Shorted 15 autos in a Topps Chrome case - now what?

[predatorkj]

My question is plain and simple.

What about the guy who got everything promised and the contents look identical to this one? Are they entitled to more? While I think it stinks it is what it is. I have busted enough cases to know that bad cases happen (with hits inserted) and they look like this often enough. And lets be honest for a second are 2 refractor autos out of the 15 being returned to the buyer thats a $3.00 base auto really going to turn this around?

I believe the real issue is that the product truly needed to be replaced. There was no way for them to send him "random autos" and there not be any bias possible on topps's behalf. If he pulled the same autos out of his boxes, then at least he had the fair shot and that is about as much as could be asked for. I don't think anyone here would argue that with you.

 

[predatorkj]

You all don't seem to understand topps side of it. Giving him replacement cards is Topps way of says yes we screwed up and here are the cards that were missing. BUT, (yes but) Topps is being ripped off by people all the time. I'm not saying that is what happened here, But topps has to protect themselves. Now look at what he said to Topps. 3 things that to me would be a red flag for Topps.
#1 Flag #1
#2 flag #2 asking for more
#3 red flag #3

Like I said this may not be the case but to Topps it looks like it. What makes this lot crap? The value of the autos? the players ? the condition? the variation. I seem to think it is all about the money here. Again I am a huge Ruf collector. To me that auto isn't crap. And to others a lot of those autos aren't crap too. Again.. If that Ruf auto is such crap I will gladly take it off your hands!

I understand their side of it. I just don't understand how it's the customer's problem. Or how it's their problem that topps doesn't implement better quality control.

 

[bongo870]

Actually, it's a great analogy. You see, let's say they put mustard on the top bun and bottom bun. And you hate mustard. Burger King doesn't just pull the buns off and replace them(or even the lettuce or tomato that may have gotten some mustard on it). They replace the whole damn thing, even though they could have done the bare minimum. BTW, I'm not a big BK fan or anything. Just throwing that out there.

The only difference is the price point. Because you could even have asked for the mustard and turn around, lie about it, and tell them you want a new burger. Their goal is to make you happy. IMO, the price point of a case of topps anything means they really better get it right because to keep that customer happy, they will definitely be kicking themselves in the groin if they don't get their crap together. The only way for them to make sure they don't get scammers is to ensure some way of being able to tell if a problem with the machines occurred and how long it went on for, figure out how many cases, packs, or boxes were created during said time span, and either pull them or at least have somebody log the range of product screwed up using the serial numbers and creating a range of the boxes/cases that may have been defective as it were. That way they have that info and if someone calls in, they can know that the screwup did occur and that what the person is telling them is very likely due to the documentation of said error and cross checking the range of boxes/cases using the serial numbers. And, it wouldn't be all that hard because you're talking about training a person already working there to do a job that takes five extra minutes of paper work. You guys are so adamant this is an anomaly so it shouldn't be a constant issue leading to loss on their end by implementing this method. And they could easily tell how many boxes/cases the problem would affect by testing to see how many are created per a given time interval(let's say in increments of five minutes depending on the speed of the machines) and then creating a sliding rule scale for the employee to quick reference.

So, the fact that they screw up and it hurts me as a customer is still very well their problem, not mine. You don't want to get burned, do something to keep it from happening without burning a person who just spent a lot of money on your product. Not by screwing them or losing a customer. The real issue is a lot of you guys will still go buy cases of product and perpetuate the problem. Enjoy reaping what you sow.

you are right. Topps screwed up and made for it by sending out 8 new cards. No one is blaming the customer here. But how is the fact people that will keep buying cases/boxes will perpetuate the problem? You figure the thousands upon thousands of customers out there only ... say... 1% are not happy or have problems. To a big company loosing that 1% isn't going to kill them at all. Topps made due with what was owed. bottom line. the way they look at it for every customer they loose a new one will be right around the corner. they could of just said oh well.... but they made due and sent a replacement and very fast if I do say so myself. It sucks that Topps has to always think they are getting scammed but that is how the world works. Thanks to the scum bag scammers we regular people have to suffer.

