I am a noobie to the board as well as to the world of GU memorabilia. I was hoping that the more seasoned BBS users might be able to help share their insight as it relates to my situation.
I recently purchased a Red Sox jacket from Steiner that was described as game used from the playoffs & World Series. When it was delivered, it came with the standard Steiner LOA and matching numbered hologram stickers as well as a numbered MLB sticker. (So far, so good....)
However, I wasn't able to confirm the Steiner ID # since, as I've read in some other posts, the company has been slow to very slow in updating their online hologram verification database.
In searching through old posts on this BBS, i came across the Q&A session with Brandon Steiner in which he talks about the risks of game issued items and how their firm has invisible markings to minimize the chance that game issued items get resold as game used.
If Steiner's method of distinguishing game issued vs. game used is invisible, and if their website database is not current, are collectors supposed to just accept their letter with matching stickers and take a leap of faith that everything is legit?
While Steiner has a good rep, here's why i'm a little worried...
I punched in the MLB ID number into the MLB confirmation webpage and it only states that the jacket was team issued. Is this a normal oversight or data entry error by MLB?
I wouldn't be so nervous about the Steiner leap of faith if the MLB website was able to affirm that the jacket was game used. However, to be a skeptic here, I could see how Steiner would have the financial incentive to say that something is game-used while MLB might only be willing to go as far as to say that it's team issued.
So here are a few questions that i was hoping some BBS users might be able to help answer:
1. Has anyone had any luck with calling Steiner and asking them to add whatever was purchased into their database? I've read positive posts about the helpfulness of Steiner staff and was wondering if this is something they'd do or if such a request is a more tech/systems database type of question that the customer service/order fulfillment people wouldn't be dealing with.
2. Has anyone had any luck in getting MLB.com to revise a description on their online confirmation system to say that the item was GU? I called MLB.com customer service dept. earlier today and found out that their call center operators only deal with order fulfillment problems. I tried to explain to the operator the differences between game used and game issued but don't know if i was successful since the person did not know who the Boston Red Sox were or what a warm-up jacket was used for.
3. Staying on the topic of MLB authentication, who is "Authenticators, Inc."? I've never heard of them other than to find out that they are the company doing the authentication for MLB. This was a surprise to me since the MLB website mentions the League's partnership with Deloitte & Touche (who i have heard of) as the third-party authenticator who "witnesses the removal of all game-used to be issued by MLB as part of this program." Maybe Authenticators, Inc. has replaced D&T, i don't know. Does anyone know?
Also, i'd like to know if whether this third-party witness also applies to the Steiner stuff? The jacket I bought from Steiner has a numbered MLB sticker which i'd interpret as a sign that MLB is willing to let Steiner use their good name to vouch for the authenticity of the merchandise. Does anyone know the relationship between MLB and Steiner (i.e maybe seen a press release that details their relationship)
I realize i've rambled on here but i'm sort of worried since i dropped a meaningful amount of cash on the jacket and would hate to find out that Steiner sold me a game issued jacket as opposed to what they described as a game used.
I recently purchased a Red Sox jacket from Steiner that was described as game used from the playoffs & World Series. When it was delivered, it came with the standard Steiner LOA and matching numbered hologram stickers as well as a numbered MLB sticker. (So far, so good....)
However, I wasn't able to confirm the Steiner ID # since, as I've read in some other posts, the company has been slow to very slow in updating their online hologram verification database.
In searching through old posts on this BBS, i came across the Q&A session with Brandon Steiner in which he talks about the risks of game issued items and how their firm has invisible markings to minimize the chance that game issued items get resold as game used.
If Steiner's method of distinguishing game issued vs. game used is invisible, and if their website database is not current, are collectors supposed to just accept their letter with matching stickers and take a leap of faith that everything is legit?
While Steiner has a good rep, here's why i'm a little worried...
I punched in the MLB ID number into the MLB confirmation webpage and it only states that the jacket was team issued. Is this a normal oversight or data entry error by MLB?
I wouldn't be so nervous about the Steiner leap of faith if the MLB website was able to affirm that the jacket was game used. However, to be a skeptic here, I could see how Steiner would have the financial incentive to say that something is game-used while MLB might only be willing to go as far as to say that it's team issued.
So here are a few questions that i was hoping some BBS users might be able to help answer:
1. Has anyone had any luck with calling Steiner and asking them to add whatever was purchased into their database? I've read positive posts about the helpfulness of Steiner staff and was wondering if this is something they'd do or if such a request is a more tech/systems database type of question that the customer service/order fulfillment people wouldn't be dealing with.
2. Has anyone had any luck in getting MLB.com to revise a description on their online confirmation system to say that the item was GU? I called MLB.com customer service dept. earlier today and found out that their call center operators only deal with order fulfillment problems. I tried to explain to the operator the differences between game used and game issued but don't know if i was successful since the person did not know who the Boston Red Sox were or what a warm-up jacket was used for.
3. Staying on the topic of MLB authentication, who is "Authenticators, Inc."? I've never heard of them other than to find out that they are the company doing the authentication for MLB. This was a surprise to me since the MLB website mentions the League's partnership with Deloitte & Touche (who i have heard of) as the third-party authenticator who "witnesses the removal of all game-used to be issued by MLB as part of this program." Maybe Authenticators, Inc. has replaced D&T, i don't know. Does anyone know?
Also, i'd like to know if whether this third-party witness also applies to the Steiner stuff? The jacket I bought from Steiner has a numbered MLB sticker which i'd interpret as a sign that MLB is willing to let Steiner use their good name to vouch for the authenticity of the merchandise. Does anyone know the relationship between MLB and Steiner (i.e maybe seen a press release that details their relationship)
I realize i've rambled on here but i'm sort of worried since i dropped a meaningful amount of cash on the jacket and would hate to find out that Steiner sold me a game issued jacket as opposed to what they described as a game used.
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