Redemption Department Tales

[bostonwayno]

I don't know if this topic has been covered yet or not, but I had to write about a couple of redemption experiences I had with the various card manufacturers. I only collect baseball so all the following stories are baseball product only.

Topps: I have only pulled one redemption from Topps, not because of bad luck, just because I don't buy alot of Topps products. I bought a box of 2003 Bowman Chrome due to the high number of rookies and the guarenteed auto. The auto I pulled was a redemption for #348 B. Bullington. I sent in the redemption and received the card in mint condition, well protected, within 2 weeks.

Overall experience = positive


Donruss: About 3 years ago I purchased a redemption card off ebay for a Manny Ramirez 2001 Rookie Reprint Auto #'d to 92. The turnaround time for Donruss to send out my card was incredible. I don't remember the exact time it took, but I swear it couldnt of been more than a week.

Overall experience = best yet


Now a look at some of the not-so-greats.


Fleer: In 2001 I bought a box of 2001 Red Sox 100th Legacy. To my amazement I pulled 3, thats right 3 redemptions for the Field the Game pieces of Fenway. I also had another one that I aquired thru a trade. I sent all 4 in together sometime in the spring of 2001. After about 2 or 3 months I got back 2 of the pieces with no notification of the other 2 I sent in. I got nervous that maybe they didnt have all 4 on record. So I called to check the status on the other 2. The phone rang and rang and never was picked up. It didnt even go to a voicemail. I called on a weekday during regular business hours. Are you kidding me??? No-one is there to answer calls? I'm surprised they actually have an 800 number. I let another couple of days go by and called back. This time (after waiting on hold for over 30 min), I talked to a rep and he told me they did have the other 2 on record but were still trying to fill the orders and ran out of pieces. He told me they were obtaining more memorabilia and intended to finish fulfilling orders as soon as possible. When pressed for a time deadline, he wouldn't give me one. Over the course of the next ... get this ... 3 YEARS ... I called Fleer on several occasions (prob about 6), always getting the same sorry vague excuses with no real signs of caring.

Ok, fast forward ... its now March of 2005

Imagine my amazement when I received a bubble mailer from Fleer 2 months ago. I had long written the cards off as a loss. When I opened the bubble mailer inside were the following 2 cards.

1. 2003 Fleer Tradition Arod Milestones Jersey

2. 2001 Fleer Platinum Carl Yastremski National Patch Time Jersey

At first I was shocked I received the cards at all. Then I was happy about the cards they sent as replacements. Of course, my mood was soon changed as I was disappointed to see that both cards have creases running thru the center of them. I can only speculate someone sent them in
to Fleer to complain about the condition and Fleer rotated them back out again.

Overall experience = not good


Upper Deck: Ok, boys and girls, here is the final story. The year is 2002 and UD just came out with a new product called Authentics. I thought the concept was cool since it was very retro and reminded me of when I collected as a kid in the late 80's. They even included reverse negatives as SP's to commemorate the infamous Dale Murphy card of 1989. What really drew me to this product was the cool authenticated auto'd memorabilia inserted 1 per case. So I ran out and bought a case (6 boxes). When it came in before I opened a single pack, I sold a box to my brother at my cost. I was banking on the 1:6 odds that he wouldnt get the authenticated piece. I was wrong, he pulled the redemption piece for an auto's Griffey Jr. Baseball. I was heartbroken, but happy for him at the same time (talk about mixed emotions). I decided to open a box or two since each one contained 3 jersey cards and I wanted to complete a set. I had intended to sell the other boxes off on ebay to try to recoup some of the cost of the case. Well, lets just say, the temptation of an unopened box was too much to bear. It didnt take long for me to have all the packs opened. As much as this sounds like an exaggeration it isn't: in the last pack of the last box I pulled a second authenticated redemption piece. It was for a 16x20 framed Ted Williams cut auto #'d to 3!!!! One notable side note, in one of the other boxes I pulled a Ken Griffey Jr. retro star rookie jersey auto #'d 2/40. Needless to say, the case I got was insane. I've never had such luck before. I was very happy with upper deck until I got to the point of actually redeeming the redemption card. My brothers Griffey ball arrived in about a month or two. My Ted Williams piece was a different story. I actually kept a notebook with handwritten logs of all the calls and emails to upper deck. On multiple occasions I was told they would send me the piece, of course it never arrived. After over a year of this I called them back and demanded to talk to the manager. He wasn't in so I left a message and awaited a call back. He returned my call 2 or 3 days later and promised to get the 16x20 piece out to me right away. He also threw in several apologies etc... When I did finally receive the package from upper deck I was yet again disappointed. The Ted Williams auto was on an 8x10 black and white photo. A far cry from the piece I was promised. So I hit the phones again, this time armed with the name of the manager. I asked for him by name and again, I got his voicemail. I left a nasty message and awaited a call back. I never got one. Instead about a week later I received another, much bigger, package from upper deck. Inside was a smaller box which contained another Ken Griffey Jr auto'd baseball. The must have a real surplus of those. Unlike my brothers ball, mine has a nice big smudge running thru the end of his name. Inside the bigger box however was another story. It contained a really nice framed piece of 16x20 auto'd Arod. I was happy to have gotten any compensation at all so I have never called upper deck since. The total turnaround time from the point I sent in the redemptions was over 2 years.

Overall experience = you decide

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Sorry to run on like this, but I feel its therapeutic to get it all out of my system. To this date, I tend to shy away from any product that has redemptions in it.