 

[bongo870]

I understand their side of it. I just don't understand how it's the customer's problem. Or how it's their problem that topps doesn't implement better quality control.

no one is saying it is the customers problem. it is Topps. Topps screwed up and Topps fixed the problem by sending him cards. Just because they were not the cards "he" wanted that's not Topps fault....

 

[MansGame]

We can just agree to disagree then - I think it's a terrible example actually.

A BK hamburger is defined and you know EXACTLY what you get when you order one, so if you don't get what you ordered, they just give you EXACTLY what you should of got when you did. This is much different then Topps sending replacement autos which were shorted from the case...

Now before you jump off the bridge screaming "EXACTLY! HE SHOULD OF GOT HITS, SO HE SHOULD GETS REPLACEMENTS FOR THE HITS HE DIDN'T GET"....

Recognize that yes, he was shorted what he was told he would get, BUT there is a degree of uncertainty in what EXACTLY those autos would of been. This would be much easier to explain over the phone or in person but essentially they can't replace the randomness of 15 autos or even send him 15 unopened packs because he isn't guaranteed to have autos in them...

If this was TTT or something, they would probably just send him the packs and on down the road we go... maybe not...

So they could of sent him the number of packs it would of taken (per stated odds) to yield him 15 autos BUT then he would be getting double the base cards because he kept those... AND with his luck would probably miss the odds AGAIN, so then we'd be back at square one.

Does this not make sense? I mean seriously people... this isn't the same as just replacing a hamburger that was prepared wrong lol... I suppose it could be if he sent back the ENTIRE CASE and asked for an ENTIRE CASE in return... if that's what you're saying, then it is essentially the same to the hamburger example because a sealed case, is a sealed case, is a sealed case.

I'm sure this makes perfect sense now :lol:

 

[MansGame]

This is still the best post of the entire thread:

No, a nice replacement would have given some dishonest people more reason to attempt to run a replacement scam on Topps, that's why he got crap bare minimum replacements. It sucks but that's what happens. Topps has absolutely no way of knowing that Johnny Jackrod and Billy Bob Buttlick pulled all of the autos they should have and are trying to rip them off, but Greg Goodguy really was totally ripped off in his case and should get some decent replacements. If we lived in a world where nobody lied like that one Ricky Gervais movie, then when a factory screwup occurred you could get a "fair" replacement. But we don't, and Topps isn't interested in losing tons of money by giving awesome free autographs to every liar on the planet, so if you have bad luck and are on the wrong end of a mistake you need to suck it up, take the crap replacements, and move on. If you're not okay with that risk, buy singles.

This is just F'ing funny:

 

[bongo870]

We can just agree to disagree then - I think it's a terrible example actually.

A BK hamburger is defined and you know EXACTLY what you get when you order one, so if you don't get what you ordered, they just give you EXACTLY what you should of got when you did. This is much different then Topps sending replacement autos which were shorted from the case...

Now before you jump off the bridge screaming "EXACTLY! HE SHOULD OF GOT HITS, SO HE SHOULD GETS REPLACEMENTS FOR THE HITS HE DIDN'T GET"....

Recognize that yes, he was shorted what he was told he would get, BUT there is a degree of uncertainty in what EXACTLY those autos would of been. This would be much easier to explain over the phone or in person but essentially they can't replace the randomness of 15 autos or even send him 15 unopened packs because he isn't guaranteed to have autos in them...

If this was TTT or something, they would probably just send him the packs and on down the road we go... maybe not...

So they could of sent him the number of packs it would of taken (per stated odds) to yield him 15 autos BUT then he would be getting double the base cards because he kept those... AND with his luck would probably miss the odds AGAIN, so then we'd be back at square one.

