UD Redemptions: Why do they exist?

[steen101984]

I don't think UD is nearly as poor as you make them out to be. They have this thing called the world of Warcraft trading card game. Anything with the WoW is a money printing machine. You will probably find more cards from that over $500 on eBay right now then hockey. The fact is people complain about redemptions but then complain when their favorite player was not included or if they have a picture in an old teams jersey.

do a little resrearch on the money they owe the government before u speak i think u will find it shocking

[RGM81]

UD does care about making a card once they insert a redemption. But what are they supposed to do if the player loses the cards? Produce another round and send'em again? Sure. And then what if the player loses the cards again? Its happened.

Lack of caring and commitment...I don't think so. We blame UD too much. Time to shift some blame to the players who don't care about their fans, just their paychecks.

I agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly. I've had my ups and downs in dealing with UD but I've always felt as though they were putting in an effort. Some collectors tend to forget that of all the redemptions out there, their particular card may not be a top priority relative to some of the other redemption issues that may exist. Getting Clark Gillies to sign his UD Masterpieces autos (just pulling a name out of the air, I neither know if Gillies had an auto in this set or if it was a redemption) isn't on the same par as contract negotiations with Alex Ovechkin. People waited 3 years to get Andrei Kostitsyn's The Cup RC - everybody who knows the story on that card knows that it's not UD's fault that the card was delayed that long.

The latest kerfuffle is obviously to do with the multiple delays on this year's edition of The Cup. Players aren't getting their stuff back in the timeframe that UD was hoping to see. You can chalk that up to players being busy in the off-season, holding out until they get their cheques, playing hockey all the way into late-May and early-June, going back to Europe, UD themselves not making the cards until fairly late in the process, whatever you want to pin it on, go nuts. But they're delaying it in order to avoid having dozens and dozens of those annoying little white scratch cards on them.

At some point it begs the question: should UD just say to heck with it on the lower-tiered guys and cut them out of the set, leaving only redemptions for guys like Gretzky, Orr, Stamkos, et al. where necessary so that the product can go out in a timely manner with a minimal amount of redemptions but still ensuring that collectors will eventually get the full bang for their buck?

[MatsSundin13Rocks]

More and more I'm starting to blame the millionaire players who seem so greedy. The lazy looking autos and time it takes for redemption's to get made only hurts the fans. Zetterberg, Kovalchuk, and Kaberle are killing me right now because of how long I've been waiting for the 3 to sign their redemption's.

[bidds55]

On the notion that UD "forgot" to include mandatory player participation.....it would not be legal. The NHL and teams own the logos etc, but they don't have the right to mandate players to sign cards. Hence the individual contracts between manufacturers and players in all sports.

As for any notion of "reasonable" delays, or delays that aren't UDs fault, I say this; 2006-07 UD SPGU Lettermarks. Redemptions for several players have been outstanding for nearly 30 months now. A few of those players had lettermarks in 07-08 and/or 08-09 SPGU that were live. This is entirely unacceptable.

[CSSports]

As a business, they are pretty unorganized.....
There is no excuse for redemptions except for maybe a rookie who is about to play their first game. They should be producing these cards in advance and in enough time to get them back - they shoud contract the players on a timeline

Case in point - I am waiting on a quad auto #/5......the one holding it all back (according to UD) is Erik Johnson........uhhh who DIDNT EVEN PLAY LAST SEASON!!!!
That is unacceptable!!!!!

[THE MESSIAH]

UD does care about making a card once they insert a redemption. But what are they supposed to do if the player loses the cards? Produce another round and send'em again? Sure. And then what if the player loses the cards again? Its happened.

Lack of caring and commitment...I don't think so. We blame UD too much. Time to shift some blame to the players who don't care about their fans, just their paychecks.

Really? Interesting!! I think UD gets shot down for issues that are out of their control, that is for sure, and I do feel that their are some people at UD who do care about the consumer, BUT I find this to be the exception and not the norm.. UD has earned the criticism it takes for the most part... And I say this based on what I have experienced first hand not on the "general feeling" and piling on that some in this hobby are guilty of...

Until Upper Deck changes my mind by doing what they need to do, I will blame them!! After all that is what happens when you are the "industry" LOL..

[deankal]

Yeah I've also heard quite a few times on a bunch different topics related to UD "Just wait"...."Give them a chance" and so on but I haven't seen much of anything positive from them at regarding anthing at all.
That being said I'd rather have The Cup packed out late and wait a few weeks for them to get it right and for the key redemptions to come in rather than have the product come out on time and loaded with redemptions.

[30ranfordfan]

My comments, and specific problem, might be a little biased. I'll state that right now. I'm using one example, and one example only... it's a redemption that has frustrated me to no end.

I can tell you for a fact that in all the years of making Auto'd cards.... there has been two redemptions with Bill Ranford. One of them was a dual (with Grant Fuhr, and 07-08 SPGU SOTT). My guess on that one is that getting the cards out to both players, somewhere along the way, one of them slowed things down.

The other was from 06-07 SPGU Lettermarks. I'm still waiting for the card. Now.... I'm certainly willing to suggest that Mr. Ranford was late getting the cards back to them, or even lost them. Is it possible? Yes it is. Based on everything I've ever heard and read about Upper Deck, it's unlikely. A guy who has (seemingly) never been a problem for redemptions, suddenly doesn't sign?? (And he's signed lots since). I'd be shocked if they made two runs, and it happened both times. Doesn't make any sense to me. The most logical explanation? Upper Deck screwed up, and never made the cards. The intended to, but didn't get around to finishing it. He is, at best, a semi-star in the hobby.... so the 50 cards they didn't make, well, I just don't think Upper Deck thinks it's a bid deal. I should just be happy to accept a replacement card in return.

UD does care about making a card once they insert a redemption. But what are they supposed to do if the player loses the cards? Produce another round and send'em again? Sure. And then what if the player loses the cards again? Its happened.

Lack of caring and commitment...I don't think so. We blame UD too much. Time to shift some blame to the players who don't care about their fans, just their paychecks.

[30ranfordfan]

I wish I'd seen this post before I just made my last one. Sums up my problem nicely. Upper Deck didn't make the cards (ooops!). Packed out redemptions, and then decided not to bother dealing with it. Until I get my card.... or an explaination from Upper Deck stating otherwise.... there's not a whole lot anyone can do to convince me othewise.

On the notion that UD "forgot" to include mandatory player participation.....it would not be legal. The NHL and teams own the logos etc, but they don't have the right to mandate players to sign cards. Hence the individual contracts between manufacturers and players in all sports.

As for any notion of "reasonable" delays, or delays that aren't UDs fault, I say this; 2006-07 UD SPGU Lettermarks. Redemptions for several players have been outstanding for nearly 30 months now. A few of those players had lettermarks in 07-08 and/or 08-09 SPGU that were live. This is entirely unacceptable.

[Prime B]

I wish I'd seen this post before I just made my last one. Sums up my problem nicely. Upper Deck didn't make the cards (ooops!). Packed out redemptions, and then decided not to bother dealing with it. Until I get my card.... or an explaination from Upper Deck stating otherwise.... there's not a whole lot anyone can do to convince me othewise.

Let me just say this, Ranford is one of the nicest guys I have ever come across. I couldn't see this guy screwing up signing 50 hockey cards. He seems like the kind of guy that would drive them down to Carlsbad since he works up the road for the Kings.