A Japanese Store Has Come Up With a Fun Way to Combat Pokémon Card Scalpers
IGN • • technology
Key Points:
- Bic Camera’s Ikebukuro West branch in Tokyo now requires customers to pass a 15-question Pokémon quiz in Japanese before purchasing the Ninja Spinner expansion, aiming to deter scalpers from buying multiple boxes.
- Additional measures include a one-box-per-customer limit, mandatory loyalty account registration, and removal of shrinkwrap to prevent resale of sealed products.
- The quiz is designed to be accessible to genuine Pokémon fans, with questions ranging from basic knowledge like identifying the Pokémon on the box, and photography or phone use during the test is prohibited.
- The move has been praised on social media by Japanese users as a successful strategy against scalpers, particularly targeting foreign resellers from Vietnam and China, following recent arrests.
- Other Bic Camera stores have implemented varying Pokémon card purchase restrictions, including ID requirements, amid rising global incidents of Pokémon card thefts and scams.
