Originally Posted by Brian
WARNING: LENGTHY RANT
So being a loyal SGC customer, I dropped off a submission on March 24 for a 5-10 day turnaround. I had a prior disappointment with them recently, but I like their holders and, hey, I believe that sometimes people deserve a second chance. Well, I regret that decision……
I just got my cards back today, after a month—well, okay, whatever, but strike 1. I don’t know how you promise a 5-10 day turnaround, deliver the product after one month, and think that's acceptable.
But wait, it gets better. About a week ago, when the grades ‘popped,’ I noticed that they had given my blank-backed T204 Cicotte an ‘AUT’. This was a card I bought on the B/S/T from a highly reputable member, and I am 100% sure that nothing was wrong with it. So I contacted a person at SGC, who told me “I spoke to my vintage expert. We only authenticate T204 blank backs. We don't assign a numerical grade to them.” What? How’s that? First, the card is clearly not altered in any way, shape, or form, and it is somehow authentic but not grade-worthy? Are you kidding me? The logic of this decision left me speechless. Strike 2.
I did a quick Google search and found many examples indicating that SGC graded blank-backed T204s previously. I don’t know when they stopped doing so. However, I made the point that (1) if they did not grade these cards, they should have informed me beforehand, because there was nothing on their website that indicated this was the case, nor did they tell me when I submitted the card that the best I could get was AUT, and (2) I never indicated that I wanted a card to be encapsulated as AUT. So I asked them to crack out the card and refund my money for that card since I did not want a card--especially a gradable card--in an AUT holder. They did neither. Strike 3.
So now Big Ed is trapped in his plastic prison, and I will need to send it to my new favorite TPG to have it graded properly. Needless to say, I have decided to close my account after 20 years. I have sent one last email. My wife just thinks I am a schlimazel, and that I should just call it a learning experience and move on………
My only advice to SGC die-hards is to ask questions before submitting your cards. Anyways, thanks for listening.
Brian
(Br*i*an D*ynl*acht)
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