NTA, fuck scalpers and all those people defending them in this thread. No reasonable person buys out the store just for fun or the love of the game. All those downvotes are from scalpers and scum of the earth. Downvote me. DGAF
Also that dude is creepy as fuck for following you home. Incel scalper behavior mad because he's loosing out on money. Fuck him.
They legit ruin the experience and like we’re stealing all of the cards out of the boxes at our local groceries and just leaving the shredded cardboard boxes behind.
Some of our local card shops are apprehensive to even sell Pokémon cards to adults that they aren’t familiar with due to the amount of scalping.
Hard to say. Don’t know if a store manager could have helped but my general sentiment is - fuck scalpers. They’re ruining what should be a great experience for all.
You definitely did the right thing in calling the cops at the end.
NTA but I wouldn’t do it again. Consider yourself lucky the guy didn’t have a weapon or was willing to actually fight because those people are out there.
They did it during Covid for toilet paper. It’s not unreasonable to tell someone they can’t just buy all the inventory. Especially during the holidays.
If only we had more cashiers instead of auto registers that have the concept of right and wrong.
They have the option to do the same on the auto registers. When you go to buy certain goods, even the self checkout machines will throw an error if you try to scan too much. One item i saw when working at a grocery store was baby formula at one point had a limit per customer so even at self checkout you couldnt buy more than say 3 cans of formula. Stores simply don't care about scalpers.
Aside from the fact that other people have said Walmart is supposed to have limits on the cards, adding a limit wouldn’t prevent them from getting product in and out. You realize the stores that have limits on card packs still sell out in a matter of hours tops, right?
Question; is there any way to get this encounter on record from the cops?
Because if you can get it on record, I would see about speaking to walmart security and the manager.
I had an incident where a man outside of the entrance asked me for change...I didn't have any, but I used my card to buy him some shelf-syable foods and juice so he could eat.
A week later, the man proceeded to find me on social media and try to solicit me, then sent me photos of both him and his dingaling. The next time I had to go to that Walmart, I hurried past him in an oversized hoodie, track pants, and glasses and told the story to security, showing the photo of his face. Security rushed out there so fucking fast and I never saw him again. Still bought a tazer and pepper spray from there, just in case. The staff were all too happy to help me with that after that tale.
If shoppers are threatening other shoppers (especially minors!) outside of their premises and the source of the issue originated in the store, they might act...they are fully within their power to ban his ass, or at the very least, keep an eye on him when he is in there. You would honestly be doing the world a favor.
For all those people saying "how do you know he was a scalper", it's cause those fuckers don't even try to hide what their doing. If there's a guy there the morning of the restock shoving every single pack into his cart, he's a scalper.
And while taking something from somebody else's cart is one hell of an asshole move, scalpers are doing so much worse. You want a $20 box from Target? Too bad, scalpers bought every single one and are reselling them for $60, and buying it from them is only reinforcing the shitty behavior.
"Sorry Timmy, I was going to use $60 to get you three of those $20 box sets you really wanted, but I could only get them from a man on eBay for $60 so you only get the one."
"I know you really wanted those cards Betty, but I couldn't get them in store and they were too expensive to buy online."
Like scalpers are literally profiting off doing something that makes everyone else upset. It's not "a smart way to make easy money", it's "instead of any other way to make money I'm going to be an asshole to collectors and children".
The most valuable brand in the world is Apple. Pokemon isn't even near the top ten and never has been. It is a fucking card game. It literally exists to be played. This comment is brainless.
I mean, in a vacuum sure, taking things out of someone’s cart does make you an asshole.
However, scalpers are parasites, and what they do, in this case taking all the card packs, is unethical and morally indefensible. Doing something that would otherwise be dickish but now prevents an immoral action is fine.
NTA but why tf did you tell anyone the cart part ? Just tell the creepy guy followed you because he wanted the cards don't give them idiots "moral ammo" to be contrarians
Not the assholle but this story is fake because the scalper could no way finish his transaction in time to follow OP home unless OP took his sweet ass time.
The beauty of taking shit out of the scalpers cart is this though, what are they gonna do? Abandon the cart full of stuff to chase you down? .
NTA, fuck scalpers. And I wish stores like Walmart would implement the process I've seen places like my local BestBuy and GameStops doing. Which is restricting how many packs/boxes a person can purchase from a set and/or placing the packs/boxes behind the counter so that the employees handle grabbing the packs. And honestly that dude is a total creep who the fuck follows a teenager home over Pokemon cards????
EDIT: Scrolled down and saw someone say Walmart DOES have a limit on how many packs one person can buy. So I agree with them that if anything you were just enforcing the store's rules lol
NTA. I haven't seen a scalper in action, but I've also made up mind imma do what you did.
The point to stop demanding the product was when you offically bought it. Following you around THEN following you home is so far from okay. Also, I highly doubt they were going to pay YOU the prices they charge other people or even pay you at all.
Most walmarts have started implementing buying limits. I'd check if your walmart has and if so complain that they're not enforcing it.
NTA, should’ve made a scene yelling saying the person was a PDF file so they would’ve gotten their just deserts for being a scalper and following you home
I'm all for not letting scalpers get away with this bullshit, buuuut they are usually psychos who will try and fight over Pokemon cards despite being grown ass adults. Just be more careful next time.
Don't even have to read the post. Any possible "AITA" situation involving a scalper where you aren't the scalper is an automatic no, you are not the asshole. Next question, please.
