UK card sellers report suspected opening of postal deliveries
Small collectible card shops in Bath, UK, have reported opened postal envelopes and the disappearance of Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering cards from Royal Mail deliveries. Due to the risk of losses, some sellers have temporarily suspended online sales, The Guardian reports.
Seven similar deliveries
Bath TCG specialist shop owner Ben Thayer said that at the end of July he received photographs from a customer of a cut-open envelope with no cards inside. The shop subsequently received reports of six more similar deliveries from the same batch, sent on the same day.
According to Thayer, all the envelopes had been sealed with adhesive tape that Bath TCG does not use. The shop sends orders in new envelopes with its own stickers on the flaps. Thayer believes the envelopes were opened deliberately. The cards in those deliveries were not expensive, but the shop halted online card sales because of the risk of further losses and reputational damage. The businessman estimated lost revenue at £4,000–£6,000.
Magic seller's report
Mana Rock Games director Daniel Stack, whose company sells Magic: The Gathering cards, also reported similar incidents. According to him, two customers from different parts of the country sent photographs almost simultaneously of already opened deliveries with no contents inside. Previously, another parcel had arrived in France in a similar condition.
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Stack said the value of the cards he believes were stolen was about £120. Before this, Mana Rock Games had fulfilled more than 1,200 orders without similar problems. The company suspended online sales for a week, which Stack estimated cost it £500 in revenue.
Royal Mail investigation
Royal Mail said it is investigating the reports and remains in contact with the affected companies. A representative of the operator said postal security is a priority and reports of possible theft are carefully checked; when necessary, the company cooperates with law enforcement agencies. The investigation is ongoing.
In the UK, cards are often sent in recognisable rigid envelopes, sometimes with shop stickers or seals. Amid active resale of collectible cards, one Pokémon card was recently sold for £12 million. The release of a card set marking Pokémon's 30th anniversary is also expected this month.
