Panini damaged card Replacement Dissapointment

[oilfan69]

I had this 11-12 dominion RNH auto patch /60 pulled last may and the foil on the upper left was peeling, so I opened a replacement request on the Panini site and sent it in registered to them (cost about $25). The BV at the time was between $200 and $250.

rnh.jpg

3 months later I got a message from Panini saying that due to the value or rarity of the card they wouldn't be able to replace it 'like for like' etc etc., and that the manager was out of the country and they would send me a replacement offer when they got back..

Another 3 months later they offered me an..... unopened box of Limited.... I was kinda shocked at the lowball offer and let them know I wouldnt be satisfied because the likelyhood of pulling another great card from a pc player/team is not great... I went to check on the BV and it had dropped to $100.....

They then said that they would have to offer multiple cards to replace my one damaged card... I also nicely voiced my displeasure with that option, and said that they should just send something that would be fair.. and I just left it at that...

So a week later I get a 10-11 zenith eberle auto /199 bv$120

Eberle is another great pc player, but I still feel I got bent over big time by Panini on this one... I sent in a higher end product, first pick overall, lower s/n, patch/auto, rookie year card, and got back an rc auto with higher #'g, no patch, and a lower end product...

Am I right to think I got the wrong end of the stick on this one? opinions please...

If at the time I pulled the card the bv was only $100 I most likely wouldn't have sent it in for replacement. And even if I would have, I wouldn't of payed the $25 to ship it to them registered.

[cygnusx1]

Hmmmm, that's a tough one. Taking a quick look at ebay sales, the Eberle sells for more than the RNH. And I think it would be unfair to fault Panini for anything relating to BV, as the market/Beckett decides the value.

I can understand the displeasure about being offered the box of Limited, because Limited blows, but I'd say Panini did what they could for you and wouldn't complain if I were in the same situation.

[Yzerfan]

It looks like you made out pretty well to be honest. You got a 'true' rookie with an on card autograph of, in my opinion, a better player in place of a patch auto that doesn't even have a real game-used patch on it. Oh, and the Zenith sells for about double the price of the Dominion, so, yeah, congrats!

[CoolHandLuke]

Well I think they did try to make you happy, they got one card, booking for $20 more from the same team. Mainly I had the BV at 100$ for eberle so this card as risen in price and RNH took a huge drop. Now the fact it used to book more, you can't hold Panini on that really because the card took a drop. When it's time to content you they went with current value and gave you more and from the same team to try to please you. So I would be happy. Dominion never became really popular and the price they ask version resell price, mainly it's not the cup either. To me I would be happy. The cost to send the card is really on you and they will also have a cost to mail it to you. SO that can't really factor in. They replace the cards with something of similar value and they did their part. I know it's never fun to have to go there but it's much better then keeping the damage cards. At least you do not loose it all. There is a give and take part in there and sipping is your part for them to get you a replacement. Also much better then multiple cards.

[Gallinator]

The main objection I would have here is the time frame. It should have been processed in a matter of weeks (if not days, really), not months - if it had been, Panini might have replaced with a $200 card or the Eberle plus another nice one. I don't know if Panini is adequately staffed to offer a satisfactory customer service experience in a majority of its cases...both they and UD have been found severely lacking many times.

[ravens_creed]

This is why I hate BV and its inaccurate reflection of a card's true value.

[centrehice]

BV is a product of the social environment, and it's why guys like Cam Neely are in the HOF. Does not matter what you do on the ice, but only matters in how well the public's perception is of you. This is why guys like Mike Gartner, Ron Francis, Dino Ciccarelli, and hundreds of others cards are given little credence or value.

If you are running a value system based on sports, it has to be driven by sport performance, nothing else. This has been my only rub with a certain company and their value system. Another company from Canada that offered card value for years was driven by a much higher on-ice performance aspect. Unfortunately that company is no longer valid among collectors.

[ravens_creed]

My view on using BV... sorry, but it isn't 1993 anymore.

I realize my views are limited, but they are what they are. I'll be more specific to be fair... my biggest beef with BV is that there are far too many instances where two cards book for the same, but are very far apart in their actual sale values.

[netsinah]

It depends how you look at it...if the original card was PC so you would have held onto it had it not been damaged, then the timing aspect isn't as important when they sent you another PC player card. So in other words, had you held onto the RNH for the 6+ months, then taken it out of your collection and substituted the Eberle, you're getting similar value cards looking at BV and Panini tried to be fair. I make no comment on the comparative SV of the 2 cards and hope that would be about the same.

On the other hand, if you were looking to sell the RNH card and expected to recoup good bucks 6+ months ago (cards typically sell for more, closer to their release date), then you're definitely behind in terms of SV with the Eberle received so far down the road.

I think the former applies more to your situation, based upon the information in your original post.

But having said that, I always think card companies should go the extra mile when replacing damaged cards, to recognize #1 the disappointment pulling something they released damaged; #2 the hassle returning it; #3 the cost to ship it back to them; #4 the uncertainty of what you'll get in return and if it'll be viewed as acceptable; and finally #5 the usual delay getting the replacement. So for PR purposes, I always expect card companies to err in your favour when it comes to the type and value of the replacement card and when that's not done, I see it as a poor business decision since they risk alienated their customer base and having (for example) yet another posting like this on a collecting board. It's their opportunity for direct contact with a buying customer, so they should use that opportunity to win that customer's loyalty and encourage further product sales. With your situation, I would have expected a little bit more from their end. Just my 2 cents...

[oilfan69]

My main beef is that if they would have replaced it when I sent it in (when the rnh was $200 and the eberle was 100), I would have gotten twice the return I ended up getting 6 months later... perhaps an eberle and a hall.. or anything to make it up.. I even sent video proof of the card being pulled damaged, so they know it's not me trying to pull a fast one or anything.

But I cant really rag on panini though. If it was Upperdeck they would have just said one year has passed since the product was released and that they will not replace it..