Private Signing Rules & Regulations

[scoreset]

There was a recent signing with a guy and the items never arrived back from the signing. I really implimented #4 to protect everyone involved because NOW this well known and respected guy who just tried to help people out is going to have to shell loot out of his pocket that he really doesn't want to spend. All because the Post Office "lost" the package and tracers have turned up nothing.

I'm not trying to be a dictator. I just want everyone here to enjoy their stay!

Understood. However, that well known and respected guy had the option of offering insurance, just as the buyers had the option of buying it. For me personally, I will take the risk when sending out a card for a washed up AA guy for a buck....I'll still be able to make my bills if the card gets lost.

If the organizer of the event CHOOSES to offer insurance, or chooses to even make it mandatory that should be left in his or her hands. If there is a problem afterwards, it's kinda buyer beware at that point. And truthfully, you shouldn't even have to field questions about it, as you don't have a lick of responsibility concerning the signing anymore than you do the hundreds of purchases and trades that take place on here daily.

Even though your intentions are well-meaning, mandating items be insured for a .50-cent private signing is too out of the box. In the spirit of enjoying my stay on the board, I would rather pay the 50 cents and roll the dice on the largely-reliable USPS than multiply my cost five-fold to purchase insurance.

 

[TPAMike]

Alan, the simple solution to this issue is, only YOU should setup and conduct these signings. That way, if anything happens with it, you are the only one responsible. IMHO

Mike Whisante

 

[scoreset]

Members of sportsgraphing.com are members on other autograph websites. Nuff said.

Obviously...


Alan answered my question well, thanks.

 

[scoreset]

Alan, the simple solution to this issue is, only YOU should setup and conduct these signings. That way, if anything happens with it, you are the only one responsible. IMHO

Mike Whisante

Even though Alan appears to have plenty of time, ambition and resources, I don't think he'd want to be bothered with flying across the country to set up a signing with some busted prospect for $1 a card. Sounds good, but I don't think that would be realistic. There are many other members on this board besides Alan who can set these up and we shouldn't limit our avenues of obtaining signatures.

 

[bc81758]

It's also called liability. Easier in this case for one person to assume it at this stage of the site.

 

[Captian23]

Guys,

It was my suggestion that Alan put some procedures in place. I am the one who suggested the insurance option and here is why. When you are talking about a .10 card you are also talking about the value of the autograph, lets say $1. You get 50 cards sent to you for the signing. Somewhere the package gets lost. That Package is worth $55. Now here is the kicker, somebody is going to be annoyed and cry foul. They may ask for their money back. Just because you won't doesn't mean that everyone won't. Why take the chance for $1.60? If you want insurance on your return envelope then you can have it or take the risk, that is up to you, but when dealing with everyones items it is not worth it. I also suggested DC on the pkg both ways.

The other reason is you are having everyone come out of the woodwork claiming to set up stuff for everybody under the sun. If you don't have anything in place then it is just a wasted post. We all saw the Linecum signing post. He was going down to ST and pulled names out of a hat. He was no closer to having a signing with Lincecum then I was. He did not even know a player was under a Steiner exclusive when he brought his name up. It seems like every signing here has had some degree of problems from the Antonelli signing with the price going up to the Alan's Longoria deal and now the Staufer signing is completly blown and everyone is out their cards and $$. There is no 100% guarantee that nothing will go wrong, but at least with a little common sense the odds can be better.

As for Alan approving the signings, it is simple, this is his site and there is percived liability. If people start shelling out $$ and loseing it they are going to have a negitive view. Also, this is a subscription site. People pay to be a member of the site. With that comes some degree of responsibility for the security of the members. Alan is looking out for you and his own intrests. There are guys who have been here for ever and have proven to be upstanding citizens. I am sure they will be able to do the signing. As for the price issue, why would you complain about that. It is basically adding value to your sports graphing membership

 

[boswell423]

Captain-

I agree that packages sent to and from the athlete (if being done by mail) with everyone's cards should be sent insured. I'm more arguing the fact that there is no need to insure the return shipping if not desired. Most people send SASEs for some of these lesser guys. Again, I have participated in none of these signings since the Anderson (and really haven't read any of the threads to see things go bad.

While this is a paysite, there really is no liability to Alan, just as there is no liability to eBay if someone rips someone off.

I am just arguing that most people know who can be trusted and who can't. Things can go wrong, but they can go just as easily wrong in a trade or sale in other parts of the site.

Jon

 

[scoreset]

Guys,

It was my suggestion that Alan put some procedures in place. I am the one who suggested the insurance option and here is why. When you are talking about a .10 card you are also talking about the value of the autograph, lets say $1. You get 50 cards sent to you for the signing. Somewhere the package gets lost. That Package is worth $55. Now here is the kicker, somebody is going to be annoyed and cry foul. They may ask for their money back. Just because you won't doesn't mean that everyone won't. Why take the chance for $1.60? If you want insurance on your return envelope then you can have it or take the risk, that is up to you, but when dealing with everyones items it is not worth it. I also suggested DC on the pkg both ways.

This is exactly my point. Since I'm not going to cry foul, don't mandate that I quintuple the cost of me participating in the signing! If someone else is nervous about it or is the type to be bent out of shape over a $1 card, then leave it open as an OPTION for them. Plain and simple.

When I buy an item on eBay, and do not purchase insurance, I know it's my risk. eBay has no responsibility in the matter and I have no leg to stand on to go crying to them over my loss. Same applies to Alan. If liability, perceived or otherwise, is an issue, simply post a permanent thread stating something along the lines of "Anyone who participates in a private signing does so at their own risk and the site has no responsibility." That should absolve Alan of anything that happens that is outside everyone's control.

As for getting Alan's approval first, I don't think anyone ever disputed that. That should be a necessary step, so that the person setting up the signing can prove that the signing has a 90% or better chance of actually occurring, and not just some random collector thinking they're going to rack up on a guy in Spring Training on a whim. I think that Alan should try to regulate the signings in this way to keep things on the up and up, but he (or anyone else) canot be held responsible for the USPS losing a package.

 

[MorpheusDreamweaver]

This is exactly my point. Since I'm not going to cry foul, don't mandate that I quintuple the cost of me participating in the signing! If someone else is nervous about it or is the type to be bent out of shape over a $1 card, then leave it open as an OPTION for them. Plain and simple.

I think, and Alan can correct me if I'm wrong, that he's mandating that the packages be insured on the way to and from the player. This seems quite reasonable, in my opinion.

Even if you choose to insure your item on the way to and from the person conducting the signing, if the package containing everyone's stuff disappears en route to or from the player you'd be out of luck.

 

[19Braves77]

What happen with the Stauffer signing ? Did the promoter keep the cards and money ?