NS
Fake Pokemon Cards
I purchased what was advertised as a Prismatic Evolutions Booster Bundle (which should contain 6 packs of cards). Price was MSRP, so I didn’t question authenticity at first. Upon delivery, I received what Pokemon calls a booster box,the booster box delivered to me contained 38 packs of cards. The cards and packs in question are not authentic Pokémon TCG products. To explain why, here are the key points: Code Cards – Every single Scarlet & Violet booster pack (including Prismatic Evolutions) contains a Pokémon TCG Live code card. This has been an unbroken standard since 2011. None of the packs I received included code cards. This alone is definitive proof that the items are not genuine. Pack Configuration – Upon my first email iBooks mentioned alternate packaging formats, but The Pokémon Company International has never released an official 38-pack product for Prismatic Evolutions. The only sealed formats are booster boxes (36 packs), booster bundles (6 packs), Elite Trainer Boxes, and other named products. A 38-pack box simply does not exist in the official product line, or in lines distributed to retailers. Pack Weights – Authentic Scarlet & Violet booster packs consistently weigh between ~22.5–23 g. The packs I received weighed in the 15–16 g range, which generally signals a 'light' pack (either tampered with with cards removed, or fraudulent cards present. Card Stock & Core – Genuine Pokémon cards have a three-layer black/blue core that prevents light from passing through. When held to light, these cards allow minimal bleed. The cards I received allow significant light through and lack the black core. I also tore a low-value card in half to examine and there is no core. Foil Texture – All real Illustration Rare cards in Scarlet & Violet (including these prismatic evolution cards) are printed with textured foiling. The ones I pulled from these packs were completely smooth, which is not consistent with authentic cards. Card Counts – Authentic packs always contain 10 cards plus 1 code card. Several of the packs I received had incorrect card counts (8–9 cards). A rare mispack might occur occasionally, but not repeatedly across so many packs. Number of Illustration Rare, Secret Illustration Rare, and Secret Rare Card Pulls for 38 packs is too high. The SIR Umbreon alone is a ~1 in 1400 pull. In addition to the packaging and stock issues I raised earlier, the pull distribution I experienced makes it mathematically clear the packs are not authentic. In 38 packs, I pulled 1 Umbreon SIR, 4 Jolteon SIR, 3 Leafeon SIR, 1 Espeon SIR, and 3 Ceruledge SIR. The documented pull rate for any specific Special Illustration Rare in Scarlet & Violet sets is approximately 1 in 1,440 packs. The odds of obtaining that exact distribution in only 38 packs is roughly 1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (1 in a billion-billion). In other words, this outcome is not “unlikely” or “a rare collation error” — it is statistically impossible under genuine Pokémon distribution. This evidence, combined with the absence of code cards and incorrect card stock, conclusively confirms the product is counterfeit. Lastly, I took a mixture of cards from this set, including all SIRs, IRs, and Rare cards to my local card shop who confirmed all were fake cards. Each of these points on its own raises serious concerns. Taken together, they definitively demonstrate that the products are counterfeit, tampered with, and not true Pokemon TCG Product. I fully understand that your store may have sourced them in good faith, but unfortunately, they cannot be considered genuine Pokémon TCG products from what I have experienced in opening and examining them. I issued a return process by requesting a refund, and iBooks has dragged along repeatedly telling me their shipper will send me a return label, however I am still waiting. It is unreasonable to request a return label be emailed to me and not have it emailed over the course of almost 3 weeks after multiple respectful check-in’s. I’m hoping to still get my money back, but at this rate I’m not betting on it.
Response from VeloraNov 5, 2025
Dear NS, My name is Camille Jourdain Hohl, and I am a Customer Service Representative with lbooks Corporation. I want to begin by offering my sincerest apologies for the frustration and disappointment you’ve experienced with your recent Pokémon TCG order. I completely understand how concerning it must have been to receive a product that did not meet your expectations, especially given the detailed knowledge and care you clearly bring to evaluating Pokémon cards. I want to address your concerns thoroughly and provide clarity about the authenticity of the products you received. I want to assure you that all Pokémon cards sold through lbooks Corporation are sourced from official distributors and verified supply channels. It is never our intention to mislead our customers, and we do not sell counterfeit products. I understand that the absence of code cards in your Prismatic Evolutions packs, as well as variations in pack count and card weight, understandably raised concerns. In some cases, official distributors may adjust packaging or consolidate packs for logistical reasons, which can result in slight differences from standard retail configurations. These variations do not indicate counterfeit products, and all items you received came from legitimate Pokémon production lines. Regarding your observations about card stock, foil texture, and light passing through the cards, I completely understand why this raised alarm. Differences in perception of card quality can occur due to natural variations between production batches, shipping conditions, and environmental factors. The foil texture and core structure of cards may feel or appear slightly different under certain lighting or handling, but this does not compromise the authenticity of the cards themselves. We have confirmed with our distributors that the cards in your shipment are genuine Prismatic Evolutions products. I also want to acknowledge the concerns you raised about the rarity pulls and card distribution in your packs. While the sequence of rare cards you received may seem highly improbable, Pokémon TCG pulls are inherently random, and statistical anomalies can occur. Occasionally, collectors do receive outcomes that appear extremely unlikely, and while your experience is unusual, it is within the realm of possibility for authentic products. I understand that this may not have alleviated your initial doubts, and I truly regret any distress this has caused. I want to personally apologize for the delays you’ve experienced in receiving a return label and completing your refund. It is unacceptable for you to wait weeks without clear communication, and I take full responsibility for this delay. I am committed to personally ensuring that your refund is processed promptly and that any outstanding concerns about your order are fully addressed. Your satisfaction and trust are extremely important to us, and we want to make this right for you. If you would like to contact me directly, you can reply to this email at [email protected] or reach me by phone at +1 (938) 204-4944. I will personally handle your inquiry, ensuring that you are speaking with a real person who can provide immediate assistance, not an automated response system. I truly appreciate your patience and understanding, and I want to restore your confidence in both our products and our service. With my warmest regards and deepest apologies, Camille Jourdain Hohl Customer Care Representative lbooks Corporation