Does this not make sense? I mean seriously people... this isn't the same as just replacing a hamburger that was prepared wrong lol... I suppose it could be if he sent back the ENTIRE CASE and asked for an ENTIRE CASE in return... if that's what you're saying, then it is essentially the same to the hamburger example because a sealed case, is a sealed case, is a sealed case.

I'm sure this makes perfect sense now :lol:

I saw a show about fast food and how bad it really is for you. Those "grill" lines you see on there burgers are not grill marks. But a chemical they put on there to look like they were gilled like that. That chemical is bad for you..

 

[MansGame]

Bottom line - there is no exact way to replace something that is unknown - period.

Only thing the OP'er knew is he was shorted 15 autos (per the odds on the box) and Topps sent him 15 autos as replacement for the short - period.

Everything else is hearsay and to be honest is just tough F'ing luck.

 

[maxe0213]

Bottom line - there is no exact way to replace something that is unknown - period.

Only thing the OP'er knew is he was shorted 15 autos (per the odds on the box) and Topps sent him 15 autos as replacement for the short - period.

Everything else is hearsay and to be honest is just tough F'ing luck.

I've read this whole thread and it seems like you don't quite get it. He got sent 15 autos that topps looked at and said well okay this works. The autos should be given to him randomly and we all know that topps doesn't do this randomly or we'd be seeing puig, wheeler, fernandez, myers etc. at least a few times in these replacement packages. He was supposed to have 2 autos guaranteed per box. He didn't. Any other company that I can possibly think of would take the product back and send him a brand new product. Those are typical wise business practices and are why many businesses have good customer service. Topps doesn't. They do the minimum because they have a monopoly on the market and nobody can change that. Many of the examples are perfect. The Old Spice half bottle of shampoo, the 6 ice cream sandwiches in a box of 12. Those are about as PERFECT as you can get in terms of examples. I'm not sure how so many of you are missing what those examples are trying to get at. Its the same as Topps!

What the OP got is BS and he should send all the autos as well as his whole case back with a letter explaining what happened.

One thing I would like the OP to clarify as I didn't see it done in the thread. What other cards came out of the case!? What were your other autos!? What else was in the case?! I can't believe that this thread got to 16 pages and the OP still hasn't told us.

That point alone ^ makes me think that maybe he had a great case but was shorted these autos and wanted an even better case. Just IMHO.

It would be beneficial to everyone if the OP would just let us know what else he got.

 

[All The Hype]

The absolute only play here was for you to ship EVERY card back from the break. I would have shipped them all back in the wrappers in the boxes and in the original case with a letter explaining the situation.

It's not acceptable for the Indiana Lottery to simply send me 12-$1 winning tickets when I scratched off 12 tickets and there was a print defect that left no ink under the scratch pad. I would expect 12 new tickets and a chance at a larger prize.

I think the one important thing everyone is missing is that this is the only legitimate analogy in this entire thread that accurately reflects the situation at hand.



Dear God there are some horrible analogies in this thread. Where do you people come up with this XXXX?

 

[MansGame]

I've read this whole thread and it seems like you don't quite get it. He got sent 15 autos that topps looked at and said well okay this works. The autos should be given to him randomly and we all know that topps doesn't do this randomly or we'd be seeing puig, wheeler, fernandez, myers etc. at least a few times in these replacement packages. He was supposed to have 2 autos guaranteed per box. He didn't. Any other company that I can possibly think of would take the product back and send him a brand new product. Those are typical wise business practices and are why many businesses have good customer service. Topps doesn't. They do the minimum because they have a monopoly on the market and nobody can change that. Many of the examples are perfect. The Old Spice half bottle of shampoo, the 6 ice cream sandwiches in a box of 12. Those are about as PERFECT as you can get in terms of examples. I'm not sure how so many of you are missing what those examples are trying to get at. Its the same as Topps!

What the OP got is BS and he should send all the autos as well as his whole case back with a letter explaining what happened.

