Pokemon Center Braces for 30th Celebration Orders with Controversial Anti-Scalper Measures
It’s been less than a week since the latest Pokemon TCG expansion dropped. Mega Evolution – Pitch Black is out in the wild, and chase cards are already off to the races with high resale prices. But even as fans are still trying their luck to snag this latest release, The Pokemon Company is prepping for what’s next. September brings the highly anticipated 30th Celebration special collection, and it’s looking like the biggest Pokemon TCG launch of the year. That means scalpers will be out in full force, and The Pokemon Center is bracing for impact.
30th Celebration is already looking pricey, as stores like GameStop are poised to sell at well above MSRP. It’s no surprise, as the set packs in a new rarity tier and plenty of fan-favorite Pokemon, including Umbreon and Espeon-themed Ultra Premium Collections. The first wave of 30th Celebration products is set to launch worldwide on September 16th. Ahead of pre-orders, The Pokemon Center dropped a new FAQ to remind fans of its anti-scalper measures, which are still very much in place despite backlash. And it’s a stark reminder that this drop is going to be every bit as messy as previous ones, if not more so.
Pokemon Center’s 30th Celebration FAQ Has Fans Prepping for a Messy Launch
Pokemon Center Support recently shared a new 30th Celebration TCG FAQ article. The post outlines what fans can expect from the massive special Pokemon TCG collection launch. Most of this information isn’t new, with reminders about the Virtual Queue process and tips for a “smooth shopping experience.” These include reminders about how customers can avoid the dreaded Pokemon Center ban day-of, such as sticking to purchase limits.
The post underlines a few things for those hoping to secure any Pokemon TCG: 30th Celebration product. First, The Pokemon Center is bracing for even higher site traffic than what typically comes with a new TCG launch. And second, the site’s controversial Virtual Queue process will return, seemingly without major changes. The Queue is theoretically a way to slow down bot traffic, extending the time that product stays in stock. In practice, though, many Pokemon TCG players feel the Virtual Queue is a roadblock to human buyers more than it stops scalper bots.
The post does note that Pokemon Center Support is “working to improve [its] systems during these high-volume launches.” From the sounds of it, though, no specific changes will be in place when 30th Celebration drops. And that has many fans frustrated before the launch even begins. Despite offering tips to avoid the dreaded error 15 or error 17 bans, many customers fully expect they’ll once again struggle to make it to checkout. “I follow all of those rules and still can’t get in,” says one comment in response to the post. Meanwhile, scalpers sure do seem to be still managing to secure plenty of product despite the supposed bot crackdown.
Still, the advice is worth perusing if you’re planning to shop a Pokemon Center drop for the Pokemon TCG. One tip I’ve not seen before is that you should avoid combining pre-order and in-stock items in the same order. Other advice to avoid an IP ban includes turning off VPNs, clearing your browser cache, and switching to a different browser if you encounter issues. That said, opening too many browsers from the same IP address is likely going to trigger those aggressive anti-bot measures and get you banned, so be careful with that advice.
From the sounds of it, the Pokemon Center site is almost definitely going to experience its usual issues when 30th Celebration arrives. But it sounds like Support is at least aware of customer complaints, and potentially working on an eventual solution. That solution will almost certainly not arrive before September 16th, though it could be in place when the remaining 30th Celebration items drop in November.
Will you even bother trying to buy 30th Celebration from the first Pokemon Center drop? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!