Stolen Babe Ruth Autograph

[JT]

I had sent this off to JSA for authentication with a few other items. Received the JSA letter back but the
autograph was not included. They didn't add any insurance when they shipped it back,
even though I paid the fee noted on the back of the submission form.
The only insurance was the standard 100.00 that UPS placed on everything by default.
They wouldn't make good on it and I only received the 100.00.

I have been looking for this ever since. A police report was filed with photos and other pertinent info.
Thought I would give this forum a try as I have not seen it on eBay or elsewhere.

If anyone comes across this signature, please let me know.
It should have the JSA sticker on the back, B89670, as that is where I asked that it be placed.

Thank you.

[btcarfagno]

Originally Posted by JT

I had sent this off to JSA for authentication with a few other items. Received the JSA letter back but the
autograph was not included. They didn't add any insurance when they shipped it back,
even though I paid the fee noted on the back of the submission form.
The only insurance was the standard 100.00 that UPS placed on everything by default.
They wouldn't make good on it and I only received the 100.00.

I have been looking for this ever since. A police report was filed with photos and other pertinent info.
Thought I would give this forum a try as I have not seen it on eBay or elsewhere.

If anyone comes across this signature, please let me know.
It should have the JSA sticker on the back, B89670, as that is where I asked that it be placed.

Thank you.

What is the media that the signature is on? Is it cardboard?

Tom C

[joed25]

Wow that's in rough shape

[jhs5120]

Wait, JSA never insured the package? Why are they not compensating you?

[packs]

I think what happened was the signature was missing from the envelope JSA returned.

I just want to understand something for my own future dealings. JSA did not insure your package for the declared value and insurance fee you paid for the package's return? Is that correct?

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by packs

I think what happened was the signature was missing from the envelope JSA returned.

I just want to understand something for my own future dealings. JSA did not insure your package for the declared value and insurance fee you paid for the package's return? Is that correct?

Wow, that is the TPA equivalent of Chris Christie/gate.
I insure every item I send back to a client and always insist on signature confirmation also.
How can he not compensate you for the loss?

[packs]

This is really troubling to me. If it is true that you declared the value and paid an insurance fee for return shipping and JSA sent it back to you totally uninsured, I would be worried about sending in an item. Is that what happened?

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by packs

This is really troubling to me. If it is true that you declared the value and paid an insurance fee for return shipping and JSA sent it back to you totally uninsured, I would be worried about sending in an item. Is that what happened?

Based on the OP's original post that is what happened but it would be nice if he clarified it.

[MooseDog]

Originally Posted by RichardSimon

Wow, that is the TPA equivalent of Chris Christie/gate.

I insure every item I send back to a client and always insist on signature confirmation also. How can he not compensate you for the loss?

I have a nearly identical story, but I'm still working on a resolution, including possible legal action, so I can't provide too many details, but I CAN say that JSA "lost" a hard-to-replace autograph (2 of them, actually, the other not quite so valuable), copped to losing the items, agreed to replace them, but then backed out when they found out their insurance wouldn't cover the loss and the only place they could readily find a similar item in question was from Kevin Keating.

[RichardSimon]

JT - I would suggest suing but from what I hear on this prior post you would have to get in line.

[chaddurbin]

wow i'm never sending something to jsa again...

[HRBAKER]

Originally Posted by chaddurbin

wow i'm never sending something to jsa again...

If this is exactly how this all went down (and I have NO reason to believe it is not), me either.

[JT]

The Ruth autograph is on heavy stock paper, and was sent in a rigid top-loader. It was sent to JSA in a package with two other items. Upon receipt, they acknowledged all three items on the invoice.

Upon being examined and delivered back to me, two of the items and three letters were included. The Babe Ruth autograph was not included. I literally tore the box and any other conceivable hiding place apart trying to find it, but it was not sent back. From past experience and what I do when shipping, is place the top-loader in a Mylar sleeve with the letter. As I stated, this was not done by JSA.

I informed JSA about the situation. I asked them to look around their office for the autograph, and asked what type/color of tape was used to seal the box. The box was not opened, but it was sealed with a different colored tape then I use. I also asked them about the insurance I paid for.

They basically just blew me off and said it was my problem.

I had paid to insure the package for 1999.00. JSA just kept that insurance fee money, and didn't insure the package at all. I seriously doubt this was the first or last time this has happened in their office.

I paid 928.00 for the autograph. I was only compensated 100.00, which is the default UPS insurance payment on all packages unless more insurance is purchased, which I had paid JSA for, but they did not use that money for additional insurance.

