Professionally Sealed Surprise Products Professionally Sealed Surprise Products
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Professionally Sealed Surprise Products

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Professionally Sealed Surprise Products are items that have been packaged and professionally sealed by a manufacturer, where the contents of specific packages are not known to the buyer or the seller. This includes curated and repackaged items, sometimes referred to as “Repacks.” To maintain a consistent and transparent buying experience, we have additional policies for Professionally Sealed Surprise Products so buyers receive clear and reliable product information. 

Selling Professionally Sealed Surprise Products: Professionally Sealed Surprise Products on the Identified Product List below are permitted for sale within policy. Other Professionally Sealed Surprise Products cannot be sold, used in Card Breaks or Surprise Sets, or given away on Whatnot.   

Manufacturing Professionally Sealed Surprise Products: Manufacturers that produce Professionally Sealed Surprise Products and would like to have their products eligible for sale on Whatnot should request to be added to the Identified Product List by filling out the submission form here. 

Submissions are evaluated based on whether the manufacturer has sufficient business and operational controls in place to ensure their product information is consistently accurate and reliable. This includes factors such as organizational structure, public-facing product documentation, manufacturing procedures, and the overall maturity of business operations. To evaluate this, some manufacturers may need to work with a specialized independent auditor to review their manufacturing processes.

Auditors will evaluate manufacturers on whether their Professionally Sealed Surprise Products include a complete checklist that accurately describes items offered. 

  1. Products sold across multiple shows or sellers

For a series is sold across multiple shows or sellers, manufacturers must publish a full checklist that includes all of the following:

  • Brand or manufacturer
  • Product title
  • Series name
  • Item condition
  • Quantity of items in the series
  • Distinguishing features that allow buyers to understand what is included. For specific categories, this is: 
    • Sports cards: Card year, Player or card name, variation, and grade (if applicable)
    • TCG cards: Card year/set, Character or card name, variation, language, and grade (if applicable)
    • Coins: Coin year, Coin name / type, weight (if bullion), and grade (if applicable)
    •  Other: For any other category not listed, please ensure that a reasonable buyer could understand the value of the item sold with the information provided. 

2. Products sold within a single show 

If the entirety of a series is sold and opened within a single show:

  • Manufacturers must include a checklist of what to expect in the series, including:
    • Total number of items
    • Type of product
    • Examples of past cards or other items that typify this product line. If we see significant variation in the deviation between the provided examples and the actual products sold, we may remove your product from the Identified Product List.
  • Manufacturers need to clearly and visibly designate on the front of the product itself that it is intended to be sold as a single show series. 

All checklists should include that a statement that as of a specified date, the named Series has been finalized, and the number of Professionally Sealed Surprise Products(s) and individual items in the Professionally Sealed Surprise Products(s) Series will not be changed. Checklists may not include any mention of value other than MSRP (e.g., no floor/ceiling/average or value comparisons)

 

Identified Professionally Sealed Surprise Products

Professionally sealed surprise products sealed by the following manufacturers are permitted for sale within policy:

  • Sports trading cards sealed by Flamethrowers, Futera, Leaf, Panini, Select Australia, Topps, Ultimate Sweat, Upper Deck, and Wild Card Trading Cards 
  • Trading cards sealed by Akora TCG, Bandai, Bo Jackson Battle Arena, Bushiroad, Cardsmiths, Chaotic USA, Chronicles of Arcane, Cryptozoic Entertainment, Dead World TCG, Elestrals, Enterplay, Erik's Curiosa, Existence Games, Eye Spy Productions, Fabled-S, Imagination Mining Company, Keepsake Trading Cards, Kingswood Games, Konami, Kryptik Studios, Legend Story Studios, MetaTwo and Game Qbator Labs, Orange Cap Games, PlayFusion, Pokémon, Ravensburger, Rising Empire Studios, Shard Bugs, Soul Master Games, Spin Master, Square Enix, The Tetraverse Company,  UVS Games, VeeFriends, Ward Trading Card Company, What Is This Studio, and Wizards of the Coast ("Magic: The Gathering") 
  • Collectible coins & bullion sealed by Agoro (New Zealand Mint)
  • Vinyl toys manufactured and sold in their original packaging
  • Disney and Loungefly pins manufactured and sold in their original packaging
  • Comic packs sealed by Archie Comics, Boom! Studios, DC, IDW, Ignition Press, Image Comics, Keenspot, Mad Cave Studios, Marvel, Massive, Oni Press, and VeeFriends
  • Products certified by the PSA Certified Repack Service
  • Memorabilia sealed by Fanatics and Topps

