Want to share a positive experience with PSA.
 

Let's see if I can do this right since I just posted this in the wrong forum. DOH!! Sorry Leon.

Just thought I'd share my recent positive experience with PSA. I won a 1934 Goudey Jimmie Foxx PSA 5 in a recent Heritage auction. When I got the card I immediately felt the card was overgraded. I realize PSA graded the card, but Heritage really did a piss poor job at describing the card. No mention of the surface wrinkles anywhere. I feel they could have done a better job with the description. I will think long and hard and ask a ton of questions if I decide to bid in another Heritage auction.

Anyway, I emailed Joe Orlando and informed him of my delimma. He immediately said send the card to him and they will take a look at it. I just got a call and they agreed. So the card is being re-holdered as a 4 and sent back to me on their dime plus compensation. I know some have had bad experiences in the past but I wanted to share a positive one. I'm really insignificant to PSA's bottom line since I'm not a big time submitter. Heck, I think I may have only submitted two orders to PSA and that was years ago, but Joe still treated me fair. A big thanks to Joe O. and PSA.

Dean

I have had positive experiences also when submitting cards.

Good to hear PSA did the right thing

I as well
 

I recently submitted 63 cards at a 45 day turnaround time and expected to wait forever. In 2 1/2 weeks I got a notice saying the cards were graded and on there way back to me.

Unfortunately they were not the grades I was hoping but most likely that was on me and not them.

Thanks for a positive thread. I sometimes feel the site gets inundated with negativity. I appreciate the occasional positive remark.

So when refunding you did they use HA's price that you paid minus the SMR price of a 4?

I guess I am failing to see the heroism here. PSA f*cked up ..... PSA saw their fault before the rest of the world had a chance to bash them (thanks to you) and then PSA fixed their screw up.

Why is this becoming a more popular story?

All-in-all this is yet another negative strike against PSA .....

If they screw up 100,000 times and fix the problem 100,000 times are they considered a legit company?

It's the screw ups that concern me .... not the fixes.

I am glad that in your case you got a resolution that suits you ..... but that does NOT help the next guy.

PSA shouldn't mess up and neither should SGC or Beckett. They all do. It's the frequency and the way the mess ups are handled that are key.

My opinion is that PSA mess ups are a tiny, tiny amount compared to what they do overall. I think PSA is a good company and good for the hobby. I also think Joe O does a very good job. I am a Joe O fan....and I am not saying he hasn't made mistakes or is perfect. Only I am that. :)

Yes. They have looked at millions of items which would put their success rate in the 90+ percent.

Problems will come up in business. What is important is how you solve and work through them.

Well then obviously you guys have more faith than I do. And to me it IS NOT a psa v. sgc v. beckett thing...... it is a graded card thing.

Why do we have MULTIPLE mistakes to begin with? If I work at a car dealership and I mess up while replacing brake pads one time it might get overlooked .... the second time I get fired.

There should NOT be more than a couple "oh we f*cked up" cases when it comes to the grading of cards. You guys seem to give waaaaaay more leniency than necessary. I am not sure if it is out of allegiance or just plain ignorance (and believe me I mean no disrespect to anybody) but this is NOT an issue that we should be dealing with on a daily basis.

PERIOD.

This should NOT be as common of a thing as it is .... and the more we "just live with it" the more it becomes commonplace and "ok" for the graders.

This has become total bullsh*t. This is happening WAAAAY too often, from any company. If these fools think that we, as collectors, should take their word as "god", they better get their ducks in a row or the whole "graded card industry" is going to hell.

just my 2 cents.

steve kammeyer

I definitely understand where you are coming from. I was just letting everybody know that at least PSA agreed that they effed up and are correcting the problem without any hesitation.

They are refunding me the difference in the SMR value between a PSA 5 and a PSA 4. In this situation it works for me but I can see where it might not especially if SMR is not even closely accurate. So I guess I got lucky in that regard.

This post was not meant to prove PSA is the best. Just to express that in my situation I felt they did the right thing and I was treated fairly. I will buy and support PSA, SGC and BVG if I like the card. I'm not a registry guy so I really try and adhere to buy the card not the holder montra.

Just wanted to add that I read your last post and you have very legitmate arguments.

Not 1 word was directed towards you and I am sorry if you thought that it was.

No worries. I took no offense and did not think anything was directed at me. ;) I truly do see your point of view as well.

I think this is a whole other thread just waiting to happen. LOL. It would be a "man bites dog" moment if a seller, rather than promoting a card as "appears better than the grade", promotes their card as "doesn't appear as good as the grade". Anyone ever see that?

Nice to hear some positive feedback on PSA though for a change. :)

Note: The above is not intended as a knock on Heritage, just a general observation.

I am curious about one thing. You say the card wasn't described well by Heritage. Most times Heritage has scans so large you can see, or almost see, each pixel of lithography. Was that not the case this time? How could you possibly not see something with scans that large (if they had them and I would guess they did)...?

Because the service that we are paying for is a subjective opinion. There are guidelines and a structured order, but ultimately at the end of the day it boils down to someone's or a group's opinion. There will always be human error within this business, but as someone stated earlier it is not IF they make mistakes- it is the frequency and their rectifing measures that they should be judged upon.

I went back and looked at the "large" scan Heritage provided. I can see the wrinkles on the scan so I do take responsibilty for that. I guess what was another mistake on my part was Heritage sold this exact same card in a previous auction and the description they used then made a reference that there were no wrinkles or creases so I did not think anything of it. Again, my mistake for not doing more due diligence. I'm not saying it's their fault for the incorrect grade but I still feel that Heritage could have done a better job with describing the condition. Maybe I'm being unfair against them. I appreciate you asking questions that make me think.

My wife recently changed jobs. In the previous 3 years, I never sent her flowers at work. She'd always bring up that I never give her flowers (although I have brought many home with me). In the past 6 months I have had flowers delivered 2 times at her new job. She is now known as the girl who always gets flowers. It's all a matter of perspective.

My boss from about 30 years ago gave me some perpective on screwing up:

"I have built bridges all my life and no one has ever called me a Bridge Builder. But suck one c***......"

I've been submitting to PSA for more than a decade, and I've tried the others as well. PSA is my choice, period.

No problems here with PSA

Hi Tony,

Yup - I have a distinct recollection of a card in REA in the last 4 years (that is not a very narrow description I know!) where REA stated that in their view the card was in a lower grade than the TPG indicated. I remember thinnking to myself - what does the consignor think of this??? But I admire someone who will put honesty ahead of selfish financial interest!

Cheers,
Blair

I love PSA and I too am a fan of Joe O.

I think every collector who buys graded cards feels your pain Steve :) because chances are, somewhere along the way we've all bought a graded card, and got it in hand, and after inspection wondered "how the hell did this card get this grade???".

I have a card that is graded a 4 but under closer inspection of the back, I can clearly see the number 134 lightly erased from the back. In all other aspects, it's a 4. But, knowing that it had a 134 erased from the back, I wouldn't feel comfortable selling it as a 4 without disclosing this (not that I ever plan on selling it :D).

Sincerely, Clayton

Quite honestly I was thinking of you when I started this thread. I know if I were in your shoes I would feel the same way you do. I sure wish things would have worked for you.