With the increase of recent forgeries in the sports industry, Upper Deck shares tips on how fans can protect themselves

CALGARY, Alberta, Aug. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With the recent incidents in Alberta surrounding forged Connor McDavid autographed jerseys, sports memorabilia leader The Upper Deck Company (Upper Deck) wants to help fans better protect themselves from possible scams and inadvertently purchasing products that are not authentic.

For decades, autographed sports memorabilia has been a cherished and coveted keepsake among fans, as well as a popular investment for collectors. Over 25 years ago, Upper Deck realized the need to implement key safeguards to help consumers easily identify what is truly authentic. As the leader in authenticated memorabilia, Upper Deck developed a 5-Step authentication process to ensure consumers are getting the real thing. Steps include:

• Step 1: Every autograph is witnessed by an Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA) representative;
• Step 2: A record of the autograph session is signed by both the athlete and the UDA representative and is stored in a secure permanent file;
• Step 3: A UDA serial numbered hologram is affixed to each signed piece of memorabilia. These serial numbers can be verified on the Upper Deck website;
• Step 4: A certificate of authenticity is assigned to every piece of memorabilia and includes a matching hologram to the one affixed to the item;
• Step 5: Every piece of signed memorabilia is packaged with a registration card for the owner to register the item with UDA.

“We want customers to be proud of the autographed jersey or signed memorabilia they are investing in, and it is disheartening to hear when fans find out that their hard earned money was spent on a forgery,” said Jason Masherah, President, Upper Deck. “We recognize that it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify fake versus authentic signed items, and want to ensure our customers know how to do their due diligence before purchasing an autographed item.”

If consumers are looking to purchase memorabilia from unofficial sources, Upper Deck has provided a checklist to identify whether it is coming from a trustworthy source or not.

• Ask Questions: Asking questions about the source of a product can be an effective way to help determine if the seller is legitimate. If they are having trouble responding, or are dodging questions, they may not be trustworthy.
• Check Seller History: If you are shopping on eBay or Amazon, do your homework on the seller. Check their history to see how many sales they’ve completed, feedback, ratings, etc. They may not be credible if they’ve sold a low number of items or have low ratings.
• Trust Your Instincts: If the item is being sold at an extreme discount, it’s likely too good to be true.
• Do Your Research: Search the product and seller name online. You may be able to determine if the autograph is legitimate by comparing it to reputable retailers and see if other buyers have written reviews on external sites.

If consumers have questions about fraud prevention or suspect there is an issue with their Upper Deck product, they are encouraged to call customer service and speak with an official Upper Deck representative. For more information on Upper Deck’s authenticity and fraud prevention process, please visit http://www.upperdeck.com/Customer-Care/Memorabilia.aspxw

About Upper Deck

The Upper Deck Company, headquartered in Carlsbad, California, is a worldwide sports and entertainment company built on the pillars of quality craftsmanship, authenticity and innovation, with a dedication to creating products that turn memorable moments into collectibles. Upper Deck is home to the world’s greatest athletes, including Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, Wayne Gretzky, Tiger Woods, Connor McDavid, LeBron James and Ben Simmons.

Find more information at www.upperdeck.com, www.UpperDeckBlog.com or follow us on Facebook (UDAuthenticated), Instagram (UpperDeckSports), Twitter (@UpperDeckSports), and YouTube (udvids).

For media inquires, please contact:
Jenna Hamilton
Brookline Public Relations, Inc.
t: 403-538-5641 ext.112 | c: 403-861-2443
jhamilton@brooklinepr.com