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Reply from Fleer on missing auto cards

This year I opened some Fleer Hot Prospects football and received a Kevin Jones auto rookie and JP Losman auto card as well and both were redemption cards. I sent the cards in back in September, and the cards were to be sent out in 2-3 months.

Fast forward to today which is over 4 months later and still no cards so I call Fleer to find out what has happened. They tell me that they have had problems with both players signing their cards and that they are trying to go through the NFLPA to fix the problem. I was also told that both players were "pre-paid" to sign, and that the only way they can get them to sign through the NFLPA is to pre-pay them.

I asked when I could expect the cards and I was told "I don't know but we are working on it." Personally I am very disappointed in Fleer that they would put out cards without any type of guarantee ahead of time from the players, and they can be assured that future purchases will not have their brand on them in my house. Also, when will the card companies realize that people don't want redemptions for this very reason.

Anyone else have this problem?
"Why is it that Superman could stop a bullet with his chest, yet he ducked when somebody threw a chair at him?"
"
" Go ahead and get your fancy barely visible cell phones that get the internet, play DVD's, and can speak 5 languages. As for me and my Atari cell phone it works, it weighs 7 pounds, it is 14 inches long, and it looks like I could call in an airstrike from a remote desert it is so large!"

Comments

  • Fleer Sucks, that is why no matter what you need to steer clear of them. Maybe if enough people quit buying their crappy products overloaded with redemptions, they will decide to change their ways. Until then, they will keep up with all this garbage. All you have to do is take a look in a beckett and check out the 2004 Fleer Sweet Sigs checklist for autos. The majority are redemptions. Companies put redemptions in their product to screw the collectors so that either A. People buy their product while it is new and fresh B. So they don't have to waste their precious stickers because people don't redeem their cards. Also now UD even states on their product that they will not accept expired redemptions. Collectors need to take back the hobby.
  • NickMNickM Posts: 4,895 ✭✭✭
    Everyone uses redemptions. If I boycotted any card company which had some autographs via redemption, I could still buy vintage.

    Nick
    image
    Reap the whirlwind.

    Need to buy something for the wife or girlfriend? Check out Vintage Designer Clothing.
  • They have the right to choose redemptions just like I have the right to not buy their products. I can understand a problem, but at minimum they could have offered a comparable item to replace the cards they have not sent in the time they specified.
    "Why is it that Superman could stop a bullet with his chest, yet he ducked when somebody threw a chair at him?"
    "
    " Go ahead and get your fancy barely visible cell phones that get the internet, play DVD's, and can speak 5 languages. As for me and my Atari cell phone it works, it weighs 7 pounds, it is 14 inches long, and it looks like I could call in an airstrike from a remote desert it is so large!"
  • joestalinjoestalin Posts: 12,473 ✭✭
    Email Llyod, he will set it straight. Would you be disappointed to get other cards instead?

    Kevin
  • They do have the right, but they also have the duty to let collectors know that there are redemptions in a product. When you see a nice looking product that states one auto per box and doesn't state anywhere that the autos may be redemptions, then personally it is false advertising. Who is going to waste money on older products where the big cards are redemptions that have expired? Redemptions hurt everyone except the card companies, because they can produce a redemption for anything and not have to deliver.
  • joestalinjoestalin Posts: 12,473 ✭✭
    I agree 100% with you, and what is worse is that beckett takes the EXCH designation out of the guide a year after the product is
    out, so you can't rely on that when you are buying older boxes.

    Kevin
  • Joe - can you please explain what you mean by e-mail Lloyd and he will set you straight?
    "Why is it that Superman could stop a bullet with his chest, yet he ducked when somebody threw a chair at him?"
    "
    " Go ahead and get your fancy barely visible cell phones that get the internet, play DVD's, and can speak 5 languages. As for me and my Atari cell phone it works, it weighs 7 pounds, it is 14 inches long, and it looks like I could call in an airstrike from a remote desert it is so large!"
  • He didn't say Lloyd will set "YOU" straight, he said Lloyd will set "IT" straight, meaning if you want something in replacement of the cards that you are waiting for (seeing it has been 4 months), he potenitally will help you out.
  • joestalinjoestalin Posts: 12,473 ✭✭
    Llyod Pawlak is president of fleer. He is a fair man and will respond to your emails. He has helped me out several times
    and I have been happy each time. Fleer just has too may people waiting for cards. I feel it is standard operating procedure
    to see just how little they can offer a customer and have them not complain. Fleer's CS will almost ALWAYS send you sometime
    that isn't comparable in value. If you want results go to the top. Be cordial and he will help you out.

    If you are mad that these cards were never signed that really isn't fleer's fault, its the players. At the beginning of the year you
    really don't know what a players signing habit is. Sean Taylor is obviously an extreme but other guys actually showed up at the
    rookie photo shoot and signed card/sticker. If you are ok with a decent replacment then Im sure Llyod can hook you up.

    Good Luck either way.

    Kevin
  • ctsoxfanctsoxfan Posts: 6,246 ✭✭
    As far as UD redemptions go, it's hit or miss. But, I agree - why issue redemptions at all? If you don't have the card / auto available, then leave it out of the set. Too bad for the company, but a collector deserves to get what he pays for when he pays for it, not months later (if at all).
    image


  • << <i>
    If you are mad that these cards were never signed that really isn't fleer's fault, its the players. At the beginning of the year you
    really don't know what a players signing habit is. Sean Taylor is obviously an extreme but other guys actually showed up at the
    rookie photo shoot and signed card/sticker.