Professionally sealed surprise products sealed by the following manufacturers are provisionally permitted to be sold in the same manner as the other products on the list. Please refer to the manufacturer's website for details on their product(s) and series. The manufacturers of these products have typically completed a substantial portion of the process for inclusion on the list, and have scheduled but are awaiting review of their manufacturing process by a specialized, independent third party auditor. Provisional inclusion does not guarantee the product will remain on the list for any period of time.  

Note: Whatnot does not endorse or guarantee the quality of any products users choose to sell on Whatnot, including the Professionally Sealed Surprise Products above. Manufacturers are solely responsible for the creation of their Professionally Sealed Surprise Products. Sellers who choose to offer Professionally Sealed Surprise Products assume responsibility for addressing any issues related to defects or faulty repacks impacting their buyers and, accordingly, may be billed back for refunds Whatnot may provide to these impacted buyers. Sellers must seek any reimbursement directly from the manufacturer.

Additional policies 

Frequently Asked Questions

Buyers

 

Question Answer
What is a Professionally Sealed Surprise Product?

Professionally Sealed Surprise Products are items that have been packaged and professionally sealed by a manufacturer, where the contents of specific packages are not known to the buyer or the seller. 

These can be both items that are factory-manufactured and sealed, as well as items that are curated and repackaged.

For example, a manufacturer that takes ten individual sports cards, packages them together, and then professionally seals the package has created a Professionally Sealed Surprise Product.
Why is Whatnot releasing this policy?    We want to ensure our policies promote a fun, transparent, and trustworthy experience for the Whatnot community. We developed this policy so that buyers can have clear, consistent, and reliable product information for their purchases of Professionally Sealed Surprise Products.  
I buy Professionally Sealed Surprise Products in Whatnot shows; how does this affect me?  No action is needed from you. The changes to the policy affect our requirements for those who manufacture Professionally Sealed Surprise Products, and those who sell them.  
What if I see products that are not on the approved list being sold on Whatnot?  If you see products sold in violation of our policies, you can report this in-app.

Sellers of Professionally Sealed Surprise Products

Question Answer
I sell Professionally Sealed Surprise Products on Whatnot, how does this policy affect me? 

Any Professionally Sealed Surprise Products not on the Identified Product List cannot be sold on Whatnot. 

If the products you sell are on the Identified Product List, no changes are needed. 
I run breaks of Professionally Sealed Surprise Products on Whatnot, and don’t manufacture these products directly, how does this policy affect me? 

Any Professionally Sealed Surprise Products not on the Identified Product List cannot be sold on Whatnot, including in breaks. 

If the sealed surprise products you are using in breaks are on the Identified Product List, no changes are needed.
The product I sell is not on the Identified Product List, but I believe it should be. How can I get it added to the list?

If a Professionally Sealed Surprise Product you sell is not currently on the Identified Product List, the manufacturer of that product can request to be included by submitting a request through this form. 


Only manufacturers may request for their products to be considered.
The product that I sell isn’t on the Identified Product List, and is already packaged and sealed. How can I sell this product? You can only sell professionally sealed items that are on the Identified Product List. 
The product I sell is on the Identified Product List, but has a note that it is “provisional”. What does that mean?

You can sell these products in the same manner as other products on the list. 

The manufacturers of these products have typically completed a substantial portion of the process for inclusion on the list, but are awaiting review of their manufacturing process by a specialized third-party auditor. 

Provisional inclusion does not guarantee the product will remain on the list for any period of time. Our Identified Product List will stay up to date with products that are permitted to be sold on Whatnot. 

