McDonald's Announces Pokémon Crackdown After Scalpers Scoop Up Card Stock, Waste Food

McDonald's has announced caller restrictions aimed astatine combating scalpers, arsenic it launches the adjacent question of its enormously fashionable Pokémon promotion successful Japan.

Last weekend, the accelerated nutrient concatenation was swamped by scalpers who bought up dozens of Happy Meals conscionable for the exclusive Pokémon cards wrong them. Photos and videos posted to societal media by outraged fans highlighted arguments among patrons implicit the scalping, and showed examples of immense nutrient wastage, with the Happy Meals dumped by the broadside of the roadworthy oregon near successful the edifice uneaten.

The incidental meant McDonald's ran retired of its cards wrong hours of its three-day promotion going live, forcing the burger marque to apologise to Pokémon fans near empty-handed. And now, McDonald's has gone further — with caller rules regarding the availability of Pokémon merchandise successful Happy Meals applied from today.

"We profoundly apologize to our customers who regularly usage McDonald's restaurants, arsenic good arsenic to our store unit and galore others for immoderate inconvenience caused by the Happy Set Pokémon Card Campaign," McDonald's wrote successful a caller connection released this morning.

"We volition proceed to merchandise the Pokémon Happy Meals, which see 5 antithetic toys, arsenic scheduled from Friday, August 15. However, successful airy of the existent situation, we volition beryllium implementing the pursuing acquisition restrictions for 3 days until Sunday, August 17th."

These restrictions see a maximum acquisition of 3 Happy Meals per radical (this was antecedently higher, and per person). "If you bid 4 oregon more," McDonald's present says, "we volition garbage your acquisition and cancel the order."

"Furthermore, during this period, determination whitethorn beryllium restrictions connected usage astatine immoderate stores and during definite hours," the concatenation continued. "We volition not let purchases from customers who bash not travel the supra rules and etiquette."

The biggest quality with the coming weekend's promotion, however, is that it nary longer features Pokémon cards astatine each — conscionable Pokémon toys.

A Pokémon instrumentality shows a postulation of Happy Meal paper packs, portion nutrient lies unopened and dumped. Image credit: daihonyaku/daiyamoto69.

On scalping specifically, McDonald's said it "does not tolerate the acquisition of Happy Meals for the intent of resale, oregon the abandonment oregon disposal of food," successful a nonstop effect to the activities of immoderate customers past weekend. However, it's unclear however the concatenation tin and volition beryllium capable to enforce this. Still, what's evident is the marque has taken enactment of the societal media outrage — and the disappointment among young Pokémon fans and families astatine not being capable to get cards.

"We sincerely apologize for immoderate inconvenience caused to customers who look guardant to eating with their children, grandchildren, oregon friends owed to these acquisition restrictions," McDonald's concluded. "We volition proceed to reappraisal and amended these income methods and measures, listening to the opinions of our customers and store staff."

In different Pokémon news, past week The Pokémon Company replaced the creation for its Lugia and Ho-Oh cards which had fallen foul to claims they included instrumentality designs.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social