Honesty and trust are two very important factors in the Shirt Collector Community. Sometimes the seller’s word is not enough, the Internet is full with fake replicas shirts and fake match worn shirts. UEFA and national league patches can be easily bought. That shirt on sale on eBay, the one that your favorite player was using when he scored on the last minute and made you team win the cup, well it probably wasn’t used by him, it wasn’t on the same room where he was. Probably wasn’t even in the same city where the match was played, the shirt will go directly from the dodgy sellers house in the other side of the world directly to your home.
Last March I found a Sporting shirt for sale in Mexico. It’s a really nice and rare shirt, UEFA league Player issue. I’ve contacted the seller, transferred the money and received a tracking number. After one week the tracking was showing that the shirt had arrived to Heathrow. After two weeks, still no shirt. Called the royal mail. Was told it could be in customs, it could take 4 weeks to be released. After 4 weeks still no sign of the shirt, called again the royal mail to be told that it would have to be the sender to ask on the local (Mexican) post office. The seller was always very helpful and went to the post office. In August, 5 months after the shirt had been sent, the sender received a letter from the Mexican mail. It was official, the shirt got lost. I was always afraid for this to happen and it had to happen with a rare almost one of a kind shirt. I was really stressed about the whole situation and hopping that one day the shirt would show up.
In the 17th of November at around 1 in the morning I have received an Email from the seller , Rodrigo . The postman brought him the shirt back, after 7 months .. the shirt appeared . The reason why it wasn’t delivered, royal mail couldn’t find my office, REALLY ROYAL MAIL ?!!!! WTF .. you guys suck , you guys go there every day !!!
This time, took no gamble. Express delivery with FEDEX and in 3 days the shirt was with me. Rodrigo was kind enough to even put some old football trading cards with Portuguese players with the package. Rodrigo had nothing to loose, he could have kept the shirt and my money. He is an honest guy and made the correct thing and forever I will be grateful for his attitude.
Thank you very much Rodrigo Vázquez, if one day you come to London give me a shout, dinner is on me.
Ivo Costa