NTA. There needs to be a hard limit on how many of these packs people can purchase. Plus following you home is akin to stalking. Hopefully the police did something.
There was no other store to go to. I am an avid pokemon card collector. They are barely sold elsewhere and when they’re at Walmart that exact thing happened. Last time I was there was on my birthday trying to get myself cards and I ran into scalpers and I straight up told them in the aisle with their cart full that they needed to give me at least 2 products because it is my birthday and actually intend to open the cards. NTA.
NTA but in the future, if anyone is following you in your car, reroute to the closest police station. Not safe to have people crazy enough to follow you, actually make it to your HOME
NTA. As far as I’m concerned, you even failed a little by missing out on an opportunity to get a scalper thrown in jail for stalking and harassing a minor. Scalpers are an insult to this society.
NTA scalpers and scammers are literally the rats of con artists. Since when tf do we respect and move around rats and their whims?
Next time though, don’t just think you can hide behind some cars and leave. Once you noticed him following you, you either should have gone back into the store and gotten an employee for help, Sat in your locked car and called the police, drove to a police station or taken an unusual route until you lost him before going home. Your safety really was in jeopardy, because you had no way of knowing for sure if he wanted the cards or what he’d do to get them, and you put your family at risk. I can see that being the source of your moms anger, more than your choice to get your bite back, which never changes with age. My boyfriends 30 and his mom will try to tell him how to lift things at work.
NTA- In my opinion at this point stores should lock up the cards and put a limit on home many one person can purchase at a time. I'm saying this as someone who has liked pokemon since I was 11 this is insane that these people are taking away things for children just to make a quick buck. I hope your sister has a great Christmas and loves her cards.
Look, scalpers suck 100%. Period. Reaching into someone else's cart to grab an item is an asshole move. We don't get to justify it or excuse it with mental gymnastics of "fuck scalpers". What stops someone from deciding that they need something in your cart more than you do, regardless of what it is? Nothing.
Dude shouldn't have followed you home. You being a minor is irrelevant. You don't get to play that card after taking a big boy action of reaching into someone else's cart (initiating the confrontation).
You could've seriously gotten yourself hurt doing that, all over some cardboard. It sucks to just let scalpers scalp, but it's not worth endangering yourself or those around you.
Don’t touch shit in people carts for one. Are you ready to get in a fight? You being a minor doesn’t stop you from getting hurt. Get that “Im a minor” mindset out of your head if you are gonna do adult activities.
You may not like “scalpers” but they are allowed to buy them just like you are.
When I used to grab stuff off a rack, I would never take everything. Heck, I wouldn't even take half for the very reason above and if someone asked for something in my basket I always gave that person one of whatever I had. People that take everything as jerks and you are nta if you took something. Personally, I was fair game until I got out of the store. Did I give a lot of stuff out, yeah, did I care, not really. Did I get a lot of stuff, yeah I did.
The people that say ESH or YTA don't understand that respect is a two way street. If scalpers don't respect others than why the fuck should others respect them.
But also don't be dumb about it. It's not worth it to have a deranged lunatic know your home address
Fuckin righteous dude, you are not the asshole. That said tho, people are crazy and you never know when someone has a gun, so make sure you factor in your safety with decisions like that
I don't blame your mom, people can be dangerous and you're just a kid. If you ever see that guy again walk the other way and don't put yourself in dangerous situations no matter how justified you might be.
Hubby and I spent half a day this month driving from store to store so we could buy 2 booster packs of Pokemon cards for a 7 year old. We never found any. Screw resellers.
NTA but you are stupid. Lots of people are psychopaths, scalpers already aren't good people so you're starting with a not good person who might be a psycho to the point they would assault, murder, or rob you.
Don't piss people off to make yourself feel better, just get the cards somewhere else
Hi! Walmart empyee, and card enjoyer. We have constant issues with scalpers taking everything, and its generally seen as "reserved" if you put it in a cart. While technically not their property, it is, in a way, spoken for.
This is why companies actually have to deal with this stuff seriously. Nta because fuck scalpers. They literally grab everything off shelves and also the restocks so they can sell them at a higher price with the last minutes gift purchasing. While yeah, once its in a persons cart, you shouldn't be taking anything. But if they took the whole restock.. well eh. They are assholes and you had a good reason to do it. You are buying it for a gift. Scalpers are buying them because they're greedy motherfuckers.
Next time you do it, film it. They won’t do anything if you’re actively recording because they know they’re in the wrong. Literally everyone hates them so they should continue to get humiliated.
I love Pokemon, and that love started as a kid in the 90s and early 2000s. I sometimes play the games, watch the anime for nostalgia, and you bet I have tshirts and other things with pokemon. I can't stand what scalpers are doing - they're taking away a simple pleasure that kids have had for years. You're 100% NTA, and good for you for taking some for your sister
YTA for letting him follow you, bro. That was stupid. Don't put your family in that position, especially for a dumb Christmas present. And especially don't reach into people's carts, scalper or no, you shouldn't do that. That being said, scalpers are trash. Stores should have policies against that shit.
