Talk about Dumb Luck!!

MalePro

In my quest to purchase a Kobe Bryant 1996 Topps Chrome Rookie Refractor, I've had to deal with some pretty crappy luck.

I've been trying to buy this card since June 17th of last year - 2003.

The first time I thought I had actually won the card was when I won an ebay auction (96-97 topps chrome kobe bryant ref psa 9 - Item #2735716619) on 6/17/03 from seller ssdt4444. It turns out that the seller was a fraud and I never got my card - but I did get a refund through paypal. Strike one for me.

Just recently, I won another Kobe rookie refractor from an honest power seller: eBayItem Number: 4133948165
Description: 1996 97 TOPPS CHROME KOBE BRYANT ROOKIE REFRACTOR PSA 9.

The next thing I know when I go to track the card through UPS, UPS FRICKING LOSES THE CARD!! See below:

Package Progress:


Date Location Activity

Jun 8, 2004 CA, US FALLOUT/MERCHANDISE MISSING;MERCHANDISE MISSING, CARTON DISCARDED
CA, US OUT FOR DELIVERY


I'm in the current stages of working things out through the seller and UPS, but I'm starting to think someone up above doesn't want me to get this card. I've been trying to put together the 96 chrome refractor set for the psa registry, but trying to obtain the best card from the set has been ridiculously hard for me.

Does anyone know if I can do anything to see if someone in UPS possibly stole my merchandise? I tried calling them - UPS, but they wouldn't give me a satisfactory response, saying that most likely an investigation would not be pending. WTF?!

CON40

Sorry to hear that... that ain't dumb luck... that's sh*t luck! Hope the card shows up soon!

ctsoxfan

Merchandise missing? Carton discarded? Sure seems to me like they should be investigating that...

EagleEyeKid

That's weird. I can understand "merchandise missing" but "carton discarded" sounds fishy. How did they know it was a carton in the first place and/or why was it discarded? I've had a case of cards that was damaged; it said "merchandise scattered / merchandise missing". Couple boxes missing from a 20 box case. Luckily I had an honest seller and she just sent me out another one.
Slim chance the card will show up, but good luck.

SoFLPhillyFan

Hate to say it but maybe a UPS person saw the return address, the package was damaged at an opportune moment, and then the carton was discarded since it was empty.
Perhaps they could tell the contents was high value by the insured amount?
Judging by their description this may be the case.
Sorry to hear about your troubles. Hope you get your money back and can find another.

Chalk it up to the Kobe Curse. Maybe once he gets through his legal problems the card will also be easier for you to obtain.
Good luck.

MalePro

I called UPS about the "carton discarded", and they cited that because the packaging was discarded, that was why the investigation probably couldn't be done. That infuriated me, because this suggests that 1)the UPS driver ripped me off since the card was "out for delivery" and sometime during mid day that card became "FALLOUT/MERCHANDISE MISSING;MERCHANDISE MISSING, CARTON DISCARDED" and 2) UPS has no intention doing anything about this except for file paperwork.
When I pressed UPS to investigate who the driver was, UPS said that they had no way of knowing who the driver was. Can you believe that crap they told me? This was a customer service SUPERVISOR I was talking to! Bottom line is that UPS, when faced with a problem does not know how to appropriately respond to an unsatisfied customer. The last thing they told me was that I would not be contacted regarding a "possible investigation" and that only the shipper would be informed regarding all matters. I highly doubt any kind of investigation will be done at all. I just know that I will avoid UPS at all costs because of the way they handled (or in this case: didn't handle) this matter.

MalePro

Just an update:
I received a replacement from the seller. YEA!!! Ebay power seller - gotbaseballcards is the most honest seller I've ever dealt with. I was starting to think that I would never get the card. But thanks again to all you well wishers. Too bad Kobe will never win another championship (IMHO)

iamthegreatcornholio

It's good to hear you got that card. gotbaseballcards is only 10 minutes from my house - they are awesome.

Brian

koby

Great! Glad to hear that the seller was kind enough to take a loss to get you your card. It's good to hear about honest dealers once in a while.

envoy98

Wow! That's way beyond an honest seller, that's your new best friend! That is way above and beyond the call of duty. Kudos to them! Glad you got your card! Now make sure you give that seller some of your hard earned money on more of his auctions. That is a really classy move. I don't know what else to say. Now as for UPS...whats up with them?

yankeefan741939

as a ups employee i must take this moment to defend my company, we service well over 110000 packages a day on my shift(which happens to ba the one with the least amount of packages.....(laziness??)..but seriously with that volume sometimes an envelope or ever large boxes disappear. personally i have seen a box with at least 250 psa early 60's topps cards break open. knowing the value of them i called had my boss call the security & loss prevention guys & they stopped the belt system until they found then all & repackaged then in a better box than they were in to begin with

jrdolan

There's no question with the sheer volume of packages handled by UPS (and USPS and Fed Ex) there are bound to be damaged or missing items on occasion. But when it happens, the carrier should take more responsibility than has been described in this case. A driver reported that the merchandise was missing, so he discarded the box and that's the end of it? UPS can't determine who the driver was to get further information?

