Frustration with Topps "Support"

[Mike D.]

So...a new user to this site who happens to be a family friend of a former player contacted me recently. They'd seen that I'd gotten his signature from my TTM site, and were wondering if ever found any cards of the player (Joe Trimble, for what it's worth).

I did a bit more searching, and when they said the family was pretty sure that Joe had gotten a copy or two of a Topps card TTM, I decided to email Topps.

I went to their site, and using their support form, entered the following:


Hello,

A bit of an oddball request, but hoping you can help. The family of former major leaguer Joe Trimble has told me that they have seen a Topps card of Joe, but I can find no evidence of one.

I'm wondering if maybe someone created a custom card using a Topps design and sent it to him to get signed.

Can you confirm if Topps ever made a card of Mr. Trimble? He appeared in the major leagues in 1955 and 1957.

Thank You,

Mike D.


I got a response back, rather quickly (that's good). The bad...here's the response:


Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to write with your question, and please accept our apologies for any difficulties you have encountered with our product.

Topps is only able to issue replacements for current year products. Once a product has reached its one year anniversary it is considered memorabilia, in which case we no longer hold replacements for that product.

The only information found through an internet search was the following:

Joe Trimble - 4/2 in 8 days. An RI guy, who never had a card produced of him, as far as I can tell. Signed my two CICs, customized one index card, and signed the other.

Thank you once again for taking the time to write.
Sincerely,

Topps Customer Service team


Wow.

So, the first two paragraphs have nothing to do with my issue, and then they did a Google search.

A search which apparently turned up the world's greatest expert on Joe Trimble's possible appearance on baseball cards.

That would be your friend and mine....Mike D.

Yeah, the quote about Trimble is from Baseball-Fever, from the day I got a TTM success from Trimble.

So, there you have it. Apparently, I know more about Joe Trimble's baseball cards than the folks who may have made them.

I wrote back a rather snippy email, but wanted to vent here, too.

I feel better already. :cap:

[Extra Innings]

That is pretty pathetic customer service. :thumbsdown:

[AutographCollector]

I wrote back a rather snippy email, but wanted to vent here, too.


I'm interested in what that e-mail said. :D

Besides my sillyness... Yeah Mike, that is terrible customer service. Seems like a automated type of response. Man, do I despise those!

[RuthMayBond]

Vive Upper Deck! :bowdown:

[topherkris]

The guys at topps are so ******* stupid --

I emailed them earlier about the Topps Finest Letter Patch Refractors -- You know the shiny ****, and asked them about matt ANTONELLI

I asked them if there was any difference at all between the first N and the second one, and the first L and the second one...

Basically, I asked how an L could be labelled 1 of 1 if there was another L that was exactly the same. If you're buying a red refractor of N or L, there's not 5, but rather 10 of them.

They responded with: "While the cards are exactly the same, each letter is hand stitched which makes them 1 of 1s"

We're seriously getting to the point where because each Jersey Swatch comes from a different piece of the Jersey, Topps and UD will call it a 1 of 1.

[RuthMayBond]

We're seriously getting to the point where because each Jersey Swatch comes from a different piece of the Jersey, Topps and UD will call it a 1 of 1.Oh, so you've been on ebay? :laugh:

Do NOT mention Topps in the same breath with Upper Deck :rant:

[xholdourownx]

It is topps we are talking about here. You can't expect much.

Although I did just get a sketch card redemption back last week. I'm still waiting on 3 more I had sent in before the one I just got.

[DaClyde]

Considering how much history Topps has, in story after story that I've heard about the company, they've never seemed to have much sense of their own history. Remember this is the company who just pasted the old sets into photo albums to have references to their old product. For a company as important to the hobby as Topps, they don't have any sort of museum or factory tour, and they apparently don't do much research into their own past unless it's to dredge up something to re-sell via the Topps Vault.