Stores literally dont care. If someones acting dangerous they'll have them removed but they arent going to put rules against buying up Pokémon Cards because they only care about their bottom line. Like I agree scalpers suck, stores just arent going to limit how many hobby cards you can buy. I think its silly im being downvoted for just pointing out a truth about how stores work. If it was food and necessities, thats a different story like we saw with Covid, but playing cards? They dont care
Wow you are lucky because this could have ended up so much worse. It is hard to pass a judgement because it wrong to take something out of someone else’s cart or hands even if they haven’t paid yet flashback to the Black Friday cabbage patch doll video that is making its rounds this year. This guy could have been a scalper, one of those people who open packs on lives, an addict of the cards, or giving a mass amount of them as gifts. The majority of these suck but you still should keep your hands to yourself and only grab from the shelves.
In the end, you put not only yourself, your family, and your family’s home at risk and continued risk since that will likely be back and no one has a clue what a stranger is capable of but it cannot be good if he was willing to follow you around the store, to your car, and follow you home (btw check all of the cars for trackers too). I have to go with YTA on this mostly due to the safety risk and the longevity potential this has.
Huh. I'm going Justified Asshole on this, or maybe ESH. Scalpers suck, no argument here, but like. Taking stuff out of someone's cart is rude and doing it while they're watching is just a lack of foresight. The dude following you home was way out of line and definitely justified the police call.
Idk, I'm sure you'd get more support on a pokemon tcg subreddit than here among the unfiltered masses. I prefer the video games and plushies, personally. Just, don't do it again, okay? Or if you do, be smarter about it.
Scalping is shitty, especially during Christmas. This guy's behavior is intentionally preventing kids from getting these cards for Christmas by artificially reducing supply and driving up price. They have literally priced children out of a hobby intended for children.
And the stores are enjoying their inventory flying off the shelves. Some have limits in place, but most don't seem to care as long as their stock sells out fast.
Yeah man, keep going out there and being a PKMN card vigilante. Idc. Just expect this to happen again and again. People are unhinged and you're challenging someone whose already displaying signs of disregarding morals/ethics.
While scalpers are pieces of shit, so are people who take merchandise out of other peoples carts regardless of situation.
You are not more entitled to the cards than a scalper and you have 0 entitlement to those cards once it is in their cart.
I agree with everyone saying the scalpers are a piece of shit, but I disagree with everyone saying you are not the asshole. 2 parties on different sides of the same situation can be assholes, and you were one of them.
Now, do I think it was appropriate to be an asshole in this situation, hell yes, fuck those scalpers. Still an asshole though.
The only issue I have with this is the assumption that they were a scalper. What makes you sure they were a scalper? Simply buying a large number of cards isn’t proof. I buy cards in large quantities at a time because my daughter and I both love Pokémon and enjoy spending a few hours going to the cards and trading with each other. It makes an awesome evening for us. I’d be furious if someone snatched one of the packs out of my cart just because I was getting more than a few packs. 100% team fuck scalpers, but not everyone who buys in bulk is a scalper.
That aside, calling the cops was absolutely the right thing to do. Even being upset over the cards, there’s no reason he should have followed you anywhere, much less all the way to your home.
honestly if youre stalking a restock and taking everything off the shelf youre an asshole yourself. If he didnt take every box then this dude wouldnt have reached in the cart.
Anyone can walk in and buy the whole shelf of any product that doesn’t have a store-enforced limit whenever they want to. That’s literally how shopping works. You don’t know that guy’s story at all. What if he has 10 grandkids and all they had was ten boxes (obviously just an example). Leave people alone.
He’s an asshole but you don’t take things from other peoples carts. Why would you think that’s okay? If Walmart isn’t doing anything to limit sales, then he wasn’t breaking any rules, but you did.
I mean, technically yes, you shouldn't take things out of people's cart.
Then again, he shouldn't have hoarded everything.
Honestly, your both the AH.
But, please, don't do that again! As a mother, I can only imagine how freaked out she was hearing this story! People are crazy and keep weapons and worse in their cars. Its not worth dying over pokemon cards
First, how do you know the guy was a scalper? Second, why does it matter?
You removed something from someone's cart and now are mad that they weren't ok with that?
What if you had been there for one of those blockbuster Black Friday deals. i don't even know if stores still do this. Still, lets assume it was a nice TV for 1/2 off and you had stood in line for hours to get in and grab one of the 6 the store had at that price. While your back was turned someone took it from your cart and put into theirs. Would you just be like "well it's not theft, so I'm cool with it?"
It was mentioned that this person was hoarding a bunch of card packs. Collectors don’t tend to do that, they grab a pack or three. It’s not comparable to your example. A comparable example would be “there are only 6 TVs and one person has stacked all 6 onto a flat cart.” It’s usually pretty obvious when someone is a scalper vs a collector or someone just there to score their share of a product.
I'm not a Pokemon collector, but I know that plenty of collectors buy multiple boxes to open. Why would they not buy a bunch of pack if they could get them cheaper at retail rather than the secondary market?
You ever been to a Walmart or target when the cards are stocked and see a guy cleaning it out? That’s how you know. It’s so disheartening. No serious collector buys them all like that, if you’re that serious you’re ordering the cards you want from eBay. I have thousands of Pokemon cards and collect them, and I’d never go clean out a store just for my collection.
The whole purpose of a scalper buying them retail is to make money by selling them on eBay. If a collector wants to open a bunch of packs/cases then it makes total sense to get out a Walmart stock rather than paying more on eBay.
YTA for sure. Never take anything out of someone else's cart no matter what you believe they are doing. It's wrong. Listen to your momma little boy and grow up. Ever heard two wrongs don't make a right? This applies whether you like it or not.
