Blake Martinez Did A Pokemon Card Scam: Gets Banned From Whatnot
Blake Martinez had previously received little notice from the public outside of the most ardent NFL fans, but this time, it was for the wrong reasons.
Blake Martinez Did A Pokemon Card Scam: Gets Banned From Whatnot
Blake’s Breaks, the former team co-leader trading card resale business that focuses on Pokemon and sports memorabilia, was recently banned from the internet resale portal Whatnot due to selling tactics. Allegations of theft and other offences have been made by viewers and other streamers.
The former NFL linebacker revealed that he will start retailing Pokemon trading cards as part of a new business endeavour shortly after retiring in 2022.
𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Former #Giants LB Blake Martinez is coming out of retirement and signing with the #Panthers, per @Schultz_Report
A short retirement. pic.twitter.com/IrYqRBjM4N
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) November 6, 2023
However, a significant trading card industry asserts that Martinez might not have acted in good faith.
WhatNot, a trading card marketplace, declared in a statement, “After a thorough investigation into Blakesbreaks’ operations, we have decided to permanently remove the seller from our platform, including the specific employees involved in misconduct.”
“We have refunded all buyers impacted by the infractions. If you believe you were affected by an incident on his streams, please submit the details here, and we will investigate.”
Panthers new linebacker Blake Martinez pic.twitter.com/3IdeXp9PKV
— Panthers On Tap (@PanthersOnTap) November 6, 2023
On August 4, 2023, a message from the Whatnot Twitter account revealed Martinez’s account has been permanently barred from the market.
It’s likely that you have used Whatnot if you are a collector. Unlike other marketplaces, this one allows collectors to buy and sell goods via live streaming.
Traders will talk about what they have on videos, and participants in the chat room can bid on specific things or purchase them right away at predetermined costs. Whatnot acts as a middleman in all sales, which lowers the possibility of fraud.
Addressing allegations he scammed buyers on Whatnot, new Panthers linebacker Blake Martinez says there are a lot of “false claims” out there. pic.twitter.com/2INUH0e1ae
— Joe Person (@josephperson) November 7, 2023
The tweet said: “We really appreciate the community’s commitment to reporting trust & safety issues. Our priority is ensuring a fair and honest experience for customers and upholding our community guidelines. After a comprehensive investigation into Blakesbreaks’ operations, we have decided to permanently remove the seller from our platform, including the individual employees involved in misconduct.”
According to reports, Whatnot looked into the matter and discovered sufficient proof to conclude Martinez’s business ought to be prohibited from operating in the market. Whatnot continued by saying that it reimbursed customers affected by his business and provided an open form for anybody to report any such incidences.
Blake Martinez is back trying out for the NFL, four months after he bragged about his $11M Pokemon business.
What happened?
He auctioned off $3 Pokemon packs for thousands for the right to win a bigger prize and its alleged those games were riggedhttps://t.co/BlYoNoZa1m
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 1, 2023
Martinez claimed to have discussed his version of events with Whatnot in a conversation.
“I just want to say sorry to everybody that was out there. You have the right to feel the way you do because I know the optics across the board,” Martinez said on the stream. “I never wanted to make this feel like a scam. I never wanted to make this feel any type of way. I didn’t want to give any reason whatsoever.”
His greatest two seasons were spent in Green Bay when he amassed 299 tackles (188 solo) and eight sacks. 2019 saw the Packers win the NFC North once more, but they fell to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship.
Sources: Veteran LB Blake Martinez is coming out of retirement and is signing with the #Panthers, sources tell @BleacherReport.
Martinez, who has over 700 career tackles and 39 TFLs, was last with the Raiders after spending his first six years with the Packers and Giants. pic.twitter.com/3SpZlQMPHt
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) November 6, 2023
Martinez’s contract expired, making him a free agent.
Martinez has earned $28,948,893 thus far in his NFL career, according to Spotrac. After joining the Panthers practice squad, Martinez is in his ninth season. He played his previous eight seasons with the Packers, Giants, and Raiders.
Panthers coach, Frank Reich on the team planning to sign veteran LB Blake Martinez to the practice squad. Martinez announced he was retiring after last season after selling a rare Pokémon card. pic.twitter.com/aO4xQqwFZ8
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) November 6, 2023
After finishing his rookie contract with Green Bay in 2020, Martinez signed a three-year contract with the Giants, which accounted for the majority of his earnings. After leaving New York, he signed a one-year, $1.12 million contract to play with the Raiders in 2022.
𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Former #Giants LB Blake Martinez is coming out of retirement and signing with the #Panthers, per @Schultz_Report
A short retirement. pic.twitter.com/IrYqRBjM4N
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) November 6, 2023
FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE-
Blake Martinez Set To Make NFL Return After Being In Headlines For Pokemon Scam