Fanatics on Ebay

[BaseballNutz]

Re: Fanatics on Ebay

I had a similar experience with Fanatics. The smcomstore eBay store would continually tell me their warehouse would get back to me and answer my question. I'm still waiting.

The direct Fanatics rep that I got stuck dealing with was also hyper aggressive and kept calling me "bro" and telling me I needed to "jump on this" overpriced stuff immediately. I felt like I was dealing with a fraternity member. Needless to say I actually got the item for 30% cheaper than his rock bottom price 2 days late off another vendor's site now he cant be bothered to respond to any of my inquiries concerning other items. What a tremendous business model...

I feel your pain sprint23.

The sad reality is every company is so busy chasing the dollars, there's no room for sincerity or true concern for the customers needs. I would also say it's not stepping out on a limb to assume these guys are paid commissions on what they sign up. That's obvious by his comments to you. And by the excitement I was shown by the salesman that handled my items. Once the deal was "booked", it was sand blowing across the yucca tree landscape for us.

That's OK, because we're here to set the record straight. None of these companies can hide.

That's a clown business, bro.

Dave

[rufusandherschel]

Re: Fanatics on Ebay

I can shed a little light on this company. Better grab a cup of coffee. I've got a lot to bitch about.


Fanatics Authentic bought out sportsmemorabilia.com, Mounted Memories, and as I understand it, other smaller companies. They are now a huge conglomerate, one BIG fat red flag from the start. The original founder of sportsmemorabilia.com is actually an old friend of mine in Las Vegas, where he started his company online out of his house. Haven't talked to him in years, but I guess he's happily retired at a ripe young age.

One complaint I have about Fanatics (which is trivial in the grand scheme of
things) is their hologram. The dang stickers are "large and in charge", too big for my liking, almost four times the size of a standard MLB hologram. I'll post a picture or two later. They're so obnoxious I'm thinking of taking mine off my baseballs. They don't even lay flat when applied to a baseball, they're so darn big. I'll leave them on the other items.

Fanatics does have a real problem that I would consider way more serious. They advertise "Inscriptions" for the athletes in their signings. That's great if you're looking for garbage like "To Dave," or "Thanks,". It appears someone at Fanatics didn't go to school long enough to learn the difference between "inscriptions" and "salutations".

If you are expecting any success in getting game-used inscriptions on send-in items, you can forget about it. They treat everything with "cattle herd" mentality, all effort placed in simply getting your item signed and that's IT. And there's no guarantee you'll even get the signature where you want it, evidenced in one of my items that came back. The signature is in an entirely different location than where I had requested it be placed. I even sent along a picture showing exactly where I wanted it signed, which they amazingly mailed back with my item, still oblivious to the oversight, or apparently proudly taking claim to it! They are not equipped to handle any unique or special inscriptions for game used items, again leaving a screaming void in servicing "game-used" collectors. They'll tell you they do (as was the case with me), but warning: It's a salesman ploy.

I called about their November 21st signing. They had quite a few big names appearing (Steve Carlton, Madison Bumgarner, Gayle Sayers, Carton Fisk, Frank Thomas, Kirk Gibson, Lynn Swann, Scottie Pippen, Jim Thome, Lou Brock, even Yasiel Puig until he had to cancel because of prior commitments) and in my case, my rep told me "I'll be handling your items for this signing, so send me as much info on each as you can. The more proof I can present, the better chance I'll have at getting the athlete to add the inscription for you." One of my items was an MLB home run baseball, easily verified by checking MLB's site (the rep told me he would print out the description for the athlete). I wanted the player to write his career home run number on it and the date he hit it. Should be a "no-brainer" to get that done if my rep presents the MLB description with the hologram number on it matching the one on the baseball. I was excited to finally get this done!

When I originally called and spoke to my rep, he promised me the world. As it turned out I can see now his main concern was "getting in the order" so they could charge my credit card and move onto the next order. He quickly charged me for every inscription I was asking for. I questioned that, stating I was hopeful they would all get done, but from past experience I knew better. I was uncomfortable being charged for these in advance and asked if my card could only be charged for the signatures, then additionally charged after the signing was complete once the inscriptions received could be quantified. He explained I would be credited back for every inscription they couldn't get done, so not to worry. That's just stupid in my opinion. They HAVE my items and they aren't going to return them until I pay, so what's the urgency to charge my card for something I may never receive? I let it go, feeling as long as he was there and presented all the "proof" I was going to send him, I was confident he'd have no problems. He was all fired up, "Absolutely, let's get it done!" I sent my items in with copies of all the back-up.

Once my "rep" received my items, the communication all but stopped. A week went by and the signing was four days away so I emailed him asking if he could at least please confirm he had received my items. I got a short email back saying "I got everything taken care of with your pieces and they're all set to head to the show!" I remember thinking "Why didn't he say '...to head to the show WITH ME.'?" No, I didn't want to interject negative thoughts. Again I let it go.