“I’m not defending the scalper” as he defends the scalper. There’s also an understanding that you won’t take an entire shelf worth of Pokémon cards. That overrides the scalpers right to keep his cards
Yes definitely the A. Taking something out of someone cart regardless of what or why is being an asshole. Cannot believe so many people are defending you. People have gone crazy.
We live in a capitalistic world. Someone trying to capitalize on buying a product that they can then sell for a profit is doing exactly what all businesses do. If you snooze, you loose.
Id say you were wrong to take something out of someone's cart, kinda seems like a dick move to me, even if the scalpers deserve it. but the scalper absolutely escalated the situation and its very good you called the cops, hope your safe.
I just ain’t gonna lose my life or jeopardize my freedom nor that of my family because of something that does not pertain to me, like a jobless creep poaching Hot Wheels, Pokeman or some daggum GI Joes.
Orphanage is a stretch, but i highly doubt the scalper stalked OP to their house, nor would they just stand there while you take "one of the bigger boxes."
it has unfortunately happened before... rare ofc but some scalpers are genuinely and totally mentally unstable as is always a possibility when interacting with any general member of the public
Youre right there are a lot of mentally unstable, but that just brings me back to the guy wouldn't have just stood by and let OP take something out of his cart. Everyone is too busy hating on scalpers to notice how fake the story sounds
This post is fake, not hypothetical.
NTA
Scalpers need to be humbled more aggressively, you did what you could.
Happy to humble them myself if I get the chance, so far I've not seen them in the wild though. I hate adults that ruin things for kids
It's genuinely disgusting how hard the barrier to entry for Pokémon card collecting has come.
NTA, fuck scalpers and all those people defending them in this thread. No reasonable person buys out the store just for fun or the love of the game. All those downvotes are from scalpers and scum of the earth. Downvote me. DGAF Also that dude is creepy as fuck for following you home. Incel scalper behavior mad because he's loosing out on money. Fuck him.
Thank you
Calling police about a dude following you home was the right move.
They legit ruin the experience and like we’re stealing all of the cards out of the boxes at our local groceries and just leaving the shredded cardboard boxes behind.
Some of our local card shops are apprehensive to even sell Pokémon cards to adults that they aren’t familiar with due to the amount of scalping.
NTA be more slick next time.
Hard to say. Don’t know if a store manager could have helped but my general sentiment is - fuck scalpers. They’re ruining what should be a great experience for all.
You definitely did the right thing in calling the cops at the end.
NTA but I wouldn’t do it again. Consider yourself lucky the guy didn’t have a weapon or was willing to actually fight because those people are out there.
Stores could solve this problem by having purchase limits. But of course, all they care about is that people buy the stuff.
They did it during Covid for toilet paper. It’s not unreasonable to tell someone they can’t just buy all the inventory. Especially during the holidays.
If only we had more cashiers instead of auto registers that have the concept of right and wrong.
They have the option to do the same on the auto registers. When you go to buy certain goods, even the self checkout machines will throw an error if you try to scan too much. One item i saw when working at a grocery store was baby formula at one point had a limit per customer so even at self checkout you couldnt buy more than say 3 cans of formula. Stores simply don't care about scalpers.
They've been doing it with ammo years
It’s ridiculous that Walmart doesn’t have limits. Costco does. GameStop does. Pretty sure a bunch of other stores do too.
Our local Walmarts all have 5 pack limits now. Or 1 ETB. Decks count in the 5.
It would defeat the purpose of Walmart. They want product in and out. As it should be.
Aside from the fact that other people have said Walmart is supposed to have limits on the cards, adding a limit wouldn’t prevent them from getting product in and out. You realize the stores that have limits on card packs still sell out in a matter of hours tops, right?
People can say what they want lol. Doesn’t make it true.
Not for pokemon cards.
They limit other things like ammo
Costco and Target here have purchase limits, I generally avoid Walmart, so no idea what their policy is
Fuck scalpers indeed.
Pokémon scalpers ESPECIALLY
Question; is there any way to get this encounter on record from the cops?
Because if you can get it on record, I would see about speaking to walmart security and the manager.
I had an incident where a man outside of the entrance asked me for change...I didn't have any, but I used my card to buy him some shelf-syable foods and juice so he could eat.
A week later, the man proceeded to find me on social media and try to solicit me, then sent me photos of both him and his dingaling. The next time I had to go to that Walmart, I hurried past him in an oversized hoodie, track pants, and glasses and told the story to security, showing the photo of his face. Security rushed out there so fucking fast and I never saw him again. Still bought a tazer and pepper spray from there, just in case. The staff were all too happy to help me with that after that tale.
If shoppers are threatening other shoppers (especially minors!) outside of their premises and the source of the issue originated in the store, they might act...they are fully within their power to ban his ass, or at the very least, keep an eye on him when he is in there. You would honestly be doing the world a favor.
For all those people saying "how do you know he was a scalper", it's cause those fuckers don't even try to hide what their doing. If there's a guy there the morning of the restock shoving every single pack into his cart, he's a scalper.
And while taking something from somebody else's cart is one hell of an asshole move, scalpers are doing so much worse. You want a $20 box from Target? Too bad, scalpers bought every single one and are reselling them for $60, and buying it from them is only reinforcing the shitty behavior.
