How the Topps Baseball Card Company Cheated Me

Baseball player Pablo Sandoval had an "off" season in 2010, even though he was on the World Series winning San Francisco Giants team. His power hitting abilities vanished and his waistline ballooned to where many doubted he could move with any agility on the field. I think everyone cringed when he and Buster Posey collided into one another trying to catch a ball during one game. Buster Posey was surely a dead man. Posey shook it off though and as a Giants fan and a fan of Pablo Sandoval's spirit for the game I hope he shakes of his 2010 slump. I was thinking that one night while cruising Ebay and decided I wanted to own a Pablo Sandoval baseball card. What I got was a reason to dislike the Topps baseball card company. Crooks I say!

The baseball card of Pablo Sandoval that I chose to buy was actually just a redemption card. This means I would get the card and put in the code on it at the Topps website and Topps would then mail me the card stated on the front of the redemption card. They do this often because they do not get all of their autographs back from players in time for the product to go out, or various other reasons. I was due to get a 2010 Bowman Platinum Pablo Sandoval Autographed Multi-colored game used patch card. Nice!

A multi-colored patch is valued at way more than a simple game used baseball card, so I paid more for the card than I would have if it were a simple single color swatch of jersey. So, when the card arrived my disappointment was immediate. They mailed me an autographed game used card, no multi-color patch in sight. The back of the card stated it was a multi-colored patch, but on the front was a mere thin piece of white jersey or employee underwear for all I could tell. What a rip! They would need to replace this for me!

I sent the following question to Topps customer service:

"I received my Pablo Sandoval AUTO multi colored patch card in the mail.
There is no multi colored patch, just a thin plain white piece of GU jersey.
The back of the card says Autographed multi-color Relic patch. So, what's
the deal?"

The answer I was given:

"We appreciate all feedback from our customers and will use this information to help us improve our Products and our service. Unfortunately the card mentioned will be considered error cards and Topps will not issue replacements or refunds of any sort for this product."

I followed up their response by telling them that was not satisfactory, I paid for a multi-colored patch. They merely responded once again with:

"The card mentioned will be considered error cards and Topps will not issue replacements or refunds of any sort for this product."

I can understand an error being on the card, but I bought the redemption card first and even it said I am owed a multi-colored patch card. So, are they saying the card was made wrong PLUS the redemption card was a printing error, PLUS there is a printing error on the back of the card? This is like going to the store and buying a bottle of orange juice, only to open it and find it is rotten milk instead. Then taking it back and being told by the store that indeed it is their fault, but so what, no refund and no OJ for you.

The lesson learned is never to buy a redemption card because Topps lies and will not honor what they say you will get on the front of said card. Then they will tell you to take a hike when you ask them to make good on the product they said you would be given. If this lesson is learned by all and buyers stop buying redemption cards this is in turn going to hurt sellers and the market in general. Now the monopoly that Topps has on the official baseball card market doesn't look like such a good thing.