My Rant #1 - We get what we deserve.

[Matt26]

Let’s face it; every one of us here is a consumer.

Everyone here will at some stage today purchase goods or services from someone in exchange for money. Sometimes we even trade things for “other” things.

These exchanges are an integral part of everyday life.

Now let me put this to you, what would you do if the person supplying the goods or services to you failed to deliver on their side of the deal? What if they were to fall short of what they had promised? What if they under delivered, mislead you and continually didn’t give you what you paid for?

Would you continue to buy goods or services from them?

I doubt it!

So why in the case of Upper Deck, do we as collectors continue to buy packs, boxes and cases of their product, even though they have treated the average collector with contempt?

Sure they make some nice cards, and as collectors we will always search for new stuff of the players we collect, but what is it about Upper deck that makes us buy more of their product, despite their poor track record.

Are we still so desperately hanging out to score that elusive Jordan Autographed card, or some other rare card that will help fund our collections for the next 6 months?

I think we are.

Someone said to me the other day in relation to politics that “we get the government that we deserve”.

We as voters have the ultimate voting power; we get to decide who runs things. Sure the government are accountable (or should be) for their actions but it’s us, the voters that have put them in power.

You could say the same about Upper Deck.

Do we deserve their poor customer service, do we deserve their false advertising, do we deserve to wait 12 months on redemption cards which never get made and subsequently get replaced?

No we don’t.

But, if we continue to buy Upper Deck’s product, I’m afraid we do.


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[chadjaja]

Let their stuff sit on shelves. UD have got too big for their boots and think because of the monopoly they have now that they can do what they do to their customers. How this is legal selling practice I don't know.

 

[wolvesjr34]

lets boycott UD and buy only Topps products!!!!

 

[nandalinnaung]

Arrgh!!!!.. I am in the middle of dwight howard (signed exclusively to UD) vs topps...

But honestly, i like topps better..

 

[Benny J]

Great wrtie up Matt....i havent bought a box and have only been picking up singles of late.

If i was to buy a box it would be Topps though....

 

[jimboiitmac]

Only Topps! Only Topps! Only Topps! Only Topps!

 

[The Truth]

Makes sense. Jordan is a big drawcard though, then you have LeBron and a few others of course. Set collectors find it easier to purchase a few boxes when all is said and done to help their sets along. But a big boycott is needed to hurt them, including the involvement of suppliers/hobby shops. They are smartening up their act somewhat with finally realising that people are sick of their ordinary redemption process. Once you produce that many sets and sell that many cases of product, with that many redemption cards, there's bound to be problems. They finally realised that, but now they need to learn that the customer is always right, rule number 1 of business in dealing with the public.

 

[jimboiitmac]

Makes sense. Jordan is a big drawcard though, then you have LeBron and a few others of course. Set collectors find it easier to purchase a few boxes when all is said and done to help their sets along. But a big boycott is needed to hurt them, including the involvement of suppliers/hobby shops. They are smartening up their act somewhat with finally realising that people are sick of their ordinary redemption process. Once you produce that many sets and sell that many cases of product, with that many redemption cards, there's bound to be problems. They finally realised that, but now they need to learn that the customer is always right, rule number 1 of business in dealing with the public.

it'll be pretty darn hard to pry people away from Michael Jordan and Lebron James cards. Then you have Tmac, Kevin Garnett, Vince and all the minor stars as well. As well as Melo, Brandon Roy, all the well known rookies.

Topps really only has who, Dwyane Wade, Iverson and Shaq?

 

[Funkadelic]

Well said Matt You're right on target.

It's going to take a lot for UD to redeem themselves to millions of collectors. Not only have their own products begun to stink but they have really screwed up with bringing Fleer back on the market. Although I didn't mind Ultra this year, as we know the recent Fleer release was bogus.

Obviously Topps is the way to go but they're products are so frustrating with all the parallels #-o

I'm gonna bust Press Pass next!

 

[WoobieZarz]

Topps products are great to bust. UD are WAY too much hit/miss.

As for boycotting them....

Im a Player Collector, so I'm still going to pay for UD cards that I need. It's sad, but it's one of those things that you have to take the bad with the good.

 

[pennysdaman]

Well for start this is great topic...we all know how slack UD on there redemptions...(still waiting on my mccants exquiste redemption)..the reason UD do this to us i think is they know they have the draw cards of the sport MJ and lebron....and they know ppl will still buy there product...because there target audience is very much world wide....i personally wont be buying a box of any ud products in a while ...tho i will get the singles i need for my pc....i think topps have done a great job to conter act this i think, by bringing back some old school cards(i.e first day issues.)...but to put it simple they do this because they can get away with it.....

 

[clarkescards]

I think what Matt is getting at is we boycott buying boxes & packs from UD. And if we see a card of a player we collect (Mavs, Nanda) on the secondary market, we should still go for it, as we're supporting the seller, not UD.

But yeah, definitely go with Topps or Press Pass with Boxes & packets.