"Sorry Timmy, I was going to use $60 to get you three of those $20 box sets you really wanted, but I could only get them from a man on eBay for $60 so you only get the one."
"I know you really wanted those cards Betty, but I couldn't get them in store and they were too expensive to buy online."
Like scalpers are literally profiting off doing something that makes everyone else upset. It's not "a smart way to make easy money", it's "instead of any other way to make money I'm going to be an asshole to collectors and children".
NTA, but man you gotta be more careful.
NTA. Fuck scalpers. Pokémon is for kids and players, not profit.
Pokemon, the most valuable brand in the world, literally exists for profit lmao
Don't make yourself sound like a scalper, that's how you get people to hate you. You know what I meant.
I don't think you know what "brand" or "literally" means.
The most valuable brand in the world is Apple. Pokemon isn't even near the top ten and never has been. It is a fucking card game. It literally exists to be played. This comment is brainless.
I mean, in a vacuum sure, taking things out of someone’s cart does make you an asshole.
However, scalpers are parasites, and what they do, in this case taking all the card packs, is unethical and morally indefensible. Doing something that would otherwise be dickish but now prevents an immoral action is fine.
NTA
NTA, scalpers are worst than scum, they are the same people hoarding shit to sell at high prices during covid. Fuck em.
NTA. Fuck scalpers.
NTA but why tf did you tell anyone the cart part ? Just tell the creepy guy followed you because he wanted the cards don't give them idiots "moral ammo" to be contrarians
Scalpers have ruined collecting for us who are in it for fun. NTA.
Not the assholle but this story is fake because the scalper could no way finish his transaction in time to follow OP home unless OP took his sweet ass time.
The beauty of taking shit out of the scalpers cart is this though, what are they gonna do? Abandon the cart full of stuff to chase you down? .
Totally fake, as are most stories on this sub these days it seems. Maybe if this wasn't a brand new account I'd believe it.
NTA, fuck scalpers. And I wish stores like Walmart would implement the process I've seen places like my local BestBuy and GameStops doing. Which is restricting how many packs/boxes a person can purchase from a set and/or placing the packs/boxes behind the counter so that the employees handle grabbing the packs. And honestly that dude is a total creep who the fuck follows a teenager home over Pokemon cards????
EDIT: Scrolled down and saw someone say Walmart DOES have a limit on how many packs one person can buy. So I agree with them that if anything you were just enforcing the store's rules lol
NTA
Also hope the scalper got arrested, because who the fuck follows a minor home. Fucking weird creep
This is the solution to scalpers. We need to literally not accept this kind of behavior.
Scalpers are human garbage
NTA. I haven't seen a scalper in action, but I've also made up mind imma do what you did.
The point to stop demanding the product was when you offically bought it. Following you around THEN following you home is so far from okay. Also, I highly doubt they were going to pay YOU the prices they charge other people or even pay you at all.
Most walmarts have started implementing buying limits. I'd check if your walmart has and if so complain that they're not enforcing it.
NTA fuck scalpers, you did nothing wrong.
NTA, should’ve made a scene yelling saying the person was a PDF file so they would’ve gotten their just deserts for being a scalper and following you home
NTA, fuck scalpers for ruining every hobby 😒
But definitely be more careful! You never know how crazy a person might be
Walmart limits the amount of cards you can buy now or is supposed to. If anything you helped enforce the rules they made
NTA, scalpers can go to hell
However it would’ve been smarter to be sneaky about it, good idea calling the police but you got lucky he didn’t get too aggressive over it
NTA, but a little dumb 💀
I'm all for not letting scalpers get away with this bullshit, buuuut they are usually psychos who will try and fight over Pokemon cards despite being grown ass adults. Just be more careful next time.
Don't even have to read the post. Any possible "AITA" situation involving a scalper where you aren't the scalper is an automatic no, you are not the asshole. Next question, please.
First off, fuck scalpers
I can't see a single reason somebody would make a throw away account to post this question. Given the context of the story this seems fake.
NTA. There needs to be a hard limit on how many of these packs people can purchase. Plus following you home is akin to stalking. Hopefully the police did something.
There was no other store to go to. I am an avid pokemon card collector. They are barely sold elsewhere and when they’re at Walmart that exact thing happened. Last time I was there was on my birthday trying to get myself cards and I ran into scalpers and I straight up told them in the aisle with their cart full that they needed to give me at least 2 products because it is my birthday and actually intend to open the cards. NTA.
You did good! Scalpers are a plague, and your definitely NTA.
Keep doing the lord’s work
NTA. Scalpers are the bane of everyone’s existence. Fuck that guy. I hope your sister loves her gift!
Imagine thinking this post is real.
Nta.
He followed you home? What a loser lol. NTA. If he wasn't a scalper you would have been TA but since he was, you're in the clear.
NTA - scalpers are assholes and they ruin the fun for everyone. Fuck them.
NTA but in the future, if anyone is following you in your car, reroute to the closest police station. Not safe to have people crazy enough to follow you, actually make it to your HOME
NTA scalpers can get a real job
Crazy
NTA. As far as I’m concerned, you even failed a little by missing out on an opportunity to get a scalper thrown in jail for stalking and harassing a minor. Scalpers are an insult to this society.
NTA scalpers and scammers are literally the rats of con artists. Since when tf do we respect and move around rats and their whims?