    Good Luck either way.

    Kevin >>




    No, it's FLEER's fault.

    They are promoting/selling a product, autographed cards, that they do not have in their possesion yet. They should only release a product when they can fullfill all the promises related with the product, not a minute earlier.
  • joestalinjoestalin Posts: 12,473 ✭✭
    LOL....Fleer sells 75% of their product before the packs are even opened. They don't need to take care of the customer, they already have
    their money. For all you legal buffs, the disclaimer is on the pack. You have already lined their pockets. If you have a compalint stand in
    line with the others! Your estimated wait time is......40 days.

    sincerely,

    Fleer

    Don't like it, Don't buy it.......(it works!)


  • << <i> For all you legal buffs, the disclaimer is on the pack. >>



    Sorry, but this is not true. Fleer and their Sweet Sigs product state nothing about redemptions or replacements, they only give the odds of their product and just the other normal BS information. Upper Deck on the other hand lists the info on the packs and box.
  • Stalin - thank you for the advice. If I send a letter it will be cordial and polite, and my only goal is to receive a fair replacement or the product they stated they would send in a timely manner. I don't believe they are exempt because the players did not sign the products, and they should not enter into an agreement to produce cards with certain players signatures unless they can secure them in the first place.

    THink of it this way. How many people use Ebay to buy cards on here. If you sell a card for $1200 ( a Jordan rookie for example) and the person that wins it e-mails you and says they are a little low on funds and can they pay you in two months would you be happy about it? If your auction says the payment must be made in 7 days they knew of the deal ahead of time. In the case of the card from Fleer THEY were the one's to set the parameters and conditions of when I would receive the product. I did not complain about which player I received or that my other packs were garbage, and I can't see how anyone could see a problem with wanting to receive what they are due as stated by the seller.

    Fleer is wrong and the CS person could have made things better on the spot and made them look good; however, they are now faced with some negative publicity via this board and others because they did not hold up their end of the bargain. Thanks again for insight and is there an e-mail for Lloyd or does it need to go to their general CS e-mail box. Thank you
    "Why is it that Superman could stop a bullet with his chest, yet he ducked when somebody threw a chair at him?"
    "
    " Go ahead and get your fancy barely visible cell phones that get the internet, play DVD's, and can speak 5 languages. As for me and my Atari cell phone it works, it weighs 7 pounds, it is 14 inches long, and it looks like I could call in an airstrike from a remote desert it is so large!"
  • Well, did you ask customer service when you called if you could get something else or did you only ask them when you are getting your cards? If you didn't ask for something else, how are they supposed to fix it? It sounds like all you were concerned about was getting the cards you sent in and not getting something else in exchange.

    Fleer is one of the worst out there when it comes to products, I don't care what anyone else says. I've had the most problems with Fleer regarding mainly BKB and Football. Couple years back I purchased a sealed rack pack fleer platinum basketball box that was supposed to contain one auto per pack. None of my packs had an auto so I called fleer and they told me to send in the usual and they would send me out some "prepackaged" auto card packs. Busted the packs and ended up with doubles and they were all commons. They probably took the crappiest autos that they had thousands of and made these single card packs. I had not even read about a box break that was as bad as the packs they sent me.
  • WinPitcherWinPitcher Posts: 27,726 ✭✭✭
    Fleer, UD and Donruss suck.

    Edited to add and Topps aint far behind
    Good for you.
  • UD Sucks with Quality issues. Most of the cards seem to have flaws. They also currently suck, because their turn around time is currently 12-16 weeks on redemptions/replacements. On the plus side, at least UD states there are redemptions and give the opportunity to redeem online. There is nothing like going out, spending around $450-$500 on 4 boxes of cards, pulling 4 redemptions that should have been autos inserted in the box, and having to spend more money to send the 4 in separately to redeem and most likely via certified or insured mail.
  • "Well, did you ask customer service when you called if you could get something else or did you only ask them when you are getting your cards? If you didn't ask for something else, how are they supposed to fix it? It sounds like all you were concerned about was getting the cards you sent in and not getting something else in exchange. "

    Yes, Yes, and double yes. Working for a large fortune 500 company I get plenty of chances to have to deal with being on their side of the fence, and my goal was to be polite with the CS person (which I was) and find some type of resolution to the problem. When she told me they still did not have the signatures from the two players in question I did ask if they would be willing to replace the cards with cards that were of like quality and price - I am not going to be a jerk and tell her that they owe me (2) Roethlisbergers, and at the same time I really don't need a Vernon Carey auto patch 3'd to 10,000.

    Her reply was that they were waiting on the cards and they should come in shortly, but when I asked her for a time frame she could not give me one. I basically decided that I would give them a couple of weeks to resolve the problem, and if it is not done then I would request replacement cards for the two and also send a letter to the President or head of Fleer. Like the saying goes the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
    "Why is it that Superman could stop a bullet with his chest, yet he ducked when somebody threw a chair at him?"
    "
    " Go ahead and get your fancy barely visible cell phones that get the internet, play DVD's, and can speak 5 languages. As for me and my Atari cell phone it works, it weighs 7 pounds, it is 14 inches long, and it looks like I could call in an airstrike from a remote desert it is so large!"
  • joestalinjoestalin Posts: 12,473 ✭✭
    pm sent...we all should have an answer tomorrow night.

    Kevin
  • You mean that Lloyd is finally going to admit that Fleer sucks so bad that the only way they can move their products is to false advertise and load their products with redemptions?
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