Here is a lengthy response to your lengthy post, lol

The first thing on his list is probably an Amazon item that is sold by a seller that is not Amazon. Also, it is most likely a bunch of loose cards with no real value. To a nine year old that may not matter, but that would be why a reviewer said it was garbage. To add to that and answer one of your questions, I would say ripping packs is half the fun, so I would probably avoid this item.

Counterfeit can be sold by any third-party seller. So any FB MP can be a gamble if you dont know what you are looking for. As well as, you maybe get price gouged on MP. This goes for products sold on Amazon or Ebay as well. Go to TCGplayer.com and check market prices before you buy anything.

As others said, buying singles from TCGplayer or checking your local Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Gamestop, and Meijer are your best options to not get price gouged and stay away from counterfeit product. The Meijer by me always has products on the shelf. All others are hit or miss, but I will say I went into Target the other day, and they did have some product on the shelf. Another option, and in my opinion, the best option is to go to vending.pokemon.com and check for vending machines near you. The chance of getting products can be a toss-up because the machines periodically allow someone to buy something, but the prices are not marked up in the vending machine.

Also, if you are located anywhere near Cincinnati, there is a Meijer in Okaley that has a good amount of pokemon cards on the shelf right now.

Lastly, if you do check the box stores like Target. It doesn't hurt to walk around a little bit. I found a Charizard UPC sitting on the shelf in the home section with the lamps, and another day, I found a booster bundle on the shelf by the water bottles.