Next time though, don’t just think you can hide behind some cars and leave. Once you noticed him following you, you either should have gone back into the store and gotten an employee for help, Sat in your locked car and called the police, drove to a police station or taken an unusual route until you lost him before going home. Your safety really was in jeopardy, because you had no way of knowing for sure if he wanted the cards or what he’d do to get them, and you put your family at risk. I can see that being the source of your moms anger, more than your choice to get your bite back, which never changes with age. My boyfriends 30 and his mom will try to tell him how to lift things at work.
NTA fuck scalpers but particularly Pokémon scalpers. This shits for children bro like wtf are you doing?
NTA. Fuck scalpers.
NTA
Fuck those scalpers, I've seen them at Target and it's pathetic
You are a little asshole in the best way possible!! 😂
NTA- In my opinion at this point stores should lock up the cards and put a limit on home many one person can purchase at a time. I'm saying this as someone who has liked pokemon since I was 11 this is insane that these people are taking away things for children just to make a quick buck. I hope your sister has a great Christmas and loves her cards.
NTA scalpers deserve to get shitted on, your mom is just being a mom
ESH
Look, scalpers suck 100%. Period. Reaching into someone else's cart to grab an item is an asshole move. We don't get to justify it or excuse it with mental gymnastics of "fuck scalpers". What stops someone from deciding that they need something in your cart more than you do, regardless of what it is? Nothing.
Dude shouldn't have followed you home. You being a minor is irrelevant. You don't get to play that card after taking a big boy action of reaching into someone else's cart (initiating the confrontation).
You could've seriously gotten yourself hurt doing that, all over some cardboard. It sucks to just let scalpers scalp, but it's not worth endangering yourself or those around you.
Nah this is chat gpt
Both of you are idiots.
Don’t touch shit in people carts for one. Are you ready to get in a fight? You being a minor doesn’t stop you from getting hurt. Get that “Im a minor” mindset out of your head if you are gonna do adult activities.
You may not like “scalpers” but they are allowed to buy them just like you are.
I'm with you on this. Where do people draw the line at taking things out someone's cart?
Bot account bait post
Yeah. Guy follows a kid home? Don’t think so
When I used to grab stuff off a rack, I would never take everything. Heck, I wouldn't even take half for the very reason above and if someone asked for something in my basket I always gave that person one of whatever I had. People that take everything as jerks and you are nta if you took something. Personally, I was fair game until I got out of the store. Did I give a lot of stuff out, yeah, did I care, not really. Did I get a lot of stuff, yeah I did.
Na take that shit out their cart and just stare at them when they ask wtf. They know what their doing
NTA.
The people that say ESH or YTA don't understand that respect is a two way street. If scalpers don't respect others than why the fuck should others respect them.
But also don't be dumb about it. It's not worth it to have a deranged lunatic know your home address
Both the A holes.
Dont take things from people's carts. Dont follow minors home.
ESH if this is even real.
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The use of derogatory words or phrases is not allowed. Clean it up.
You did good kid
Fuckin righteous dude, you are not the asshole. That said tho, people are crazy and you never know when someone has a gun, so make sure you factor in your safety with decisions like that
NTA you should have done worse to him
NAH (except the scalper)
I don't blame your mom, people can be dangerous and you're just a kid. If you ever see that guy again walk the other way and don't put yourself in dangerous situations no matter how justified you might be.
Hubby and I spent half a day this month driving from store to store so we could buy 2 booster packs of Pokemon cards for a 7 year old. We never found any. Screw resellers.
NTA
NTA but you are stupid. Lots of people are psychopaths, scalpers already aren't good people so you're starting with a not good person who might be a psycho to the point they would assault, murder, or rob you.
Don't piss people off to make yourself feel better, just get the cards somewhere else
Hi! Walmart empyee, and card enjoyer. We have constant issues with scalpers taking everything, and its generally seen as "reserved" if you put it in a cart. While technically not their property, it is, in a way, spoken for.
That said, f- them scalpers. NTA
Complain to the store manager, corporate and on their social media insisting they put a limit on purchases.
NTA. Scalper enough said
It should be legal to kick the shit out of scalpers. Especially the ones that try and scalp children's toys.
It sucks your mom wasn't on your side... My dad would have went out there and crippled that scalping bitch.
This is why companies actually have to deal with this stuff seriously. Nta because fuck scalpers. They literally grab everything off shelves and also the restocks so they can sell them at a higher price with the last minutes gift purchasing. While yeah, once its in a persons cart, you shouldn't be taking anything. But if they took the whole restock.. well eh. They are assholes and you had a good reason to do it. You are buying it for a gift. Scalpers are buying them because they're greedy motherfuckers.
NTA if it was truly a scalper. Scalpers are the bottom barrel of society.
Nta but stupid af move dude. Just ask him
Next time you do it, film it. They won’t do anything if you’re actively recording because they know they’re in the wrong. Literally everyone hates them so they should continue to get humiliated.
HA, not only are you NTA, but kid, you're my freakin' hero. I hate scalpers.
I love Pokemon, and that love started as a kid in the 90s and early 2000s. I sometimes play the games, watch the anime for nostalgia, and you bet I have tshirts and other things with pokemon. I can't stand what scalpers are doing - they're taking away a simple pleasure that kids have had for years. You're 100% NTA, and good for you for taking some for your sister
YTA for letting him follow you, bro. That was stupid. Don't put your family in that position, especially for a dumb Christmas present. And especially don't reach into people's carts, scalper or no, you shouldn't do that. That being said, scalpers are trash. Stores should have policies against that shit.
