Here's a new wrinkle:
https://twitter.com/brentandbecca/st...22959170560000
Happened 10 years ago at a company that presumably gives out 9.5 grades, per the link. Basically, "Spend a bunch of money with us, and I can promise you great grades that get better over time." Brentandbecca is a card seller that busts hundreds of cases of product annually and sells sets and inserts/autographs from those online. Doesn't grade because he didn't like being promised grades.
This was mentioned in the thread about the former Beckett employee that is continually getting BGS 10 Black Labels on such a high percentage of his submissions that it would be statistically impossible. For those that think there is no discernible difference between a PSA 9 and 10, BGS scores cards on a 9, 9.5, 10 subgrade system in four different components: centering, surface, edges, and corners. If your card gets an average of 9.5 on those subgrades, it gets a 9.5 Gem Mint. If it has three 10 subgrades, and one 9.5, it gets a standard Pristine 10. If all four subgrades are BGS 10
"quality", it gets a Pristine 10 BLACK LABEL.
Brian Gray of Leaf Trading Cards, checkered history he has as well, currently employs the former Beckett employee, and intends to look into the submissions for any funny business. But an audit of BGS's process in giving out grades to customers is coming.