Please let me know your redemption stories, good or bad. I would like to know if these are isolated events or is this type of stuff rampant in our hobby.

Thanks for listening...
Wayne

[tutall]

take a number bro... if you search around you will see the Donruss Playoff Leaf have excellent CS but Upper Deck SUCKS

[envoy98]

Fleer doesn't surprise me at all and although I've heard horrible things about UD, I've never had a bad experience. Although, that may be about to change...this Sean Taylor SPGU Rookie Exclusives auto is really getting to be a hassle....says it shipped on 4/26 but nothing yet. I called in for a tracking number and got denied. I'm calling them again today.

[meuandthelot]

Add me to the UD list..lol

I posted on here about a 2001 SPa NFL redemption I pulled. Which is pending btw from ~3yrs ago. Have since had my Pic. records wiped from my hard drive, and my e-mail correspondense is from 3 diff. cust reps who are no longer there, Arrgh. They won...UNCLE!!!!!! I will never trust, or buy any redemptions..Period! Not worth it.

Good riddance..UD

[tutall]

honestly i am to the point that if i pull a redemption i either sell it on ebay or trade it.... not worth the hassle IMO

[ccxdsr]

Donruss Is The Best. If They Cant Send It They Will Send A Nice Replacement. My Friend Is Waiting For Gretzky Full Size Jersey And They Keep Stringing Him Along With The Word Soooon! Kevin

[ccxdsr]

The Gretzky Jersey Was The 1 Per Case Pull From Legends Classic Hky

[Insane Irish]

I try not to send redemptions in much anymore, unless it's something I need for a collection. Fleer can be a pain, it took them over a year and 1/2 to send a Vince Carter Auto, and that was becasue I sent them a few emails. But fleer did dend an extra patch card along with it, to say "sorry" I suppose.
Overall UD and Donruss have awesome customer service/turnaround. I've sent a few redemptions to UD and gotten them back in a week. I sent an Email recently to Donruss about a Csonka auto from 01 Classics tht I never got, and before I even got a chance to send a scan of my redemption card to them, I had a package at my door. In fact, Donruss even sent me a card once after I told them I ripped a box I had just bought, and the redemption had expired by 6 months, and they still sent me a card(not the exact one, but it was close enough)
Last month I got a redemption for a Ben Gordon JSY/Auto #/50, would have been a sweet pickup, but It was Fleer and I just had a bad feeling it would take too long. Since I don't collect BUlls players, I figured it would be my luck thta by the time I got his card he wouldn't be selling as hot, so I sold it on the "Bay".
All in all, Fleer takes too long, and doesn't always send the same card.
UD is the fastest, and has never screwed me.
Donruss and Leaf are the best. Great service, nice people.

[envoy98]

Called UD again yesterda...same lady (Lucy) as the last time, said she'd call me back with a tracking number...still hasn't as of 24 hours later...

So I get home last night, and there's a fedex tag on the door. Wife goes and picks it up from the FedEx place and calls me to tell me it's from UD. I'm thinking cool, it's here..no reason to call anymore.

Fast Forward 20 minutes, I open the package...Inside is a Michael Finley autographed 00-01 Sign of the Times card... I'm thinking, you have GOT to be kidding me? This can't be my replacement for my $80 (once $150) Sean Taylor football that I've been waiting on...can it?

So I notice there is a white letter in the bubble mailer and I pull it.

It reads (something to the effect of)
"Dear collector, we appreciate you buying our products, sorry you obtained a redemption that was expired, please accept this as a replacement as we have depleted our supply of your particular redemption. Thanks for choosing Upper Deck"

I'm paraphrasing but that was it... So I'm thinking about it and it hits me!

About 8 months ago I picked up a sealed box of 00-01 SP Authentic off a guy on ebay for $40. I get a SOTT auto and in the last pack, I get my first buy back auto. It was an exchange for Michael Finley #/7. Of course it had expired over a year earlier. So on a whim, I sent it in with a letter saying, gee, I wish I could get this card, I realize Finley isn't MJ or anything, but I've never pulled a buy back and this was the big card in the box...is there anything you can give me? If not, I understand and figured it was worth a shot.

And yesterday, that "anything" came in the mail. It books $15 and it's not a buyback #/7 but the fact I got anything was pretty cool. Yet another reason I like upper deck...now lets see if they make good on this Sean Taylor fiasco.

--on another note, I also got an envelope from Fleer yesterday.
I have been fighting with them for a year to get my Chad Pennington auto/jsy from Flair that they now claim they never received. They finally sent me a "we think you're a liar, but here's some stuff so you'll shut up and leave us alone" package.. It contained a Delhomme auto and a Pennington jsy. Crap, I'm PO'd but I don't buy fleer anymore anyway. So yesterday, I get an envelope and inside are 2 cards and a letter. The letter reads "we're sorry we are unable to fulfill your redemption for your Gilbert Arnas auto please accept this replacement" So I get a Telfair auto #/100 and a Duncan/Parker dual jsy. Not bad, a lot better than a Gilbert Arenas, tha's for sure...what's irritating, is that the Arenas redemption I sent in, was in the SAME ENVELOPE as the Pennington they claim they never got!!!

I still don't buy Fleer, I never will again...

[bostonwayno]

I have an old expired redemption card from 2001 SP Top Prospects. Think UD will work with me if I try to redeem it now?