If a seller shows an authentic Pokémon slab but ships a different one, preserve evidence before returning, opening, or altering anything. A slab is a graded card sealed inside a labeled plastic holder, and the strongest proof connects the listing, package, and received item. Treat authenticity and identity as separate questions. A genuine card in a genuine holder can still be the wrong item if its certification number, grade, card details, or condition differs from the listing.
Table of Contents
- Preserve the listing and transaction
- Document exactly what arrived
- Build a side-by-side identity comparison
- Understand the limits of an opening video
- Submit a precise dispute without weakening it
Preserve the listing and transaction
save the complete listing immediately. Sellers can revise descriptions, remove photographs, or delete listings, so screenshots alone may miss important context.
Capture the following details: Whenever possible, save the page as a PDF or use the marketplace's order record. Keep original image files because cropped or recompressed copies can hide small label and card differences.
- Listing title, description, price, item number, and seller name
- Every front, back, label, and close-up photograph
- Certification number, grade, grading company, and label type
- Statements such as "card pictured is the card you will receive"
- Order confirmation, payment record, shipping notice, and tracking number
Document exactly what arrived
Photograph the unopened parcel from every side before removing the slab. Include the shipping label, tracking number, seals, tears, dents, and any signs of repacking.
Then photograph the full unpacking sequence. Take clear images of all packing material and both sides of the received slab, followed by close-ups of: Keep the box, mailer, tape, labels, sleeves, and inserts. Package weight recorded by the carrier may provide supporting context, but it rarely proves which slab was inside.
- Certification number, barcode, QR code, grade, and label text
- Card name, set number, language, edition, and variant
- Holographic pattern, centering, print marks, stains, and edge wear
- Scratches, chips, frosting, cracks, or separation around the holder
- Any inventory sticker or seller-applied marking
Build a side-by-side identity comparison
Compare the listing image and received slab using fixed features rather than general appearance. A different certification number is usually the clearest mismatch, but matching numbers do not automatically establish authenticity.
Create a simple comparison with three columns: feature, listing, and received item. Record exact differences such as "grade 9 in listing; grade 8 received" or "white nick at upper-right edge appears only on received card." Pay special attention to: If a grading company offers certification lookup, save the result. That record may confirm what the number should represent, but it cannot by itself prove that the holder in your hands is genuine or that the seller packed it.
- Different certification numbers or label details
- Different card set, number, language, or printing
- Changed centering, corner wear, surface marks, or holo pattern
- Holder damage absent from the listing photographs
- A label number that matches the listing while the enclosed card does not
Understand the limits of an opening video
A continuous opening video can strengthen the timeline when it clearly shows the sealed parcel, readable shipping label, unbroken seals, and removal of the disputed slab. It is most useful when paired with transaction records and detailed still photographs. A video is not conclusive if the package leaves the frame, the label cannot be read, or cuts appear before the item is shown.
Some marketplaces may not accept large video files, so preserve the original and export a shorter copy only when required. Do not stage a second unboxing or reseal the package. If no video exists, consistent photographs, packaging records, listing captures, and a prompt written complaint can still form a useful evidence chain.
Submit a precise dispute without weakening it
Contact the seller through the marketplace's message system. State the mismatch neutrally, identify the order, list the differing features, and request the remedy allowed by the transaction terms. Prepare one organized evidence packet containing: Avoid unsupported claims about who switched the slab or when it happened. Describe observable facts unless the evidence clearly establishes intentional deception.
Follow the marketplace and payment provider's current deadlines, which vary by service and transaction. Do not mail the slab back until the dispute process supplies instructions, and use tracked, insured delivery when required. Before shipment, photograph the return contents, packing stages, sealed parcel, and return label. Retain the acceptance receipt and tracking record until the refund or claim is fully resolved.
- A short timeline from purchase through delivery
- The saved listing and order record
- Tracking and shipping-label photographs
- Images of the unopened package and packing material
- Side-by-side slab comparisons
