Counterfeit Pokemon GO Plus Circulating In Japan

We have a piece of unbelievable and shocking news to report from Japan on the popular Pokemon GO Plus accessory.

According to a report, counterfeit Pokemon GO Plus started infiltrating Japan this year, and the counterfeits look exactly the same as the original Pokemon GO Plus. The differences between the real and fake are very hard to spot unless you have an original copy lying around.

A few ways to tell the real apart from the fake are the missing Nintendo logo at the back of the Pokemon GO Plus, lower quality strap, and the slightly discolored Pokemon GO Plus packaging.

What’s more shocking about the counterfeit Pokemon GO Plus is that it has been offered by third party sellers on Amazon Japan for a very long time. The counterfeits cost at least double of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, as the Pokemon GO Plus is now very hard to find in Japan. There are authentic units going for the same price range, so it’s even harder for the consumer to know what’s fake.

As this is a very serious issue, Nintendo was asked by ITMedia to comment on this matter. Their responses are as follows (translated by NintendoSoup):

Q: Are you aware of the counterfeit Pokemon GO Plus?

Nintendo: We are aware.

Q: Have you been contacted by users who purchased a counterfeit Pokemon GO Plus?

Nintendo: Sorry, but we cannot comment on this matter.

Q: Are the rumors true that the Pokemon GO Plus is no longer in production?

Nintendo: Sorry, we cannot comment on the status of the Pokemon GO Plus production. If production ceases, we will put up a notice on our official website.

Q: Is there a way to purchase the authentic Pokemon GO Plus?

Nintendo: We know consumers are having a hard time finding a Pokemon GO Plus. The best way to purchase an authentic Pokemon GO Plus is by visiting brick-and-mortar stores.

Q: Are you planning to issue a warning about the counterfeit Pokemon GO Plus? Or are there any other plans to mitigate this issue?

Nintendo: No, we do not have any plans to issue a warning. As to what we plan to do in the future, we cannot comment at this time.

To be safe, it may be best to simply purchase a Poke Ball Plus, which is launching this Friday.

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