What happens when SGC loses a card?

[UKCardGuy]

So I sent 10 cards to SGC for grading. They arrived at SGC on Jan 11th and I have an email from Brent Martin confirming this. It wasn't processed until Tuesday Jan 16th when I received an email from SGC saying that they don't have the key card from my submission.

I replied that I definitely sent them that card. I asked them to double check my package and to send me photos of the box as it arrived to SGC and photos of the cards as the package was opened.

I received a reply from Brent Martin confirming that the issue has been escalated and they'd be back to me after they obtain footage of the unboxing. That was 2 days ago and I haven't heard anything since and Brent hasn't replied to my requests for an update.

Anybody have something similar happen? What's the process here? Anyone have a phone number for SGC?

I'm puzzled why it took them 5 days to process my cards on arrival. Should it take them 2 days to look at some video footage?

I was willing to give them some time to reply but I'm getting pretty frazzled now. Any tips would be gratefully received. Thanks.

Gary G01db3rg

[Directly]

Good question.

Because the package tracking number shows delivered, opening a case for insurance claim with USPS, or other carriers probably knocks them out
of the loop.

Because the card was misplaced, my question will SGC insurance cover the cards value if not found. I do believe they will locate the card.

If all fails I would file a claim with your private insurance for the cards value you showed on the submission form.

I too wondered why I couldn't find a phone number, my guess they don't have the man power to cover.

[Fred]

Gary,

I'm sure you probably did what I used to do when I submitted. I scanned the cards (front/back) in high resolution.

Funny thing, back in the day, I wasn't aware that created any type of video records of receiving the cards, but that makes a lot of sense.

If this is the current process and there's an indication the video record was lost or is otherwise not available, then my thought is that they will take full responsibility for covering the value of the card, else people will become very hesitant about pushing submissions to them.

I'm putting money on there will be a reasonable resolution to this and hope they find your card so that resolution isn't necessary.

Good luck! Keep us posted.

[UKCardGuy]

Thanks Fred and Tom.

What's frustrating is that after the initial reply from Brent on Tuesday, I've heard nada...nothing. I sent a polite follow up on Wed....no reply. I sent another follow up yesterday...no reply. I sent another email today asking for someone to at least provide the courtesy of an acknowledgement. Not a word yet.

What's worse is that none of the other 9 cards in my submission are progressing while they faff about. It's like my entire submission has fallen into a black hole and SGC won't even answer my emails.

Does anybody have a direct email or phone number for someone more senior at SGC?

On Monday my next step may be to ask the Boca Raton police to step in about a felony theft.

<Sigh> It really shouldn't have to be like this.

[jingram058]

PM sent.

[UKCardGuy]

PM sent.

Thanks James. That really helped. I now have a response from SGC.

I was told that this was escalated to their upper management and they are looking into it currently. That's good news and I'm grateful to have a response.

I don't understand why it takes 4 days or more to look at 5 mins of video footage but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

[bobbyw8469]

Please let us know how this transpires. That is absolutely crazy that they can just lose a card like that.

[jchcollins]

Rare maybe, but unfortunately it happens. Best you can do is document your packaging and process on your end as well. This of course can be easier said than done.

Regardless, if the card is listed as part of your order, & you know beyond a reasonable doubt that you sent it - then their insurance while your cards are in their possession should cover it. Beyond that, they would basically have to call you a liar, which maybe if it’s a fraudster trying to do it repetitively - but I would highly doubt they start that way.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[oldjudge]

How is the card valued for insurance purposes? If I am reading the thread correctly the card was never graded. If you thought the card was going to get a 10 that value is a lot different than if you thought it was going to get a 5. Do you have images of the card you sent? That would help you make your case for its value. Shit happens but waiting this long for a definitive response is ridiculous.

[oldjudge]

I'd suggest you post an image of the card. The board can give you a pretty accurate assessment of its' value.

[UKCardGuy]

How is the card valued for insurance purposes? If I am reading the thread correctly the card was never graded. If you thought the card was going to get a 10 that value is a lot different than if you thought it was going to get a 5. Do you have images of the card you sent? That would help you make your case for its value. Shit happens but waiting this long for a definitive response is ridiculous.

Hi Jay. You're correct, it went missing before it was graded. I have images of the card (see below). It's a Type-1 1932 Sanella Ruth. I reckon it would grade between a 4 to a 5. It's got great centering, the color and surface are great, but the corners bring it down. I'd be interested to hear opinions.

