“Just take my money!” collectors fume as Pop Mart app fails orders

Pop Mart collectors are reaching their breaking point as the company’s mobile app continues to crash during high-demand drops. This leaves them unable to complete purchases despite having items sitting in their carts for hours.

The collectible toy company has been forcing users to abandon their previous URL-based ordering method (which was a widely-used trick) in favor of an app-only approach, but the transition has created a nightmare scenario for dedicated fans trying to snag limited-edition Labubu figures and other coveted items. What should be simple transactions have turned into multi-hour ordeals filled with error messages and crashed checkout screens.

Recent drops of popular items like the BIE series and Hacipupu collaborations have highlighted just how broken the system has become. Collectors report getting items successfully added to their carts, only to encounter endless loops of “network error” messages, “orders placed too frequently” warnings, and mysterious “unable to process” notifications when trying to pay.

One user described spending an entire hour clicking the pay button across multiple devices and accounts just to secure a single box. Others report losing entire sets worth hundreds of dollars when the app times out mid-checkout.

I have had an entire box set (as well as singles) in my cart for the past couple nights and it has been NOTHING but errors. It’s so frustrating because I’m like JUST TAKE MY MONEY!!!

The timing couldn’t be worse for Pop Mart’s reputation. The company recently updated its app and eliminated alternative ordering methods that collectors had been using to work around previous technical issues. They also switched to “silent drops” without advance notice, supposedly to combat bot purchases, but the changes seem to have made the experience worse for legitimate customers.

Many collectors are questioning why Pop Mart hasn’t implemented basic solutions like purchase queues or captcha systems instead of creating an increasingly hostile buying environment. The irony isn’t lost on fans that a company selling collectible toys has made collecting nearly impossible through its own technical failures.

It’s gotten so bad since they moved everything to the app. I used to be able to get actual full sets now I’m lucky if I even get one. (Source)

Some users have found workarounds by persistence alone, repeatedly hammering the checkout button until it eventually processes. But this approach often takes hours and doesn’t always work. Others have simply given up entirely, with several longtime collectors saying they’re done trying to purchase through the problematic platform.

The situation has created an additional layer of scarcity beyond the intentionally limited releases. Items that might otherwise sell to genuine collectors are getting stuck in digital limbo, unable to complete transactions while inventory sits artificially inflated in broken shopping carts.

That said, feel free to share your thoughts on this situation in the comments section below.

Featured image credit: 0MaplePanda0 / Reddit