I almost wish the Baseball HOF would hire on someone like James Beckett or Bob Lemke to be their official baseball card historian, just so there'd be someone dedicated to the pursuit in an official capacity (i.e. getting paid to research baseball cards).

[EricDavis]

Well with the MLBPA licensing companies so sparingly it's not like Topps or UD have to try that hard. Which sucks for us.

[topherkris]

Oh, so you've been on ebay? :laugh:

Do NOT mention Topps in the same breath with Upper Deck :rant:

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but for all Topps' crap this year -- They BLEEEEW UD out of the water on flagships.

I don't consider Jeter, KG Jr. or any of the Topps Cut Sigs in my evaluation..

UD still made nicer looking autos and gu, but their names were crap.

Topps with the quad patch, jumbo swatch, sketch card, wbc, etc etc just killed upper deck and their...

Stephen Stratsburg? 2007 Buy Backs? 1989 Buy backs?

[Dalkowski110]

"Well with the MLBPA licensing companies so sparingly it's not like Topps or UD have to try that hard."

Bingo. You just hit the nail on the head. One of the things that made Topps and Upper Deck so good into 2006 was just how competitive the market was. But then Fleer went bankrupt and Donruss got its license yanked and all the new reforms came in...reforms which basically guaranteed Topps and UD would be the only two companies with licenses. So they've essentially gotten fat and lazy with no real competition aside from each other.

[RuthMayBond]

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but for all Topps' crap this year -- They BLEEEEW UD out of the water on flagships.

If you can ever find any inserts . . .

[topherkris]

If you can ever find any inserts . . .

What do you mean? The inserts are seeded at a pretty much identical rate...

[RuthMayBond]

What do you mean? The inserts are seeded at a pretty much identical rate...You might want to check the Pack Pull thread

[topherkris]

Seriously, what do you even do with the cards you pull from UD? It's 99% Junk, unless you get crazy lucky and pull a Strasburg (congrats)

I bought a couple boxes last week, series 2 of each, neither one was good, but both were very typical:

Rocco Baldelli GU / Kevin Hart Auto / Team USA GU

vs.

Alex Gordon GU / WBC Forgotten Cuban Player GU / Robbie Cano Auto.


Upper Deck's autograph list is just terrible, and their game used is just as bad. As I'm not american, I prefer those WBC Cards.

A Piece of History has been incredibly kind to me, but is there any reason why Two Gold Member Cards are in sequential boxes, in the same case?

[RuthMayBond]

Seriously, what do you even do with the cards you pull from UD?At least I get SOMETHING from UD

<It's 99% Junk, unless you get crazy lucky and pull a Strasburg (congrats)>

Thanks, man! :faint:

<A Piece of History has been incredibly kind to me, but is there any reason why Two Gold Member Cards are in sequential boxes, in the same case?>

Only Austin Powers knows

[topherkris]

Maybe it's just because you generally get the swatches?

Have you checked any of Topps Series 2? They put a lot more 4-in-1 type Jerseys and what not into the packs..

Unfortunately, with the way they cut the swatches there's no specific place to press to find them.

At least with Spectrum, A P of H, Series 1&2, and SPX..

there's only a couple different places where the swatches are.

[RuthMayBond]

Unfortunately, with the way they cut the swatches there's no specific place to press to find them.

At least with Spectrum, A P of H, Series 1&2, and SPX..

there's only a couple different places where the swatches are.Gee, apparently I'm not the ONLY guy who "takes all the good ****" :rolleyes:
Hey, you could write Topps a letter . . . :think:

[Trickyhop]

Oh, so you've been on ebay? :laugh:

Do NOT mention Topps in the same breath with Upper Deck :rant:

Why does UD put the hologram on the back of the Goudey baseball cards? It ruins the entire card set for me. And the fact that they went back to normal sized cards, and the pictures themselves look like crap. And something about how flimsy the cards are aren't any good either.

[RuthMayBond]

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but for all Topps' crap this year -- They BLEEEEW UD out of the water on flagships.