Ive been trying to get a type-1 for a while. I was really happy to find it.

I agree with you about the wait though. I can't understand why it takes more than a day to look at the video recording of my box being opened. Hopefully I get a definitive response on Monday or Tuesday. I'm getting pretty frustrated as the 9 other cards in my order aren't being processed while they try to find my Ruth.

[Republicaninmass]

Doubt you would get more than your declared value, still waiting to hear what you declared it. Psa tore a card in half and there was no negotiation. You are Paid what you declared.

They are a band of idiots. My very last sub I fought the charges and won. I dropped down every 1952 topps as a "gray back" and they were graded as regular 1952s. Their response "we only differentiate reds and blacks, not grays" meanwhile REA had about 5 recently graded as gray backs. Couldn't get anyone on the phone, all my contacts are no longer there. Never again

[UKCardGuy]

Doubt you would get more than your declared value, still waiting to hear what you declared it. Psa tore a card in half and there was no negotiation. You are Paid what you declared.

I'm OK with that. Hopefully they find my card. If not, the declared value is all I'm expecting.

[Republicaninmass]

Frustrating just not knowing!

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[UKCardGuy]

I have an update. It's a happy resolution...so stick with it until the end.

I received a call from one of the senior leaders at SGC on Monday. They explained that this was being taken very seriously and explained that it took time for them to retrieve the video footage and review it. He had been through the footage and they just couldn't see the missing card. He was able to describe how I packed the cards exactly so it was clear that they hadn't been tampered with in transit.

I was puzzled because I was sure it was there. I asked to see the footage and he agreed but it was going to take a couple of days to get it to me.

In talking it over with my wife, I went over and over how I packed the card...
I bundled the cards together in card savers, placed cardboard on the top and bottom of the cards and wrapped the SGC invoice around it. And then I remembered that I'd placed the Sanella Ruth under the cardboard on the bottom (actually between 2 pieces of cardboard on the bottom of the stack). This was because the Sanella is a bigger card then the others and I didn't want to risk it getting bent with smaller cards on top of it.

I contacted SGC again the same day (e.g. Monday) and explained this and asked them to check my package again. Well, I got a call from SGC today. Based on the information from my voice message, they had a look at the video footage again and they could see a glimpse of my card saver under the stack of cards. They agreed that the card was there but unfortunately by that time the packaging had been discarded and the card was no more.

But they acknowledged the mistake and explained that it was a very rare occurrence. They were very apologetic. They committed to make me whole and weren't going to quibble. They've already refunded my grading fees (including shipping costs) for my whole submission and they're sending me a check for the declared value.

Mistakes happen. To me, the mark of a great company isn't that they deliver perfection 100% of the time cause that's just not going to happen. To me the mark of a great company is how they handle issues when they arise. Other than leaving me 4 days without communication at the start, SGC has been excellent. They've taken this seriously, properly investigated and then stepped up.

I asked whether there's anything I could do to minimize the chance of this happening in the future and they said that the way I packed it was fine. 99.99% of the time it won't be an issue. But they did suggest that if I have a single card between cardboard again - I could add a note telling them to look for the card in the cardboard. It's a fair point and I'll definitely do that in the future.

My wife asked me "what if you were submitting one of those really expensive cards?" I explained that if bought a bulk lot of cards and found a six figure card in there, I'd be buying a plane ticket to Boca Raton and dropping it off in person. :D

I'm not sure if it made any difference but I was careful to be polite with them at every step. I'm sure they have their share of people ranting at them and I didn't want to be another. (I'll rest my arm now...no need to pat myself on the back too much.:) ) But if this was a 1916 M104-4, I'm not sure if I'd have been quite so calm.

I'd preferred to have the card but I'll be able t buy myself another Type 1 Sanella. They're not impossible to find.

Full credit to SGC.

[oldjudge]

Gary--Glad to hear that things worked out well!

[Vintagedeputy]

Kudos to you and SGC…..

But…

The cop in me wonders why if upon opening the package, the enclosed invoice didn’t match the inventory, why they didn’t stop and preserve the packaging (like evidence) until the matter was resolved.

[ClementeFanOh]

Gary- I've followed this thread based on the January 11 time frame. First,
I am glad it's been resolved to your satisfaction. Noteworthy that the
turnaround time was 2 weeks, I'm going to go ahead and call that "fast".
I have been an SGC fan for years, and this situation is an example of why I
feel that way. No ignoring a mistake, or blaming Gary- they checked it out,
owned up to it, and made it right. There are people on these boards who
love to bang on SGC, or grading companies in general. Awfully hard to do
that in this case, good job by SGC.

