Panini No Longer Going to Honor Expired Redemptions

[Mike]

According to Panini's customer service team Twitter account, it looks like Panini is about to stop honoring expired redemptions.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1251200336032825344

This has some members in the hobby up in arms. I share the unpopular opinion on this, sorta. As long as the company clarifies that a product comes with redemptions, and when those redemptions expire, I'm perfectly fine with this. What it will mean is if there are any big name redemptions in the product, those products will be either sold quicker, or they'll drop significantly more in price once the redemptions expire. I don't see that many products, these days, lasting too long on the shelves anyways. That said, kinda makes me feel sorry for the guys sitting on a ton of old boxes with expired redemptions. I think Panini at least could have given some kind of heads up that this was about to happen. As far as I know, there still hasn't been an official annoncement.

What do y'all think about this move?

 

[Taliasen]

I think the redemption scheme has always been a big scam anyway. Whenever I did pull one, I always sold it immediately. I think I maybe tried to redeem 2 at all ever. Never got the card that I really wanted. Could never get an explanation how they figured a no name prospect auto who never even made it to the majors was “equal value replacement” for a Henderson auto patch HOFer?

 

[bajmurray]

Has Panini given any indications that they will actually honor redemptions that have already been submitted? I have some that are over 8 years old, and I hear nothing from them. They will not even allow me to request follow-ups or request substitutions. (Frankly, I think collectors have a good case for a class-action suit for fraud!)

 

[Mike]

Has Panini given any indications that they will actually honor redemptions that have already been submitted? I have some that are over 8 years old, and I hear nothing from them. They will not even allow me to request follow-ups or request substitutions. (Frankly, I think collectors have a good case for a class-action suit for fraud!)

Yep, I've seen quite a few folks around the hobby talking about this very thing. You're not alone! There seem to be a lot of people with 5+ year old redemptions, who are worried they may never get them.

I think what Panini needs to do is come out with a new product, with a lot of their extra autos, and use that product for the sole reason of fulfilling old redemptions. Of course this would take some research to make sure folks were getting cards worth as much as their redemptions, but at least they'd be doing something. That's better than sitting on them for years.

Also, regardless of how this turns out, all companies need to just quit doing redemptions. The points thing seems to be a lot better. Keep throwing the point cards in, and have a store where points are required to buy.

 

[northicehero99]

I am sitting on a bunch of Panini submitted ones, all hockey and sorry to say without a hockey license they have no way to fulfill them. I have several with UD as well that I have not heard about either. It sucks though as I spent good money on those boxes and the least they could do is look at my account and offer replacements. Panini last I checked, still had a bunch of hockey GU in the point redemption section, so they should do something. That being said, my Tarasenko auto, should not be exchanged for and Alexander Daigle gu or some other scrub. I should get a top of the line star with low numbering or a multicolor patch or something that makes the card nearly, if not as valuable, as my redemption.

Going forward, I say they should not put redemptions in products if they don't want to honor them longer or they should be forced to buy back the remaining stock from dealers inventory (at cost) when they deem the redemptions are expired. Or maybe they could offer a coupon for $xx off those boxes from dealers with the coupon stating any redemptions are not valid, purchase at your own risk, but realize this discount replaces the non-redeemable redemption(s) hit(s), then they pay the dealers an agreed amount for those redeemed coupons (80% of face) so the dealers don't loose out either.

Been this way for 20 years, you would think by now they would have found a better way to handle redemptions or not have them at all. Maybe the best way to handle this is for us to stop buying their products!!!

 

[Mike]

It's been a while since I had any active redemptions, but I thought after 180 days, or something like that, you were able to email them and request a replacement? I know I did it on a few of mine, but that was years ago, so maybe they don't allow that anymore. I'll try to do some more research on this, specifically the old redemptions, and comment with what I find out, if anything.

 

[northicehero99]

Well I think you can still do that, however trying to get ahold of anyone there is rough. I left them in, with the hopes they would fulfill them and well sort of forgot. I think I checked on them a year ago or so and they were still all there. Probably should just do that, just hate not getting what I was expecting and hate that they use "book value" to replace, especially when most people don't use BV anymore.

