Pokémon Card Bots Spark Resale Backlash
Pokémon card resellers use bots to snap up boxes as fans camp out for the 30th Celebration set, and one man faces charges over tracking a delivery worker.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game's 30th Celebration set arrived last week, and demand for its unusually strong pull rates for rare chase cards has been intense. Some fans camped out overnight to buy the cards in person.
Online, the competition looks different. Resellers are using automated bots to buy dozens of boxes during preorders, according to theverge.com. The practice echoes the ticket-buying bots that Congress outlawed for concert tickets in 2016.
The tools are sold as subscriptions. Polar Chefs offers monthly plans ranging from $660 per year to $75 per month, bundling access to a private Discord server, restock alerts, and bots for buying cards.
The frustration has spilled into real-world confrontations. A 72-year-old man was arrested and charged with a first-degree misdemeanor for tracking a Pokémon delivery worker's location with a secretly planted device.
Content creators are part of the picture too. Pokémon card creator Natalie Roush posted a video showing two premium boxes of cards that had not yet been officially released.
Quick answers
What is the Pokémon 30th Celebration set?
It is a Pokémon Trading Card Game set that released last week and has unusually strong pull rates for rare chase cards.
How do resellers buy so many Pokémon cards?
Resellers use automated bots to buy dozens of boxes during online preorders, and services such as Polar Chefs sell subscriptions that include bots for buying cards.
Why was a 72-year-old man charged?
He was arrested and charged with a first-degree misdemeanor for tracking a Pokémon delivery worker's location with a secretly planted device.