If that is the policy or attitude company-wide, it would seem to give drivers free license to help themselves to anything on their trucks with no fear of consequences. Shipping by UPS isn't cheap, so they should not shrug and wash their hands of it when a shipment in their care is lost or damaged. What's the use of a tracking number if this is the accountability?

Applause to the seller for making things right with the buyer. Hopefully as the ones who paid UPS for their services, they find someone higher up the chain of command who will deal responsibly with the problem.

MalePro

Yankeefan,
My biggest gripe with the whole ordeal is the way I was treated by UPS. Basically because I am on the receiving end of a UPS shipped item, customer service was very nonchalant and discrete regarding this serious matter. When I was at first told that an investigation would not be pending, I was really pissed off, because it told me that UPS didn't care about what happened. I had to really press to get someone to listen to what I was saying. Then when I finally spoke to a supervisor, she was reluctant to say that an investigation "might" be pending. The supervisor finally told me that whatever was the outcome of this matter would only be disclosed to the shipper/seller of the item. That's where I feel I have every right to know as well, what the heck happened. It was MY money that paid for the seller's shipping fees - through UPS. When my item was lost by UPS, who do you think it affected the most? The seller? - um, I don't think so: he has my money already. As the buyer of this item, I'm out almost a grand AND I have nothing to show for it.
After a few weeks, UPS disclosed nothing to the seller regarding what happened to the package. The seller was simply reimbursed for the lost item. All that crap the customer supervisor fed me about "a possible investigation" was just BS. Because my seller in particular is honest, I received a replacement item. But nothing was ever disclosed as to what happened. My opinion is that UPS should treat all of their customers the same - and by customer I mean not only the item shipper but also the item receiver - since I PAID THE UPS SHIPPING FEES!!!!
Bottom line: I had to wait 6 WEEKS to receive my item - no fault on the seller/shipper's behalf - I place all the blame on UPS. No apology was ever issued to me - a UPS customer - albeit indirectly I guess, by the way I was treated by customer service.

mudflap02

Were they playing hockey with the 250 card PSA box? Every time i've gotten something from them, it's been packed up tighter than Dick's hatband. It takes some effort just to open when I want to get inside it.

WinPitcher

e

RobBobGolf

Recently UPS lost a car title I was sending to Tennessee. They have agreed to pay all costs related to obtaining a new title. I thought it was an isolated incident until I read this thread. Seems using any carrier involves some risk. I was never a big believer in Insurance, but lately, I am paying for insurance on my winning auctions a lot more.


RobBob

psavlad

1. UPS Customer Service is CRAAAAP. I had one rep tell me they didn't have a complaints or customer service department.

2. my best friend is a UPS driver and 1) he said that because all packages are scanned they know where there are but more importantly who the driver is.

3. it would be a lot easier than most people think to crack open a package in the back of a van when you see who it is from and the declared value. my friend says the ups investigation are a joke anyways and basically they have to just sign a piece of paper saying they don't know what happened to it, end of story as long as it doesn't happen frequently.

4. PSA doesn't use UPS and neither should you! Fed Ex is usually more but you get it in their service USPS I find is also better than UPS.

speaking of 96 chrome i need #162 Jerome Williams in reg and ref's! psavlad@hotmail.com

boggs301012

My understanding is Fed ex doesnt cover the loss of sports related items, saw it posted here. And UPS lost a 25 INC TV of mine a few years ago. Yep a 25 inch TV just upped and walked away. Airborne was the worst they left a DELL COMPUTER outside my apartment. My neighbor told me he saw it there for hours. I came home and never saw a computer. Dell or Airborne had to replace it. I had another a week later. I have the worst luck with shipping.



James

easttexascardsandgames

Fed Ex says they will not insure sportscards, coins or stamps. I do not like Fed Ex because their drivers just leave packages anywhere. Had one recently catch me getting into my car, he said the guy who this package was for was not home and wanted me to take delivery and deliver it to him so he would not have to return later. I asked him how do you know I even live here or that I will even deliver it to him, his response was he did not care all he needed to do was show it was delivered and he was covered.

helionaut

Well, that driver is on the extreme edge there. A friend of mine is a Fedex driver and she's always under pressure to deliver on time. They have a 10 AM deadline and a 3 PM deadline, I think, and if they don't make it, they're in trouble. On the airbill there is a place for the shipper to sign saying it's OK to deliver without getting a signature, and almost everyone signs it, so the driver is free to leave it on the step, no matter what the value or size or contents. Make sure you read the form when you ship.

But all the delivery services are like that. My dad had a $6,000 printer left on his doorstep, and it stayed there overnight because my dad doesn't use the front door. Fedex, UPS, and USPS have all left things on my front step. And, OMG, there's an unlocked mailbox right on my curb. I am a supporter of USPS and Fedex and companies like that because, frankly, it's amazing more things don't get lost for all the volume they handle. Look at the state of Washington. A month or more after the election and they are still "finding" boxes of ballots and ballots at the bottom of voting machines. And these were pieces of paper supposed to be moved by one person from one place to another. It just sucks when the thing they lose is something that directly affects you.