PSA/DNA Precert question

[pherbener]

I recently won some items from Heritage that were PSA/DNA pre-certified. I was expecting a letter or something but got nothing. I sent them a message but have had no response. Does this mean they are guaranteed to pass if sent or should I have received additional paperwork?

[mattjc1983]

Originally Posted by pherbener

I recently won some items from Heritage that were PSA/DNA pre-certified. I was expecting a letter or something but got nothing. I sent them a message but have had no response. Does this mean they are guaranteed to pass if sent or should I have received additional paperwork?

For a company built on customer trust, it certainly is fascinating how lazy PSA is in regards to responding to customer email inquiries.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[njdunkin1]

Originally Posted by pherbener

I sent them a message but have had no response.

Unfortunately, PSA's customer service is really lame. It took me over a month to receive a simple response e-mail about how my grades popped (by this time, I had already gotten back the package ). This is something I sincerely hope they fix. Think of how good Amazon is with customer service--PSA should be (but isn't) on the same level. It's up to you how you proceed--I just wouldn't count on receiving a response message from PSA for a while.
Best of luck,
NJ

[Lordstan]

My understanding that auction letters are fairly useless. The only thing they guarantee is getting a cheaper price on a full certification. There have been many reported cases where items have failed full certification even with the auction cert. The group ones are worse from my understanding as they don't guarantee that ALL the items are real.

[packs]

Pre-cert is not a guarantee on anything. You can submit them for full letters and they could conceivably be rejected. When I bid in auctions that only offer pre-cert or auction LOAs I will contact the house ahead of time and ask if I am able to upgrade to a full cert if I win the auction. Usually there is a pretty substantial discount compared to a re-submission. I only paid an extra $50 to have a Cy Young upgraded to a full cert. If the house doesn't offer the upgrade service I don't bid because I know it's just rolling the dice on an unauthenticated item.

[Republicaninmass]

I've heard psa is a guarantee, but I KNOW jsa pre-cert is "just a cursory review of the big names"

[pherbener]

Thanks for the help guys. It amazes me how bad PSA's customer service is. I just received this response from a question I had over a month ago.

"Good Afternoon,

First, I would like to address the fact that it has taken over a month to respond to your initial email. We have fallen behind in the customer service department and we are working to address this issue and catch up on all email correspondence."

Well......at least they're working on it.

[drcy]

Use the catalog pages or printout the online auction description saying they are pre-certified. That's as good a record as an auction LOA.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by pherbener

Thanks for the help guys. It amazes me how bad PSA's customer service is. I just received this response from a question I had over a month ago.

"Good Afternoon,

First, I would like to address the fact that it has taken over a month to respond to your initial email. We have fallen behind in the customer service department and we are working to address this issue and catch up on all email correspondence."

Well......at least they're working on it.

That means that they have laid off employees in the customer service dept. and they don't really care how this reflects on the service that their customers get.

[shelly]

Richard, don't you think you are being a little to nice.

[Forever Young]

Originally Posted by RichardSimon

That means that they have laid off employees in the customer service dept. and they don't really care how this reflects on the service that their customers get.

Is this a fact that they laid off a bunch of employees in cust service?

[Runscott]

I would much rather purchase an uncertified autograph (from a dealer or AH that I trust) that I feel certain is real, and that has no LOA, than one that I am not sure about that has a full letter from JSA or PSA. Pre-cert or full letter means nothing to me, but I like it when they come with my autograph, as they add confidence for my customers if I re-sell.

I can't imagine mothballing my skills and judgement and handing that responsibility over to Spence or Grad, but we shouldn't forget that there are guys who just want to own an expensive autograph and aren't really collectors, who have to rely exclusively on PSA or JSA, simply because they don't visit forums and thus are not aware of alternatives. The problem, of course, is when they accidentally become friends with someone who knows autographs, and that person comes over for a martini and picks up the forged Ruth ball on the mantel and winces. Most of us would just spit up our olive and try not to drop the ball.

[Klrdds]

Originally Posted by Runscott

The problem, of course, is when they accidentally become friends with someone who knows autographs, and that person comes over for a martini and picks up the forged Ruth ball on the mantel and winces. Most of us would just spit up our olive and try not to drop the ball.

I think I would just get another martini rather than address my friend's forged Ruth ball. I mean after 3 or 4 martinis that Ruth ball might look better and better !!!

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by Klrdds

I think I would just get another martini rather than address my friend's forged Ruth ball. I mean after 3 or 4 martinis that Ruth ball might look better and better !!!

I have heard of beer goggles for women near closing time. Martini spectacles for forgeries is a new one.

[Forever Young]

"Quote:
Originally Posted by RichardSimon View Post
That means that they have laid off employees in the customer service dept. and they don't really care how this reflects on the service that their customers get."

Originally Posted by Forever Young

Is this a fact that they laid off a bunch of employees in cust service?

Guess not.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by Forever Young

Is this a fact that they laid off a bunch of employees in cust service?

Ben,
It has been my experience in the past when dealing with customer service in all companies that when service goes bad one of the primary reasons is that people have been laid off and the current staff cannot properly handle the work load.
My statement was only speculative and I am sorry if I did not fully clarify this when I made the post that you referenced.

[Forever Young]

Originally Posted by RichardSimon

Ben,
It has been my experience in the past when dealing with customer service in all companies that when service goes bad one of the primary reasons is that people have been laid off and the current staff cannot properly handle the work load.
My statement was only speculative and I am sorry if I did not fully clarify this when I made the post that you referenced.

Ah ok.. I thought you had some insider info

It could be many reasons; higher volumes and need to hire more(nothing to do with layoffs but volume), restructuring, new software or a single person simply dropping the ball(grabbing from the que and not completing -example).

To jump to "layoffs" seems extreme to me without knowledge of that. Thanks for clarifying.

[Exhibitman]

So-called "Auction LOAs" or "Pre-Certs" are the autograph equivalent of popcorn farts. Worthless. All it guarantees is that you get to spend money with a TPG that the AH was not willing to spend. Everyone has horror stories. I won a single item from an auction with a JSA 'Auction LOA'. I took the item to JSA and they rejected it. It wasn't one among many items, it was the sole item in the lot, so that tells me all I need to know about the value of these silly pieces of paper.

[Klrdds]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

, so that tells me all I need to know about the value of these silly pieces of paper.

In my opinion and without trying to offend anyone the value of those pieces of paper .....are the equivalent of toilet paper for the collecting world.

[RichardSimon]

An auction COA, IMO, means that "someone" at a TPA looked at the autograph from a scan and thought it was ok. I believe that nothing more than that took place.

[Republicaninmass]

I think the auction houses are allowed to print them without anyone looking at the lots. If they fail within 30 days of the auction, the items can be returned. Possibly psa and jsa are ok with this? I just cant believe there can be a difference between and auction LOA and a real one. I'm wondering what repercussions either company could face.