Manufacturers of Professionally Sealed Products 

Question Answer
What can I expect from a review by an independent third party auditor?

A review by an approved independent third party auditor will include, among other things, checks to ensure:

  • There is a clear separation between the manufacturer and seller of Professionally Sealed Surprise Products - this includes both business entity separation, personnel separation, and physical separation.
  • Manufacturers publish an online, publicly visible checklist for products at the series level, and ensure that checklists do not include comparison prices of items. 

More detailed information around the specifics of the audit will be provided by the third party auditor for any manufacturer that reaches that stage.
I create sealed surprise products with professionally-manufactured items inside.  Does this policy apply to me?

Yes, this policy applies to all sealed surprise product sales.  

If you are creating and sealing your own "repacks" or other sealed surprise products, regardless of the items inside, Whatnot considers you the "manufacturer" of these products for the purposes of this policy.
I create sealed surprise products with items that are custom, bespoke, and/or not professionally manufactured. Does this policy apply to me? 

Yes, this policy applies to all sealed surprise product sales.  

If you are creating and sealing your own "repacks" or other sealed surprise products, regardless of the items inside, Whatnot considers you the "manufacturer" of these products for the purposes of this policy.
If I am considered a "manufacturer" of my own products, what is the process for me to get my products on the list of Identified Products? Manufacturers must complete the Manufacturer Submission, which collects information about their organization, products, and processes.
 After manufacturers submit this information, next steps will be provided, including engaging a third-party auditor to review manufacturing processes. Upon successfully meeting the audit requirements, the product will be added to the Identified Product List.
I scheduled an audit and am waiting for it to be conducted. Can my product be included on the list before the audit is complete?

We understand that you may have scheduled your audit but, because of audit schedules, it may not be able to be conducted immediately. 

If you have provided Whatnot with confirmation of your scheduled audit, in certain circumstances, Whatnot may add your product to the list with a note that the inclusion is provisional. During this time, the product can be sold within policy. Provisional inclusion will be updated after audit completion.  
What about my existing inventory of products that I’ve already prepared and sealed but haven’t sold yet?  Any Professionally Sealed Surprise Products must be included on the Identified Products List. We encourage you to review your existing inventory and prepare to meet these new requirements by the effective date.
Can my repackaged product contain an MSRP?  Yes. We do not have policies requiring or prohibiting an MSRP on products. However, you may not advertise a Professionally Sealed Surprise Product as having a minimum (“floor”) or maximum (“ceiling”) value or reference individual item comparison values.
Can my repackaged product include tickets with additional variability (sometimes called “golden tickets”)? No. All items need to be revealed upon opening and listed as an item in the checklist. 
If my product undergoes an audit, will I need to do that for every series of my product?  No. Once your product passes an audit, it is valid for one year and applies across all series of that product.
Can I use a subcontractor or third party to manufacture or certify my sealed surprise products or “repacks”?

To be sold on Whatnot, Professionally Sealed Surprise Products, including “repacks”, must be directly manufactured by a manufacturer appearing on the identified Product List. These listed manufacturers have, among other qualifications, typically completed or scheduled a review of their manufacturing processes by a specialized independent auditor. 

You may hire a third party or subcontractor to manufacture Professionally Sealed Surprise Products for you. However, those products are only permitted to be sold on Whatnot if they are packaged and sealed directly by a listed manufacturer in their same facility that has undergone the audit. The physical products and required checklists must include that manufacturer’s branding and be listed publicly on their website.

Products that were not manufactured by a listed manufacturer are not permitted to be sold. This prohibition applies to products that are purportedly certified by a listed manufacturer but which they did not actually manufacture. 
Do I still need a checklist if my Professionally-Sealed Surprise Product is sold in its entirety during a single live show?   Yes, you still need a checklist. We have different requirements for Professionally Sealed Surprise Products sold and opened in their entirety over a single live show, and those opened across multiple shows and/or sellers. You can learn more about those requirements as part of the Manufacturer Submission process. 

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