One thing I would like the OP to clarify as I didn't see it done in the thread. What other cards came out of the case!? What were your other autos!? What else was in the case?! I can't believe that this thread got to 16 pages and the OP still hasn't told us.

That point alone ^ makes me think that maybe he had a great case but was shorted these autos and wanted an even better case. Just IMHO.

It would be beneficial to everyone if the OP would just let us know what else he got.

Thanks for dropping into this fun house...

(1) Highlighted in RED is exactly what a few of us have been saying from the start!

(2) Highlighted in BLUE is exactly what I was asking for earlier in the thread and peopled flamed out because they said "it shouldn't matter what he got, being shorted the 15 autos is the same as the world coming to an end regardless of what he already got" - it also began the discussion around even if he got a Babe Ruth 1/1 cut in the case, he still should be pissed he got shorted 15 autos :benson:

 

[jbhofmann]

I think the one important thing everyone is missing is that this is the only legitimate analogy in this entire thread that accurately reflects the situation at hand.



Dear God there are some horrible analogies in this thread. Where do you people come up with this XXXX?

Thanks.


Baseball cards as singles are not Topps' business. Topps creates cards that are packaged for retail/hobby sale. It makes zero sense for a company to send a replacement of something they don't sell on the open market.

Hoosier Lottery doesn't sell scratched tickets that are already winners. They're in the business of selling unscratched tickets that yield various winning amounts.

Topps is in the same business. I'd venture that Hoosier Lottery would lose their license if they tried something as ridiculous as this.

This is why they should never have the guarantee on the package. Now that the Internet is prevalent, people will see that in every Bowman Chrome box you generally get an autograph. Word of mouth will sell your product Topps.

 

[predatorkj]

I think the one important thing everyone is missing is that this is the only legitimate analogy in this entire thread that accurately reflects the situation at hand.



Dear God there are some horrible analogies in this thread. Where do you people come up with this XXXX?

I think what this entire board (because frankly it's starting to get freaking beyond old) should understand is that a comparison can be made between two things that are not necessarily alike. If people can't understand that, you or the rest of the board for that matter(it's killing Mac apparently) then by all means feel free not to read it. The thing we have been trying to convey is the concept. You are not getting what was promised. What was promised was a sealed case with *** amount of autos. The only real way to replace that is another sealed case, or, 8 boxes of cards to yield the 15 autos. What the hell does it matter if a case of topps is not the same as a hamburger or a stick of old spice? Really. What does it matter? The point is HE DID NOT GET THE PRODUCT HE PAID FOR AND THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE UP FOR THAT IS BY GIVING HIM SEALED BOXES!!!!!

You guys get so hell bent on the smallest little details. It's irritating. If you do not like analogies that aren't the same exact thing to a tee , then feel free to not like them but do not overlook the concept they present. Just because you can't or refuse to understand something doesn't make it go away. Or not exist.

Mac, we are in agreement he should have sent all of his stuff back. That's the only thing I would have done. But I'm not him.



As for what the man pulled, I don't know and don't care. I know what he didn't pull. Since our esteemed colleague JBHOFMANN's analogy was so well received, if we want to go down that road, he could have purchased 13 lotto tickets, won $1,000 on the first one, and then the next 12 could have all been blanks. Did he still get screwed out of $12? Yep. So...what's the point we're trying to make by asking what he did pull?

 

[gpenko826]

I've read this whole thread and it seems like you don't quite get it. He got sent 15 autos that topps looked at and said well okay this works. The autos should be given to him randomly and we all know that topps doesn't do this randomly or we'd be seeing puig, wheeler, fernandez, myers etc. at least a few times in these replacement packages. He was supposed to have 2 autos guaranteed per box. He didn't. Any other company that I can possibly think of would take the product back and send him a brand new product. Those are typical wise business practices and are why many businesses have good customer service. Topps doesn't. They do the minimum because they have a monopoly on the market and nobody can change that. Many of the examples are perfect. The Old Spice half bottle of shampoo, the 6 ice cream sandwiches in a box of 12. Those are about as PERFECT as you can get in terms of examples. I'm not sure how so many of you are missing what those examples are trying to get at. Its the same as Topps!