The signing date came, I found myself apprehensively excited, hoping all would go well. As the day grew long, I looked at the clock and felt relieved, telling myself it was over! A sense of relief knowing that some items I had sought to have signed for a LONG TIME had finally gotten done, hopefully inscribed in the manner I asked for too. Heck, I sent everything but the kitchen sink along to show the provenance on each item. I was pumped!

Days passed as I anxiously awaited to hear something, anything, or better yet, receive my items back! Nothing. I called, I emailed, couldn't do anything but leave my rep voicemails and emails. After a few more days of silence, I sent one strongly worded email demanding a phone call with some answers.

I finally received a call from him, apologizing that he was so busy he hadn't been able to call back until now. Then he drops the bomb, bitch-slapping me in the process. He tells me he doesn't know what happened with my items because, as he put it, "I was disappointed to find out right before leaving for the show, I wasn't invited to go. So I really don't know what happened with your items. This was as disturbing to me as I'm sure it is for you hearing it now. But I do know everything was signed!" Naturally I asked "Then who presented my items to the athletes?" He mumbled some nonsense and then said "Well, that's another thing. I don't know if any of the inscriptions got done. I don't think they were doing game-used inscriptions at this signing." He then promises he'll check with his "handler" on the status of my items and I'd hear back within a day at the latest. Nothing for 4 days. Again I called and emailed. No response. Now I was thoroughly pissed. I was tired of trying to run this salesman down when it was clear he could care less about getting me answers.

In my heated state, I got an idea. Remembering back to when I first spoke to this rep, I had asked him if what I had read was true, that Fanatics Authentic in fact HAD purchased Mounted Memories. He verified they had. So now, I googled "Mounted Memories" on a whim and was surprised to see they were still operating (at least at this point) under the same business name, even though they had been "bought out". I called the number on their site, and sure enough a live female voice answered. I asked for my rep by name, and what do you know? The lady who answered said "Sure, please hold" and transferred me. Fanatics and Mounted Memories are represented by the same employees. I got his "voicemail" there too. I was dealing with a giant sweat shop of salesman wearing whatever hat fit as the calls came in. After leaving my rep a message, I immediately called back and demanded to speak to a supervisor. I eventually got a phone call back from my rep. He told me he explained my frustration over the "inscriptions misunderstanding" to the higher-ups, explained he was sorry for everything, and that they "wanted to make it right" for me and that I'd be hearing from "one of the top guys" shortly.

I did. And this guy wasted no time expounding the great attributes of the company he represented, that they were a "$3 Billion dollar a year company" and all that. You know, the last things you'd want to hear from a muckety-muck when your pissed off and wanting to know the status of your items. After listening to my complaints he told me "Well, you've got someone at a director level, so now you'll get answers." Nice vote of confidence for his underlings.

In any case, big shot director here did get me answers, and they were not the answers I wanted. I was told inscriptions on game-used were never an option. That's why, as he told me, my credit card had the charges "reversed". But here's the alarming part. When I checked my credit card, they were reversed almost immediately after they were charged! Misrepresentation, in all it's glory, exposed.

And it was, IMO, flagrant misrepresentation. When they immediately backed off all the charges on my credit card without telling me, it was because they KNEW they wasn't going to be an attempt at getting my game-used items "inscribed". A reputable company would have given me a phone call, explaining that a mistake had been made, telling me the inscriptions weren't going to happen. Since I never received any communication on this extremely important detail, I have no other conclusion to draw than the game they play is to just "Get the items in, and we'll deal with any issues after the signing". That's dirty, especially in light that the signing had separate listed itemized inscription prices for each athlete appearing.

I explained to this guy when we game-used collectors send a game-used item in for a signature and inscription, it's the inscription on the game used item that means everything. ANY company performing signings can get an item SIGNED. If the athlete refuses to place the inscription on the item because there is no one there showing him the proof sent in with it, then it becomes a much more complicated proposition to get it added at a later time. If you're going to attempt inscriptions on game-used pieces, it behooves you to do everything in your power to get it all done the first time and at the SAME time.

Adding an inscription on a second attempt, even if the athlete agrees to do it, presents the problem of the athlete now using a different pen, and the end result will likely look different from the signature placement done earlier. This is not a desirable look on any game used piece. Nope, it's a one-shot deal! As I told Mr. Money-bags director-level hot shot, had I not been misrepresented and been told straight out "the inscriptions are not going to happen", I would have passed on their signing altogether and waited for another signing where the opportunity to add inscriptions was real. I was never given the opportunity to make that choice. They knew if I had, they'd lose my 5 signature requests, so they quietly pulled their little "refund" move on my card without any heads-up, hoping I wouldn't notice until after the fact. That's exactly what happened.

And as expected, with more than adequate proof sent in with every one of my 5 items as to each's game-used heritage, they all came back without one single solitary inscription. I had been duped. "Salesman'ed".