 

[Mike]

Yeah, I hear you. It especially stinks if your redemptions were PC ones. Mine weren't, and they replaced them with cards that were, so that was nice. But, it's still something that should be avoided regardless. Redemptions should never be a thing, and if they are, they've gotta be better at fulfilling them.

That said, maybe that's why they quit fulfilling expired ones, so they could catch up in old, active ones. PaniniCSM said they're 8 weeks behind on fulfilling replacements.

 

[pudge27t]

M-O-N-O-P-O-L-Y

I mean they can literally do what they want. Look at where they are now days, DIGITAL cards? No shade to those who collect them yet I think you understand the point I'm driving home here. To me this is CRAZY!!!

On redemptions to me it should be pretty easy as far as an unfilled one. Possibly giving a window on the wait time for consumer as an option if they'd like to hold out or not. I mean I don't know about you, but for me I'd LOVE to work there JUST to pull & fill redemptions. Seems to me they need to have its own department, if it hasn't already. I think that would slim down the stacked cases somewhat but not eliminate it.

And I agree that this could possibly be a lawsuit now days.

 

[Mike]

I mean they can literally do what they want. Look at where they are now days, DIGITAL cards? No shade to those who collect them yet I think you understand the point I'm driving home here. To me this is CRAZY!!!

I agree! I started out doing the digital cards, cause it was free, and it was fun to try to collect all the sets. I looked at it like any other mobile game. Then I realized that the only way to get the nicer cards on there was to shell out big bucks, so I quit that. They could quit making that game any day and all that money folks have spent on there is just gone. At least with my physical cards if the companies all were to close I'd still have my cards and, likely, they'd end up being worth a lot more.

 

[Taliasen]

Digital cards is another scam. I have pics scanned/saved on my computer. I have a pretty nice digital card collection based on real cards! Kind of like the crypto currency thing to me. If there is no tangible thing behind it, how can it have any value? I have 100 quasibutronprotonchips. I promise I want make anymore. That means they are worth $1000 of real money each right?

 

[Mike]

I have an email in to one of Panini's customer service reps, so hopefully she'll reply with some more info on the old, active redemptions. If not, I'll try another tomorrow and I'll just keep trying until I hear something back.

Kinda ridiculous y'all are sitting on up to 8 year old redemptions. I think everyone knows those redemptions, in all likelihood, aren't getting redeemed. Heck, I wouldn't bet on ones that are redeemed today ever being redeemed.

 

[bajmurray]

I went on the site to request replacements for all 14 cards I had waiting. Most of them were cards that didn't matter to me if I got the right card or not. However, the most painful one was from Classics Hockey. It was a dual auto of Phil Esposito and Ray Bourque. If they don't replace it with something comparable, I am permanently done with Panini.

 

[northicehero99]

I also went to the site and two of mine were "scrub" autos that don't matter, except I am not sure whether to ask them to replace it or ask for points. It would be nice if it told you how many points it would be replaced with. If only 150 it would not be worth it as there are no hockey autos on there at any point value and I would imagine autos in the other categories would be more points. I might try one and see what I get for points, just to see how it goes. I will post what I got in points, when I get notified.

The other is a Tarasenko rookie auto and that is not huge, but not junk either. I think I will wait to see what bajmurray gets for his Espo/Bourque and see how I want to handle this one.

One other note, the new site is a lot more user friendly than the old site. The old site took forever to look up redemptions, etc., this one moves at lightning type speed.

 

[Mike]

Good luck y'all! I hope they do you both right, and give you replacements of greater value, for your wait. Still haven't heard anything back on my email yet, but hopefully soon. I'm curious to hear what they suggest as a course of action for these older redemptions that everyone knows won't be fulfilled at this point.

Also, do they do all replacements with points, or is that something you requested? That seems kinda silly to me, especially if they're low points. I mean, I like the idea of the points cards in the packs, but some folks bought their redemptions because they were PC so I think Panini should at least do their best in replacing the cards with another PC item. Of course, if I worked there and someone told me they PC all the hot new rookies, I'd probably just send them whatever was laying closest by.