High marks for PSA & Joe Orlando

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Posted By: JimB

I wanted to relate a positive experience I recently had with PSA and Joe Orlando. I recently bought a PSA 7 1915 CJ Christy Mathewson. WHen it arrived and I looked at it closely under a loop, I was suspicious that it may have been pasted in album and slightly damaged when removed. There was a tiny "u" shaped area that looked like it may have either lost paper or was slightly separated (flipped up) then pasted down professionally. This was a very tiny area (maybe 2-4 mm), and if repaired, done with the highest level of expertise. I called Joe and was told by his secretary to send it in for re-evaluation to Joe's attention with a letter describing my concerns. I did so and within a day of arrival of the card, I received a call informing me that they agreed with my assessment and would buy back the card, as I requested, for my full purchase price which was higher than SMR. The card was graded over ten years ago and they apologized for the problem. Anyway, I could not be happier with the way they handled this and so with all the negative publicity PSA seems to get around here, I thought it was only fair to share a positive experience as well.
JimB

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Posted By: leon

Thanks for relaying the positive experience. Kudo's to PSA for handling this in a very professional and customer service oriented manner.....

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Posted By: Mark T

Kudo's to JimB for being honest enough to send it back to PSA. I am sure the paper loss is so small that it probably would not have been noticed by anyone and he could have just kept it and not said anything.

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Posted By: barrysloate

I think this is not the last time we will hear a story like this...and I wonder if it is the beginning of a new phase in the grading industry.

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Posted By: Jason L

While I don't sniff around cards anywheres close to that high-end, this is very nice to hear...thanks for sharing.

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Posted By: JimCrandell

Nice to hear and good for Joe and PSA.

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Posted By: Jim Dale

While I do think that is great and good of the company to do in being honest with its policies here is an ugly questin - now what are they going to do with that card? Just curious?

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Posted By: JimB

I don't know what PSA or SGC does in this type of situation. Maybe they keep the cards for a teaching referrence for graders. Maybe they put it in an authentic holder and try to recoup what they can of their loss. Obviously they don't want it circulating in the way that it was.
JimB

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Posted By: Jason L

keep periodic track of that flip/cert# for us, just to make sure it was erased from their database?
-or see if it is re-graded as such....weird to think they would just keep the cert# and switch it to an "A" or something...

would be interesting to know what they do with such returned material.

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Posted By: MVSNYC

good report.

i have said this here before (seems like it always gets no response), but my experiences with PSA's customer service, cossetta robbins in set reg, and joe orlando personally, have ALL been great; professional, and a pleasure to deal with...

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Posted By: Anthony

<<While I do think that is great and good of the company to do in being honest with its policies here is an ugly questin - now what are they going to do with that card? Just curious?>>

I was in PSA's office last week, and the gentleman I was working with had a Matty cut auto framed on his wall. I asked if it was his, and he said no, it was a fake that had been submitted. I think they keep that type of stuff around for training.

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Good for PSA. Nice to hear a positive story.

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Posted By: quan

anthony did you apply for the open grader position? good luck

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Posted By: Anthony

Sorry Quan, I did not. I already have the greatest job in the world and am shocked I get paid what I do for it, can't imagine why anyone would want to spend their life in a dark cubicle looking at '93 refractors.

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Posted By: Pcelli60

You lost me at... 'recently I purchased a PSA 7 Mathewson 1915 CJ'..For a purchase like that Joe should make good on any possible problems!

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Posted By: Brian

and he did.

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Posted By: Scot Reader

Jim,

I had a similarly positive experience with Joe Orlando when I purchased on eBay a T206 Baker that had an obvious mark on the cap but that was not given an MK qualifier. PSA bought the card back from me for what I paid. On the other hand, Joe has been less responsive to my emails on issues of seemingly lesser urgency. My email requesting him to have PSA indicate the factory as well as the brand on T206 cards received no response at all.

Scot

Edited to add: Congratulations on your beautiful baby boy.

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Posted By: David Vargha

I had two high-grade PSA cards that should have each had qualifiers of "ST" for obvious boogers on the front. Joe Orlando (or at least his head grader) disagreed with the obvious, so there was no buyback. I would definitely agree that he was "high" when he made his decision. Otherwise, I have no rational explanation for it.

DavidVargha@hotmail.com