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E, DanielI'd like to make the same point as rand but a little more subtly. 
not bloomin likely.....
Why would a grading company handling 100's of thousands of individual transactions be expected to never make mistakes, be somehow more perfect than any other human related activity in society.
With reference to something Frank might appreciate, I'm far, FAR FAR more appalled by mistakes in our judicial system that has led to people spending large portions of their lives incarcerated when there was clearly no evidence for such action. 15 years later the person is released and I'm yet to hear a judge or prosecutor PUBLICLY come forward and humble themselves before the larger community and BEG forgiveness for such an extraordinarily heineous mistake. NOT EVEN ONCE!
But sure, pick on your favourite whipping boy for a mis-label. A MIS-LABEL. PLEASE, you're kidding right?
I get it Peter that this is not a public forum discussing the ills of larger society, but this lament regarding mistakes by grading companies is plain old lame (not you or your other observations), and I think Rand was responding to the seemingly petty nature of it.
You think grading isn't worth it - don't participate. You think one company makes more mistakes than another - make the informed choice and pick the one you feel most comfortable.
But please, if this is somehow supposed to convince collectors who chose to enjoy such services that they are being hoodwinked by inferior services I agree with an earlier observation.
Tell whatever company I just bought a car from to stop sending me notices about malfunctions and safety concerns (it's occured in EVERY make of car, local and foreign, that I've owned).
Call Dell and tell them that batteries that spontaneously ignite and set fire to peoples laps are unacceptable.
Or maybe just stage a sit in at McDonalds because their burgers look nothing like the pictures on TV!!!
ALL noble acts of civic responsibility.
Just think, if it weren't for 'production' screw ups we'd never have the variations and oddidities that make the cards we love so unique and interesting. Ted's Monster would be uniform, straightforward and far less interesting. The Leaf Musial missing cyan in Mastro's current auction wouldn't exist and I'd have one less thing to day dream about.
Finding reasons why grading sucks may be Frank's favourite past time, but it really has gotten old when the reasons to be found and discussed here are so frivolous.