As for suing JSA, I live far away in another state, and it would not be worth the time or attorney fees. I just don't do much business with them anymore, maybe once every few years if that, and am more careful and cautious.

Word of mouth goes a long way in this business/hobby, and I am sure what little money they got from me was not worth the result of their actions.

There is also a GAI sticker on the back: GV1999011

[RichardSimon]

JT-
If I were you I would contact a local TV station in your area, one that would have a consumer reporter. If you have one tell them what happened and let them do their thing. A $928 loss would be investigated if the TV station has a consumer reporter. (we have several such reporters in NYC).
JSA has already been shamed on TV, one more time would hopefully get them to open up their wallet and pay you for your loss.
Virtually every story that I have ever seen on NYC TV that involved the consumer reporter investigating a loss resulted in the consumer getting their money back.
And,,, the box was not opened you stated. That means UPS would have investigated the loss, if it was properly insured, and you would probably not have gotten any settlement from UPS.

[keithsky]

I wouldn't let it go by either. Pursue it. Maybe JSA figured you would just blow it off because of what you said not worth the attorneys fees and such since they have deep pockets to counter sue. It woulds suck if someone in there empolyment got it and see that you aren't doing anything about it and know they got off scott free. I always see on here people complaining about PSA and JSA but nobody does anything. I don't deal with anyone of them.

[RichardSimon]

Just a layman's opinion but I don't see any grounds for counter suing here Keith.
A frivolous counter suit could be easily dismissed by a judge and then JSA would have two attorney fees to pay for.

[Deertick]

Originally Posted by JT

(In 2008,)I had sent this off to JSA for authentication with a few other items. Received the JSA letter back but the
autograph was not included. They didn't add any insurance when they shipped it back,
even though I paid the fee noted on the back of the submission form.
The only insurance was the standard 100.00 that UPS placed on everything by default.

I added bold text.

Just for context, this was 5 years ago. And while I know many for whom "it's not worth their time", they also seem to be aggrieved more than most.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by Deertick

Just for context, this was 5 years ago. And while I know many for whom "it's not worth their time", they also seem to be aggrieved more than most.

Jim, in 2008???
JT - why post this story 5 years after it happened?

[jgmp123]

Originally Posted by Deertick

Just for context, this was 5 years ago. And while I know many for whom "it's not worth their time", they also seem to be aggrieved more than most.

Why was the wording "In 2008" removed from the original post????

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by jgmp123

Why was the wording "In 2008" removed from the original post????

That certainly puts a different light on this.
The incident reflects badly on JSA but why wait five years to post it here?

[jgmp123]

Originally Posted by RichardSimon

That certainly puts a different light on this.
The incident reflects badly on JSA but why wait five years to post it here?

And why post "In 2008" and then remove it....

[Deertick]

Originally Posted by jgmp123

And why post "In 2008" and then remove it....

Sorry, I added 2008.

I was confused by elements of the story, as I read it as a very recent occurrence. So I looked up the cert. Now at least the story can jibe contextually for me.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by Deertick

Sorry, I added 2008.

I was confused by elements of the story, as I read it as a very recent occurrence. So I looked up the cert. Now at least the story can jibe contextually for me.

That still leaves the question why wait five years to post this story?
It appeared to be a recent incident and that is what we all thought.

If you go to the JSA website, this is what it says:

Certificate Number: B89670
Field: Baseball
Notes: This item is in dispute. Please call our office 18884577362 JSA

The cert. numbers before and after this Ruth, on the JSA site, are from 2008.
Good research Jim.

[JT]

Sorry if the time period was assumed to be recent. My mistake for not clarifying this at the beginning.

I have been looking for this item off and on since it disappeared and only joined this forum early last year, and thus the recent posting. Really hadn't thought about it much until recently when I started going through some items and found the paperwork collected about the autograph. I decided to post on this forum to see if anything may come up.

Richard, I asked JSA back then to make a notation on their website in regard to the missing Ruth in case it showed up for some reason, and what you wrote is what they put.

The JSA letter is dated March 3, 2009 and the police report I have is dated March, 11, 2009.

My main purpose was just to see if anyone had seen this item.

[Exhibitman]

Too bad you did not pursue this earlier, as there would have been a variety of ways to make things really, really ugly for JSA after they told you to drop dead. There might even have been contractual language that provides for attorneys' fees. For example JSA's current form calls for an attorneys fee award to the prevailing party.