I don't consider Jeter, KG Jr. or any of the Topps Cut Sigs in my evaluation..

UD still made nicer looking autos and gu, but their names were crap.

Topps with the quad patch, jumbo swatch, sketch card, wbc, etc etc just killed upper deck and their...

Stephen Stratsburg? 2007 Buy Backs? 1989 Buy backs?nd yet you have post #5, and you continue to buy UD :shrug:

[RuthMayBond]

Why does UD put the hologram on the back of the Goudey baseball cards? It ruins the entire card set for me.

Well, they can't get everything perfect

<And the fact that they went back to normal sized cards>

You must not put yours in regular-size boxes

[topherkris]

oh, I dont pack search -- I just buy a fair amount of boxes, I guess. Canada only has retail Hockey, which I'm not interested in.

The smaller goudeys were nice! Ruining a card from 1933 with a sticker is RIDICULOUS.

Anyways, Topps are still idiots -- and they'll screw you any chance they get but they've still put out superior products.

Upper Deck makes nicer lookin' products, but in the last three months most of my 'good' hits from Upper Deck have been destroyed by their processing machine.

1/10 Phil Hughes Manu Patch? Destroyed..
1/10 Drew Brees AUto? Destroyed
/25 Josh Hamilton? Really screwed up.

I honestly can't get excited about an UD hit until I fully examine the card..

[RuthMayBond]

oh, I dont pack searchYeah, but you might have more technique than me

<Canada only has retail Hockey>

It wouldn't be too far for me to move

<Upper Deck makes nicer lookin' products, but in the last three months most of my 'good' hits from Upper Deck have been destroyed by their processing machine.

1/10 Phil Hughes Manu Patch? Destroyed..
1/10 Drew Brees AUto? Destroyed
/25 Josh Hamilton? Really screwed up.>

Can you send them back for re-dos? (I know, you shouldn't have to)

[topherkris]

I emailed them, but I haven't the fondest idea how they're going to redo random low numbered.

The SP Authentic Hughes is the worst.. It's so annoying because all of the cards in the pack are fine, but the inserts have been pretty bad.

I figure until I get my redemptions from 2008 SP Authentic, or until they release 2009 SPA, they have to consider it an Open for Return Current Year Product.

[RuthMayBond]

I emailed them, but I haven't the fondest idea how they're going to redo random low numbered.

The SP Authentic Hughes is the worst.. It's so annoying because all of the cards in the pack are fine, but the inserts have been pretty bad.

I figure until I get my redemptions from 2008 SP Authentic, or until they release 2009 SPA, they have to consider it an Open for Return Current Year Product.Sorry man, now I have some understanding as to how you feel.

[topherkris]

haha -- It's not like I don't like Upper Deck. Topps just has a better product so far this year..

...and I've had some really awesome pulls from UD this year.

Goudey has yielded a Bob Feller On-Card Auto ... and '08 Goudey yielded an Ozzie Smith On Card.. I haven't pulled a single Will Veneable type auto from that stuff, eventhough it's flooded with them.

It's just unfortunate, at least to me, that SP Authentic is a year end card because I'd definitely buy it over Topps Finest. Finest and Goudey are both priced at 129.99 (CDN) at the Hobby Shop..

Which one would you buy?

I think my problem with UD is that I'm not a Yankee Fan. Derek Jeter Auto Buybacks, or Joe D. game-used Jerseys, really don't do squat for me.

[RuthMayBond]

Finest and Goudey are both priced at 129.99 (CDN) at the Hobby Shop..

Which one would you buy?Um, either something else possibly from Walmart, or continue with single packs

<I think my problem with UD is that I'm not a Yankee Fan. Derek Jeter Auto Buybacks, or Joe D. game-used Jerseys, really don't do squat for me.>

I'm no Yank$ fan, but it'd be hard to resist a DiMaggio swatch. I might even say that he never had to dive :hyper: