Please take a look and see what you think.
Upper Deck has been misinforming collectors and someone has to say
something.
John
---
When I go to work, I go to speak with customers; to
inform them of products, to listen to their concerns, to provide them with a
product as well as a service. When kids walk into my cardstore and ask
about Yu Gi Oh rules, prices, and release dates, it's my job to help them as
best I can. For the past few months, Upper Deck has made this job
increasingly difficult to do.
In June rumor had it that Upper Deck was planning a
Yu Gi Oh league, which was to begin July 1st. We quickly signed-up and
were approved to host. Closer to July Upper Deck sent out and e-mail
stating that they needed permission from Konami to go through with the "Duelist
Kingdom" and that the launch would therefore be delayed. At this point in
time our store was already in our 12th week of tournament play.
I made a call to Upper Deck to hear what they had
to say and to ask some questions of my own. The Upper Deck representative
was helpful, however, compare what I was told with what has actually
happened:
*the cards in the 30-card tournament pracks were
supposed to be cards that hadn't been printed before in English OR
Japanese.
-From what I've seen, the majority of the cards in
the set have been printed before - in the Japanese "Booster Chronicles"
set. Infact, the one ultra rare from the tournament pack set is a COMMON
in Booster Chronicles!
*I was assured that Upper Deck had a program in place to ensure stores
would nto be able to sell tournament packs (as they are meant to be given out to
duelists).
-Tournament Packs hit Ebay BEFORE August 1st! Stores in my area sell
packs to whoever wants to purchase them. Perhaps Upper Deck will put an
end to this, but it's already been happening for many weeks.
*Upper Deck developped an ordering system so stores could place orders
for tournament product. This was to be updated each week allowing prompt
shipments.
-I called last week to place an order for next week's tournament
material. I received the same message that I did the first time I
called. The automated service indicated that it was July 14th and that my
cards would be shipped on July 16th!
Perhaps the most difficult part of dealing with Upper Deck on this
issue has been their notoriously poor customer service. Over the past
three weeks I have had four telphone messages and countless e-mails
ignored. As a result I will be unable to provide players at my store with
Tournament Packs next week.
Someone posted earlier that my store was the only store he could find that
was prepared to start the Duelist Kingdom on time. Stores are not to blame
here folks. Yu Gi Oh has proven to be a hit with CCG players and fans of
the show alike. The popularity is there and the product is there.
The question is, when will Upper Deck decide to show up?
Upper Deck, if you even care enough to read what your customers think,
clean-up your act. Ignoring the retail stores that sell your products is
nto wise, nor is disappointing the people who play your games. The people
who are running the Duelist Kingdom have demonstrated that they are not capable
of doing a decent job. Find someone who is.
John