCG, which has been popular but hard to come by.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a strategy-focused, collectible card game that’s influenced by the popular Nintendo franchise, Pokémon. In this back-and-forth gameplay, two competitors take turns deploying one Pokémon at a time, aiming to defeat their opponent’s Pokémon and secure one of six reward cards. Beyond the competitive aspect, many Pokémon cards are sought after as collectibles, with some rare editions fetching high prices on secondary markets, sometimes even thousands of dollars.

In their eagerness to pre-order popular items, customers have found out that GAME is restricting shipping choices for these products, making buyers pay a hefty £19.99 delivery charge, regardless of the item’s dimensions. Among the highly demanded goods, the Prismatic Evolutions Mini Tins are priced at £10.99 each and come with two booster packs and an Eevee coin. Unfortunately, customers cannot select which of the eight available designs they receive, and even more inconveniently, the only shipping option is a £19.99 “oversized delivery” fee, which is close to twice the price of the product itself.

UK Retailer GAME Faces Backlash Over Expensive Pokemon Card Delivery Fees

The pricing for these Prismatic Evolutions Mini Tins and other Pokemon TCG products from the expansion, such as sticker collections and binders, appears to be different from what GAME usually offers. Normally, GAME charges £4.99 for Standard Delivery, £4.99 for Collect in Store, and £11.99 for Next Day Delivery. However, for these specific items, customers can only choose the more expensive £19.99 oversized delivery fee, which has raised some concerns. A significant issue is the categorization of the Mini Tins as “oversized.” Many fans believe that these relatively lightweight items do not justify such a high shipping cost, causing suspicion that GAME might be boosting prices to capitalize on demand.

Instead of being written off as a possible mistake in pricing, Eurogamer’s report indicates a different scenario. The article relies on unidentified GAME staff members who assert that management purposely set the high £19.99 delivery fee for Pokemon TCG Prismatic Evolutions items. These employees claim this move was intentional, suggesting that GAME might be increasing its profits by charging excessively high shipping costs.

Due to a surge of interest, the Prismatic Evolutions expansion pack has become extremely popular. This popularity is driven by several factors, including the focus on beloved Pokemon character Eevee within the set and the recent release of the mobile game adaptation of the trading card game called Pokemon TCG Pocket. In an attempt to address the scarcity of these sets, The Pokemon Company has announced plans to boost production. This decision was made in response to numerous complaints from fans who have had trouble finding the expansion packs at major retailers. Yet, concerns remain as scalpers and high shipping costs continue to affect availability, leading many to believe that increased production may not fully resolve the issue.

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2025-02-11 22:23