Back to Mr. "Director level". Now a full MONTH after the signing, because of my persistence in demanding answers, he gets my sent-in items hand plucked out of their warehouse full of signed items and FINALLY labeled to be returned. No inscriptions, but they were signed! To say the least, this whole ordeal was a MAJOR disappointment. And in his haste to try and do something he sees as "customer service" to repair the damage they have already caused, they don't even ask me if I want to add additional insurance to my items being returned. From the beginning I expressed to the salesman rep my concern in return shipping. during one of our original conversations, I said that these items would need to be insured, especially if I received all the inscriptions. He said after the signing, he'd discuss a dollar amount of insurance with me before the return shipping.

This guy couldn't even get a "handler" to FIND my items until I was so pissed off and demanding answers almost a MONTH after the signing, that a "director-level" employee had to get answers for me. And instead of calling me back and telling me "OK, we've found your items and we understand you want them properly insured before we return them", I get "Your items WERE shipped back to you today. You'll have them back in a day or two." I was in disbelief.

I explained my prior conversation to this suit that I had with his salesman regarding my desire to insure the package properly before having it returned. This wonderful $3-Billion dollar a year company had just sent my $12,000 worth of game used items back, insured for a grand total of whatever their basic coverage was. To add insult to injury, a review of the tracking number showed my two packages were coming back "GROUND". I got them a full seven days later, sweating out the journey the whole way. (In all fairness, they probably have a rider policy on all packages, but whatever their coverage is, I'm sure it wouldn't have been anywhere close to sufficient had something happened to my two return packages. Fortunately I received them in good condition).

In a nutshell, I find them to be close to worthless to us game-used collectors who are looking to make their collectibles special. If all you want is a signature on an item, hey, have at it. Fanatics Authentic, or Mounted Memories (whatever line rings!), they'll get it signed. Just don't expect to see your item back for weeks or be updated in the interim. Beyond that, you're on your own.

When you consider any show promoter can get an item signed, what's the big deal with "Fanatics Authentic? I would argue there isn't one. Unless Fanatics buys out every single signing company out there and corners the signing market, their "takeovers" and "acquisitions" are just compounding their inability to serve many of their customers in the manner desired. Their size does nothing in regards to making them the go-to company in our hobby. In fact it's damaged their ability to competently offer any kind of worthwhile service...personal hands-on services offered by other SMALLER companies. In game-used, it's the special care and one-on-one handling of the athlete in regards to specific inscriptions on special pieces that would separate a company apart from the run-of-the-mill show operators who conduct signings, is what this hobby needs. I can and HAVE found those qualities in smaller companies performing signings. Fanatics Authentic offers false representations to lure in customers, and fails miserably in the "personal touch" manner while misrepresenting their services. They mishandled every aspect of my business with them. They're big business, operating like big government. We all know how that's going to end.

Hope this is insightful to the collecting community.

Dave

Your concluding paragraph sums it ('signings') up and says it all!

[sportsnbikes]

Re: Fanatics on Ebay

This company...

At one time they had an item listed on eBay that was actually an item that they didn't have...STEINER had it. I found it on their website...same picture, same description, same date. I questioned them and they gave me a rude response.

Not to mention they are WAY overpriced. I'll never deal with them...ever.

[sprint23]

Re: Fanatics on Ebay

In the ongoing saga of ebay seller smcomstore (a branch of Fanatics); yesterday they relisted an authenticated one of a kind item that I had already purchased and received more than a month ago. They are absolutely careless and this business of selling a single item through multiple vendors can only work with a unified system in which the right hand knows what the left hand is doing. The ebay seller smcomstore seems to be the most out of the loop; they cannot seem to answer any questions about their items and are now relisting items that were sold more than a month ago. What a joke and an absolute irresponsible way to do business.

[perlman9]

Re: Fanatics on Ebay

Not to beat a dead horse, but if anyone knows of a person to talk with at Fanatics? I see they sold a Manziel on ebay for $800, a decent price I think yet they are still asking for $2k for Brian Hoyer?? Not sure if they have a person than can be talked to reasonably but their ebay staff doesn't seem to know anything or can answer any questions.

I would love to add these Hoyer's to the MSU collection I have, but not sure how they have him priced 2.5x higher that Manziel?

[Dawg Pound]

Re: Fanatics on Ebay

They had a hoyer listed for $799 a few days ago. Still over priced

[alanch]

Re: Fanatics on Ebay

Not to beat a dead horse, but if anyone knows of a person to talk with at Fanatics? I see they sold a Manziel on ebay for $800, a decent price I think yet they are still asking for $2k for Brian Hoyer?? Not sure if they have a person than can be talked to reasonably but their ebay staff doesn't seem to know anything or can answer any questions.

I would love to add these Hoyer's to the MSU collection I have, but not sure how they have him priced 2.5x higher that Manziel?

There's a Hoyer "Team Issued" on there right now for $300. Says on the COA from Browns "This Brian Hoyer #6 team-issued jersey was used during the 2014 season."

Then at the other end of the spectrum, SM's website has a Hoyer "Event Worn" Browns jersey listed at just under $10,000.