Due to a manufacturing error, the Pokémon Center is offering a partial refund and free Sword & Shield—Chilling Reign trading cards to customers who preordered the Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box. This expansion to the Pokémon trading card game gives players new Pokémon originally from the Galar region, a land of spectral snow, with 15 Pokémon V and 8 Pokémon VMax. The set also features single strike and rapid strike cars, three new Special Energy cards, and more than 25 Trainer cards. The Pokémon Sword & Shield—Chilling Reign expansion set is scheduled for release on June 18, 2021.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a collectible card game based on the Pokémon franchise by Nintendo. Originally starting in 1996, Pokémon Center received the rights from Nintendo in 2016 and has been publishing the cards since 2017. Pokémon cards are still in high demand to this day, and there are now over 86 sets of cards. Each card represents one Pokémon and the facts, skills, and abilities of said Pokémon. The trading card game is played between two people in person, but can also be played online. The online system is updated with the new card sets on the day of their release.
The Pokémon Center Team sent an e-mail to customers who purchased the Sword & Shield—Chilling Reign Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box. This Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box was supposed to contain ten Sword & Shield—Chilling Reign booster packs but, because of a manufacturer error, only has eight. Not only does that reduce the value of the box, but the packs could have contained a valuable Pokémon trading card. Although the expansion doesn't release until tomorrow, the error in manufacturing was caught by the Pokémon Center so customers who pre-ordered could be notified before opening the box.
The Pokémon Center cannot replace the Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box with a version with the correct ten booster packs instead of eight. They are, instead, offering an incentive for customers to keep the as-is box. If consumers keep the box, the Pokémon Center will issue a $10 credit to the original payment method after the order has shipped and two additional Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) products. Customers will receive two Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield—Chilling Reign booster packs and three Pokémon TCG cards (Galarian Articuno V: Sword & Shield—Chilling Reign #058; Galarian Zapdos V: Sword & Shield—Chilling Reign #080; and Galarian Moltres V: Sword & Shield—Chilling Reign #097). If the customer decides to keep the Sword & Shield—Chilling Reign Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box, these items will ship to the address provided for the original box and will arrive toward the end of July.
It is always a disappointment when a preordered item doesn't arrive in the condition or with the contents that were initially promised. The Pokémon Sword & Shield—Chilling Reign Elite Trainer Box should be arriving as advertised, but mistakes happen. This situation is sure to make customers reconsider preordering a Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box in the future or a similar Pokémon Center item. However, the Pokémon Center team is offering significant incentives as a way to make an unfortunate situation better, including three featured cards from the expansion. That is a very strong and considerate apology.
Pokémon Sword & Shield—Chilling Reign releases on June 18, 2021.