Trent King

[Fred]

I used to be an SGC fan, now I'm a bit more neutral and categorize them with the rest of the TPGs.

It's good to hear that SGC is doing the right thing. Thanks for posting the update.

[jjbond]

Kudos to you and SGC…..

But…

The cop in me wonders why if upon opening the package, the enclosed invoice didn’t match the inventory, why they didn’t stop and preserve the packaging (like evidence) until the matter was resolved.

Or....double/triple-check the packaging materials if something is missing?

[jingram058]

Gary, glad it worked out the way it did for you, sir!

[Vintagedeputy]

Or....double/triple-check the packaging materials if something is missing?

Yes, exactly. I’m the biggest fan of SGC and have been with them since their New Jersey days but if an order is not matching up to the packing list, then I feel like that order should be frozen immediately until it’s determined where all the cards are. It seems like they started processing the sub even though they knew something wasn’t right.

[UKCardGuy]

SGC did hold up and email me that there was a card on my invoice that wasn't in the package. I replied to them that I definitely sent the card which started the whole thing.

I don't know whether they kept all the packaging at that point or for how long. But they didn't just process the sub when the card was flagged up as missing.

[vthobby]

I have an update. It's a happy resolution...so stick with it until the end.

I received a call from one of the senior leaders at SGC on Monday. They explained that this was being taken very seriously and explained that it took time for them to retrieve the video footage and review it. He had been through the footage and they just couldn't see the missing card. He was able to describe how I packed the cards exactly so it was clear that they hadn't been tampered with in transit.

I was puzzled because I was sure it was there. I asked to see the footage and he agreed but it was going to take a couple of days to get it to me.

In talking it over with my wife, I went over and over how I packed the card...
I bundled the cards together in card savers, placed cardboard on the top and bottom of the cards and wrapped the SGC invoice around it. And then I remembered that I'd placed the Sanella Ruth under the cardboard on the bottom (actually between 2 pieces of cardboard on the bottom of the stack). This was because the Sanella is a bigger card then the others and I didn't want to risk it getting bent with smaller cards on top of it.

I contacted SGC again the same day (e.g. Monday) and explained this and asked them to check my package again. Well, I got a call from SGC today. Based on the information from my voice message, they had a look at the video footage again and they could see a glimpse of my card saver under the stack of cards. They agreed that the card was there but unfortunately by that time the packaging had been discarded and the card was no more.

But they acknowledged the mistake and explained that it was a very rare occurrence. They were very apologetic. They committed to make me whole and weren't going to quibble. They've already refunded my grading fees (including shipping costs) for my whole submission and they're sending me a check for the declared value.

Mistakes happen. To me, the mark of a great company isn't that they deliver perfection 100% of the time cause that's just not going to happen. To me the mark of a great company is how they handle issues when they arise. Other than leaving me 4 days without communication at the start, SGC has been excellent. They've taken this seriously, properly investigated and then stepped up.

I asked whether there's anything I could do to minimize the chance of this happening in the future and they said that the way I packed it was fine. 99.99% of the time it won't be an issue. But they did suggest that if I have a single card between cardboard again - I could add a note telling them to look for the card in the cardboard. It's a fair point and I'll definitely do that in the future.

My wife asked me "what if you were submitting one of those really expensive cards?" I explained that if bought a bulk lot of cards and found a six figure card in there, I'd be buying a plane ticket to Boca Raton and dropping it off in person. :D

I'm not sure if it made any difference but I was careful to be polite with them at every step. I'm sure they have their share of people ranting at them and I didn't want to be another. (I'll rest my arm now...no need to pat myself on the back too much.:) ) But if this was a 1916 M104-4, I'm not sure if I'd have been quite so calm.

I'd preferred to have the card but I'll be able t buy myself another Type 1 Sanella. They're not impossible to find.

Full credit to SGC.


S uch a G ood C ompany

Happy ending and understandable. I've never had an issue with SGC that was not resolved amicably. I love that they also refunded your entire grading fee!

Thanks for sharing!

Mike

PS
S peedy G uaranteed C onsistently

[Vintagedeputy]

SGC did hold up and email me that there was a card on my invoice that wasn't in the package. I replied to them that I definitely sent the card which started the whole thing.

I don't know whether they kept all the packaging at that point or for how long. But they didn't just process the sub when the card was flagged up as missing.

Ok, good to know. Thanks for the follow-up.