Why would they though? They dont care whos buying a hobby product so long as they're being sold
To not atract aggresive mentally ill people near sections children are gonna be in ???
Stores literally dont care. If someones acting dangerous they'll have them removed but they arent going to put rules against buying up Pokémon Cards because they only care about their bottom line. Like I agree scalpers suck, stores just arent going to limit how many hobby cards you can buy. I think its silly im being downvoted for just pointing out a truth about how stores work. If it was food and necessities, thats a different story like we saw with Covid, but playing cards? They dont care
Yes, you were in the wrong.
Yes I also saw the short of someone doing this. YTA for making up the rest of this story.
Wow you are lucky because this could have ended up so much worse. It is hard to pass a judgement because it wrong to take something out of someone else’s cart or hands even if they haven’t paid yet flashback to the Black Friday cabbage patch doll video that is making its rounds this year. This guy could have been a scalper, one of those people who open packs on lives, an addict of the cards, or giving a mass amount of them as gifts. The majority of these suck but you still should keep your hands to yourself and only grab from the shelves.
In the end, you put not only yourself, your family, and your family’s home at risk and continued risk since that will likely be back and no one has a clue what a stranger is capable of but it cannot be good if he was willing to follow you around the store, to your car, and follow you home (btw check all of the cars for trackers too). I have to go with YTA on this mostly due to the safety risk and the longevity potential this has.
Huh. I'm going Justified Asshole on this, or maybe ESH. Scalpers suck, no argument here, but like. Taking stuff out of someone's cart is rude and doing it while they're watching is just a lack of foresight. The dude following you home was way out of line and definitely justified the police call.
Idk, I'm sure you'd get more support on a pokemon tcg subreddit than here among the unfiltered masses. I prefer the video games and plushies, personally. Just, don't do it again, okay? Or if you do, be smarter about it.
i know i shouldn't but nta
I dunno man, kind of an asshole move taking something out of a persons cart.
Blame the store for allowing him to purchase that much merchandise.
It’s not up to you to decide how much is too much.
ESH
You can blame both.
Scalping is shitty, especially during Christmas. This guy's behavior is intentionally preventing kids from getting these cards for Christmas by artificially reducing supply and driving up price. They have literally priced children out of a hobby intended for children.
And the stores are enjoying their inventory flying off the shelves. Some have limits in place, but most don't seem to care as long as their stock sells out fast.
Yes, that’s why I said everyone sucks.
Plus, you have no way of knowing if the guy was “scalping”.
He could be giving them as gifts to family members.
It’s not OPs job to decide how much is too much.
Come on. Everyone knows those guys are scalping.
Yeah man, keep going out there and being a PKMN card vigilante. Idc. Just expect this to happen again and again. People are unhinged and you're challenging someone whose already displaying signs of disregarding morals/ethics.
So if you want to get into that fight? Go for it.
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He literally followed me home.
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The asshole behavior is the greedy scalper taking everything off the shelf. At least leave a few for others.
Found a scalper
he was responding emotionally to your actions. hes wrong doesnt make yours a right, especially when you acted first.
Two wrong don’t make a right
But one act is stupidity is often defended by a dumber act of moronic actions THAT was the point of my comment
Why you the trading card police?! Order them directly from the distributor of you hate scalpers so much ?!
This is the dumbest thing i had read today, f*ck scalpers
Your lucky he wasn’t strapped then
You're. Getting "strapped" for some Pokemon cards sounds insane.
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There's nothing wrong with taking from a scalper.
How much product is “scalping”? Did he say he was going to resell them?
What if the guy had 10 boxes of Pokémon cards and was giving them as Christmas gifts to nieces and nephews?
It’s not OPs job to decide how much product is too much.
17 year old kid decides who’s a scalper? He had no idea.
ESH
While scalpers are pieces of shit, so are people who take merchandise out of other peoples carts regardless of situation.
You are not more entitled to the cards than a scalper and you have 0 entitlement to those cards once it is in their cart.
I agree with everyone saying the scalpers are a piece of shit, but I disagree with everyone saying you are not the asshole. 2 parties on different sides of the same situation can be assholes, and you were one of them.
Now, do I think it was appropriate to be an asshole in this situation, hell yes, fuck those scalpers. Still an asshole though.
The only issue I have with this is the assumption that they were a scalper. What makes you sure they were a scalper? Simply buying a large number of cards isn’t proof. I buy cards in large quantities at a time because my daughter and I both love Pokémon and enjoy spending a few hours going to the cards and trading with each other. It makes an awesome evening for us. I’d be furious if someone snatched one of the packs out of my cart just because I was getting more than a few packs. 100% team fuck scalpers, but not everyone who buys in bulk is a scalper.
That aside, calling the cops was absolutely the right thing to do. Even being upset over the cards, there’s no reason he should have followed you anywhere, much less all the way to your home.
honestly if youre stalking a restock and taking everything off the shelf youre an asshole yourself. If he didnt take every box then this dude wouldnt have reached in the cart.
OP was the one stalking the restock.
Anyone can walk in and buy the whole shelf of any product that doesn’t have a store-enforced limit whenever they want to. That’s literally how shopping works. You don’t know that guy’s story at all. What if he has 10 grandkids and all they had was ten boxes (obviously just an example). Leave people alone.
