PokeFit Trading — Local services in Oak Ridge

I was in contact with the owner Felipe originally from a listing I had on Facebook. I ended up selling the listing but said I had a collection I wanted to sell. He told me he would be interested in looking at it and purchasing. I sent over the list and told him I’d swing by. He then told me he wasn’t buying that day(Thursday) and said he was only taking in “cards he could grade”. But rest assured he told me he had a show he was going to over the weekend where he’d try and sell, that way he could have buying funds. He told me to swing by Monday. Monday comes I call him to confirm and he tells me he was talking with distributors about inventory or whatever and says by Wednesday we’d be good and have me his personal number to reach out to him before the store even opens. Here is today(Wednesday) and he gives me a vague answer on whether or not he’s buying. Then he doesn’t respond back even after calling or texting. I wait until the store opens to call and he doesn’t even pick up his own phone this time around. I ask if he’s there to which the employee says yes but doesn’t seem interested in passing the phone to him. I then just ask if they’re buying to which he says “unfortunately no”. The problem with all this is if you’re a store advertising that you buy singles or sealed product and at higher percentages than most other stores but then lead someone on for almost a week with poor communication that’s poor business practice. I would of rather had Felipe tell me no from the get go rather than waste my time. I chose this shop not only because he was advertising higher percentages but the overall reviews were good, it’s a small business, and the owner is a veteran. But obviously that doesn’t matter after all. I wasn’t trying to sell him a collection of bulk either I had over 5k worth of cards. But overall I think the advertising on the website is just to drive people into coming into the store without trying to communicate with the shop first, that way they can get you in and let you down easier. If I see this shop at any show I will for sure be avoiding them and not recommending them to anyone.

Edit: Since the store replied but didn’t address anything concerning what I wrote. I understand a store is not obligated to take everything but that doesn’t apply here when interest was explicitly shown here. I wasn’t told no, I was told that we could work something out which makes me believe the owner wanted to purchase some if not all of what I offered. As far as a spreadsheet, that was supplied. As far as getting a response I had the owners direct number to which he told me to call at a specific time which I called and text and got no response. Do not tell someone to reach out at a specific time if you are not available. Especially when this went on for almost a full week(Wed-Thurs). The reply the store gave to my review clearly demonstrates the lack of communication and accountability when they don’t address what I said and deflect....

Here’s my honest review. I went to the card shop to check it out. At first I didn’t know what to expect because of the area it located at. I pulled up to the store front and was a little skeptical, buttttt I decided to go in anyways because, well it’s Pokémon haha I walked into the shop and found everything I wanted to find! Sealed, slabs, vintage, modern, and everything in between. I made a purchase and left feeling ok. I returned a couple weeks later and was little bummed that most of the binders were missing. I forgot there was a show and the vintage binder was at the show. The nice lady informed me and told me if I could return at 4pm that the owner would be back. I returned to find the binders were at the shop and a lot of new product. New unsorted product purchased from a show, yes please. Sorting through the gems I came across a lp shadowless mewtwo. I asked the price, seemed reasonable, so I acquired it. Took it home and had the closer look. I closely examined it and noticed a weird like film over the front of the card. I was bummed, I didnt get a receipt and I thought there’s a 10% chance this guy takes it back. I’ve been collecting for years and have examined many cards. I thought, maybe the owner is a stand up dude and just didn’t notice the film. If you have been to a trade show, it can be hectic. Also, I examined this card and even I missed it! I called up to poke fit and spoke to the owner. Without hesitation he asked me to bring it in. I returned to the store with my 9yo son and met with the owner. After I showed him the issue, without hesitation he gave me the choice to return my money, keep the card and refund a portion of the money to me or store credit. I chose store credit. I was sifting through the vintage binder looking at some higher value cards. It never fails, My 9yo was at my hip distracting me. The owner, Felipe, noticed this and actually gave some free packs to him to distract him. I was blown away from the generosity. After he blew through the packs he was at my hip again, Felipe noticed, and asked him to pick out a few dollar cards. Class act! I purchased some cards and thanked him for his generosity. To me, Felipe handled my issue with highest customer service you could ask for. They went above and beyond of what I have expierence at other local card shops which is why Pokefit Trading will be my go to spot from now on. Thanks...

While there are a few positives, the overall experience was less than ideal.

On the positive side, I did have the opportunity to observe the owner working with a family, assisting them with their kids and helping them find products at reasonable prices. That was a nice touch.

However, there were several drawbacks. Upon entering the store, I wasn’t greeted or even offered assistance, which made the experience feel unwelcoming. I tried to engage the owner about some products, but I had to interrupt him as he was distracted with his phone, vaping, and conversing with what appeared to be friends, all after he had finished assisting the family.

The store itself felt overcrowded, with products scattered haphazardly across shelves and even in the playroom, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere. It gave the impression of a vendor attempting to run a local game store without fully understanding the nuances of the business. Additionally, the store's poor air conditioning only added to the discomfort, and I can only imagine how the space feels on busier game nights.

I understand that launching a new location as a small business comes with financial and structural challenges, but there's a significant amount of work that needs to be done to improve the overall experience. With three competing locations within a 20-minute radius, customers will naturally compare them. For the store to grow and attract loyal customers, some form of restructuring and refinement will...