What the OP got is BS and he should send all the autos as well as his whole case back with a letter explaining what happened.

One thing I would like the OP to clarify as I didn't see it done in the thread. What other cards came out of the case!? What were your other autos!? What else was in the case?! I can't believe that this thread got to 16 pages and the OP still hasn't told us.

That point alone ^ makes me think that maybe he had a great case but was shorted these autos and wanted an even better case. Just IMHO.

It would be beneficial to everyone if the OP would just let us know what else he got.

I don't know why you claim it would be "beneficial", but here's a list of the 9 autos I pulled from the case. Now we can look forward to a few people claiming I lied about what I did pull to make the situation look worse (the exact reason I HADN'T posted the cards until now).

BASE CHROME AUTOS
Nick Maronde #24
Alfredo Marte #189
Adam Eaton Redemption #185
Tyler Skaggs #88
Kyle Gibson #KG
Rob Brantly #27

REFRACTOR CHROME AUTOS
Paco Rodriguez #182 (#d out of 499)
Allen Webster (#d out of 499)

BLUE REFRACTOR CHROME AUTOS
Jeurys Familia #59 (#d out of 199)

There - there's my motherload. Notice all the Ruth 1/1 Cut Signatures I have in that listing.

For the people that have been level-headed and realistic about this whole situation (whether you agree with me or not), I appreciate the dialogue and the examples. For the few that has been suspicious and/or accusatory - I hope this doesn't happen to you some day and you end up in this situation.

Greg

 

[MansGame]

I think the one important thing everyone is missing is that this is the only legitimate analogy in this entire thread that accurately reflects the situation at hand.



Dear God there are some horrible analogies in this thread. Where do you people come up with this XXXX?

So wait, you didn't like my Cracker Jack analogy?!?!

Mac, we are in agreement he should have sent all of his stuff back. That's the only thing I would have done. But I'm not him.

Fair enough. I, too, think the ONLY play here was to package the entire damn case up, packs, wrappers and all, and send it to Topps with a stupid letter claiming you got a defected product and see what happens. If he got a crappy case to begin with and the replacement wouldn't of made it any better, it's the best shot at something different.

In any case, this thread is like beating a dead horse over and over and over again...

 

[gpenko826]

So wait, you didn't like my Cracker Jack analogy?!?!




Fair enough. I, too, think the ONLY play here was to package the entire damn case up, packs, wrappers and all, and send it to Topps with a stupid letter claiming you got a defected product and see what happens. If he got a crappy case to begin with and the replacement wouldn't of made it any better, it's the best shot at something different.

In any case, this thread is like beating a dead horse over and over and over again...

Again, I tried this as an option and was told by Topps I COULD NOT DO THIS. I realize where you're coming from, but this wasn't going to happen as per their customer service rep on the phone. So please stop saying this was the "only play"

Greg

 

[MansGame]

Again, I tried this as an option and was told by Topps I COULD NOT DO THIS. I realize where you're coming from, but this wasn't going to happen as per their customer service rep on the phone. So please stop saying this was the "only play"

Greg

Right. What did the rep say would of happened if they did receive such a "return package" from you?

 

[bongo870]

Right. What did the rep say would of happened if they did receive such a "return package" from you?

I was told years back they wouldnt even open the package and return it. They only take no more than 20-25 cards back at a time for replacement...So if they got a big box in the mail they would just send it right back..

 

[bongo870]

 

[maxe0213]

Again, I tried this as an option and was told by Topps I COULD NOT DO THIS. I realize where you're coming from, but this wasn't going to happen as per their customer service rep on the phone. So please stop saying this was the "only play"

Greg

It was your only play. You send it all back even if they tell you that. Once again, a sucker falls to topps customer service. When will topps actually improve their products and cs