A fuming mum has slammed a world-renowned courier firm after her child’s valuable item went missing – which she then spotted being flogged online.
Eileen Lamb was heartbroken when the collector’s card she had bought for her son Jude, 10, disappeared after she sent it off for authentication.
It featured Formula 1’s Ollie Bearman, who is Jude favourite driver.
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Because it was so rare, the 36-year-old mum decided to send it off for authentication and chose FedEx as the courier – but things soon started to go wrong.
“I’ve been collecting Pokémon cards since I was a kid and I got Jude interested when he was about five,” the mum-of-three told Need To Know.
“As he grew older, he started loving sports cards too.
“Now he collects F1 and soccer cards.
“Ollie Bearman is Jude’s favorite driver.
“We had been following him closely since his F2 days.
“When Ollie finished fourth in Mexico, Jude was so happy.
“I decided to order a box of 20 Topps Now cards to celebrate.
“A month later, we picked up the cards from the mailbox on the way home from soccer practice.
“Jude opened them right away.
“He peeked and saw one card was a different color, so he knew it was numbered. I started recording and it turned out to be a 1/1.
“Only one in the world.
“He was overwhelmed with joy.
“It was one of those pure, unforgettable moments.
“We couldn’t believe our eyes.
“I shipped the card using a prepaid FedEx label provided by PSA to get the card authenticated.
“I packaged everything securely and dropped it off at my local Walgreens, which is an official FedEx partner location.
“The package was scanned at the counter and the tracking showed it was accepted at Walgreens.
“After that, the tracking never updated again.
“Five days later, I went back to Walgreens to ask about it.
“They told me it had definitely been picked up by FedEx.
“They even let me check their package shelf and advised me to open a claim.
“After speaking to four different FedEx representatives, one finally allowed me to open a claim.
“They investigated but couldn’t locate the package.”
Eileen, from Austin, Texas, says weeks went by with no updates.
She added: “I contacted PSA and they issued a waiver allowing me to file a claim directly with FedEx.
“When I reached out again, FedEx opened a claim and then closed it the next day.
“They didn’t even allow me to provide screenshots or supporting documentation.
“I understand it wasn’t PSA’s fault.
“I used their label but the card never reached them.
“Still, as a major collector company, I wish there were more they could do when something like this happens.
“I also wish submission labels didn’t need to be placed on the outside of packages, since that makes it obvious what may be inside.
“FedEx, however, is fully responsible here.
“Dealing with them has been incredibly frustrating and disappointing.
“As a last resort, I posted about it on Reddit.
“At first, I regretted it because many people blamed me for dropping it off at an approved FedEx Walgreens location instead of driving farther to a FedEx store.
“Just as I was about to delete the post, someone commented with a photo of our exact card listed on eBay for $1,999.
“That’s when everything changed
“Jude couldn’t believe it.
“He was devastated.
“It felt unreal to him that something so special could just disappear like that.
“When we found the card, though, he was so happy.
“It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions.
“We won’t be fully reassured until the card is back home with us though.
“To be clear, FedEx is the company that should be held accountable.”
Eileen said the individual responsible for stealing the card had been identified and she was waiting to see what happened next.
She added: “I hope we get the card back.
“I hope the person responsible is held accountable so this doesn’t happen to anyone else.
“There are already at least three families in our neighborhood who were victims of the same individual.”
FedEx said they were investigating.
A spokesperson said: “The security of our customers’ shipments is a top priority.
“We sincerely regret this happened and are working directly with Ms Lamb to reach a final resolution.”
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