He’s an asshole but you don’t take things from other peoples carts. Why would you think that’s okay? If Walmart isn’t doing anything to limit sales, then he wasn’t breaking any rules, but you did.
I mean, technically yes, you shouldn't take things out of people's cart.
Then again, he shouldn't have hoarded everything.
Honestly, your both the AH.
But, please, don't do that again! As a mother, I can only imagine how freaked out she was hearing this story! People are crazy and keep weapons and worse in their cars. Its not worth dying over pokemon cards
Obviously YTA.
First, how do you know the guy was a scalper? Second, why does it matter?
You removed something from someone's cart and now are mad that they weren't ok with that?
What if you had been there for one of those blockbuster Black Friday deals. i don't even know if stores still do this. Still, lets assume it was a nice TV for 1/2 off and you had stood in line for hours to get in and grab one of the 6 the store had at that price. While your back was turned someone took it from your cart and put into theirs. Would you just be like "well it's not theft, so I'm cool with it?"
It was mentioned that this person was hoarding a bunch of card packs. Collectors don’t tend to do that, they grab a pack or three. It’s not comparable to your example. A comparable example would be “there are only 6 TVs and one person has stacked all 6 onto a flat cart.” It’s usually pretty obvious when someone is a scalper vs a collector or someone just there to score their share of a product.
Fuck scalpers.
I'm not a Pokemon collector, but I know that plenty of collectors buy multiple boxes to open. Why would they not buy a bunch of pack if they could get them cheaper at retail rather than the secondary market?
Multiple boxes does not = cart hoard
You ever been to a Walmart or target when the cards are stocked and see a guy cleaning it out? That’s how you know. It’s so disheartening. No serious collector buys them all like that, if you’re that serious you’re ordering the cards you want from eBay. I have thousands of Pokemon cards and collect them, and I’d never go clean out a store just for my collection.
The whole purpose of a scalper buying them retail is to make money by selling them on eBay. If a collector wants to open a bunch of packs/cases then it makes total sense to get out a Walmart stock rather than paying more on eBay.
Probably because the guy had a ton of boxes of pokemon cards in his cart.
This isn't rocket surgery. Everyone with a kid who likes pokemon cards will tell ya.
YTA for sure. Never take anything out of someone else's cart no matter what you believe they are doing. It's wrong. Listen to your momma little boy and grow up. Ever heard two wrongs don't make a right? This applies whether you like it or not.
.... Yikes. You know what they call someone who doesn't stand up for themselves?
I dunno. What's your name?
Theft is theft.
Agreed the scalper was thieving all the cards away from the people.
Where and when did the theft occur?!
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How is he the asshole?? You just justified why he wasn’t the asshole….
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How is that an asshole move? The dude was obviously hoarding them.
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Why does he have the right to what’s in his cart? He hasn’t bought it yet….
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“I’m not defending the scalper” as he defends the scalper. There’s also an understanding that you won’t take an entire shelf worth of Pokémon cards. That overrides the scalpers right to keep his cards
It’s not stealing if they haven’t paid for it yet.
Is it against store policy? Maybe but it ain’t stealing.
But this story is fake because the scalper could no way finish his transaction in time to follow OP home unless OP took his sweet ass time.
The beauty of taking shit out of the scalpers cart is this, what are they gonna do? Abandon the cart full of stuff to chase you down?
Dude is crazy going to a strangers door and acting up like that. Real easy way to go home with more holes than you woke up with in the morning
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Because buying the entire stock of Pokémon cards at once is what Scalpers do?
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Found a scalper.
Yes definitely the A. Taking something out of someone cart regardless of what or why is being an asshole. Cannot believe so many people are defending you. People have gone crazy.
NAH These stores need to start enforcing the limits they post, that guy shouldn’t be able to get that many to start.
We live in a capitalistic world. Someone trying to capitalize on buying a product that they can then sell for a profit is doing exactly what all businesses do. If you snooze, you loose.
YTA.
Id say you were wrong to take something out of someone's cart, kinda seems like a dick move to me, even if the scalpers deserve it. but the scalper absolutely escalated the situation and its very good you called the cops, hope your safe.
See what happens when you don’t mind your own business?
You get followed by unemployed people that have enough free time to make your life hell.
Don’t hate the scalper hate the company artificially inflating the demand of their products.
Scalper found.
Not at all.
I just ain’t gonna lose my life or jeopardize my freedom nor that of my family because of something that does not pertain to me, like a jobless creep poaching Hot Wheels, Pokeman or some daggum GI Joes.
Leave people the hell alone.
Doubt it happened. Also how do you know this was a scalper and not someone buying for a huge orphanage?
Orphanage is a stretch, but i highly doubt the scalper stalked OP to their house, nor would they just stand there while you take "one of the bigger boxes."
it has unfortunately happened before... rare ofc but some scalpers are genuinely and totally mentally unstable as is always a possibility when interacting with any general member of the public
Youre right there are a lot of mentally unstable, but that just brings me back to the guy wouldn't have just stood by and let OP take something out of his cart. Everyone is too busy hating on scalpers to notice how fake the story sounds
(pssssst -- that's why I went with "huge orphanage")
Lol. Many such cases
Troll
YTA. How do you know he is a scalper? Also sounds like you are not close to sneaky enough or brave enough to pull this off properly.
So he stalked you through the store, you didn't notice him stalking you home, but when you got home he was in your driveway? Okay, kid.