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Help! Package from PSA Arrived Ripped Open With Cards Missing
empigtv
Posts: 58 ✭✭
I just received a bulk order back from PSA. When it showed up, the box was partially ripped open and 1 of 7 internal PSA boxes was missing. I notified PSA on Monday, and they haven't provided an update or replied to my emails asking for an update. For whatever reason, the internal PSA boxes were not taped together in this order like they normally are. Had PSA taped them together, it would not have been possible to punch through the outer box and easily remove a box from the inside. Has this happened to anyone else? Has anyone else received a bulk order where the internal PSA boxes are not taped together? I would be very grateful for any thoughts or suggestions as to how to get PSA to respond.
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I have received bulk orders where the smaller boxes were NOT taped together, don't think I ever have. How was it delivered, USPS? Dropped off, or were you were handed it by the carrier and noticed it was open? Or was it not until you decided to open it, you discovered a hole in da box? The shipment is insured by PSA if you chose the standard shipping option, so assuming you can prove it came that way, then you should be covered for the value of the grade of the cards or the max declared value if less. If you have collectinsure, then they will cover you for market value.
I also received a larger box with the smaller internal boxes not taped together here recently. Thought it odd.
I’ve received bulk both ways (taped and untaped). Both delivered via USPS. No issues, but I can understand how untaped can be pilfered. Myself, it is frustrating when they are taped. I hope you are able to locate the items.
Thanks,
David (LD_Ferg)
1985 Topps Football (starting in psa 8) - #9 - started 05/21/06
Sorry to hear it.
Be sure to get the cert numbers entered into your registry inventory on your PSA account. It will be of useful interest to you in resolving this if you get notifications by email that another user is trying to add a cert to their inventory that is already in yours.
And of course, notify PSA about specifically which cert numbers have gone missing.
What did the post office/your letter carrier say when you showed them the package as received?
Sorry to hear that.
I wish I could help.Have you contacted the carrier?
Makes me sick to my stomach…so sorry to hear this.
Live long, and prosper.
Check the tracking number. Somewhere along the way it should have been scanned "visible damage" if it had a hole big enough for one of the inside boxes to be removed. That won't tell you where it was stolen but it will tell you where it was not stolen.
If you post a list of the missing cards/tracking numbers then people here can watch for you cards. They might be for sale on ebay, facebook etc and it might not be somewhere you're watching that day.
It's probably not USPS insurance but sometimes they want to see the damaged box or packaging. If you have room, keep it until everything is finished.
I used to hate delivering damaged packages. We didn't do it but we were the one you saw when you found out. I always got to hear the complaints. I'm sorry this happened.
I am not sure this is a good idea. This could be construed as you having the cards in hand if there is a dispute over reimbursing you for the cards.
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This I would do immediately!
I read somwhere in this forum, than PSA, mark the cards, so the stolen cards can't be send again like never were graded because PSA will notice they already graded that card. not sure if this system is already working
Did you take pics? How was it delivered. Did they seal it and say it was tampered with or just gave you a opened box?
Many thanks for all of the above advice. It was deliver to my office by usps with visible damage to the box. Refusing delivery is not an option with USPS per my mailman. He gave me one of their plastic bags that says something along the lines of “we care and we are sorry your package was damaged.” Photos below:
We never saw much damage like that, but when we did it was more likely a denser/heavier package landing on something like yours with empty space inside, like the box being too big for what's inside. Doesn't look from here like somebody punched it You might file a report with USPS about a missing package or part of a package. If an honest USPS worker (no jokes, there are many!) found the inside box they might have turned it in and it might show up. They can't find you if you don't tell them.
Those bags are affectionately known as "body bags" around here. "We care" but if we really cared, your stuff wouldn't be messed up.
There is no way someone was trying to jack the contents of that box... The tear is from the middle out, not even on the folding flap side of the box! The only person who would have opened a box that way would be Captain Hook!!! Definitely transit damage. Hope you took a picture of it inside the "body bag"
So what's the value of what is missing and the declared value you put down?
I've watched way too many forensic files type shows.....doesn't it look like footprints all over the damaged area of the box like someone jumped on it??? It certainly looks like footprints to me.
That's the same thing I thought, looks like footprints, maybe used for a step or kicked by someone.
Yes, a multiple thousand dollar step stool. That is absolute neglect to the highest degree. Makes me angry.
Thanks for pointing that out. I hadn’t noticed the footprint. I’m 100% convinced these were intentionally stolen for two reasons. First, the paper wrapping inside would have made it almost impossible for a box to fall out. Second, I had another bulk order show up with a rip in the box a few weeks prior. Nothing was missing from that box, likely because those internal boxes were taped together. In any event, I feel strongly that PSA is negligent. They know they have a big mail theft problem (e.g. they no longer put PSA on the shipping label and recommend incoming packages use security tape) and they normally tape the inner boxes together. They didn’t do so here. Now, I’m out at least a few grand and they have provided no substantive communication about how they plan to address it or even whether their shipping insurance will apply. Super disappointing. Worst case, I’m a lawyer. Maybe there is a class action opportunity. I wonder what kind of internal data they have on mail theft from their packages and what their outgoing shipping standards look like?
Worst case, I’m a lawyer. Maybe there is a class action opportunity.
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Class Action?? More like Judge Steve Harvey!!! There is no standard for shipping that says you should tape all the smaller boxes in a larger box together. That is just weird. The box was properly packaged and secured with tape... PSA can't assume that someone at the USPS is going to burglarize a shipment by using a hook hand or their foot... If PSA packages were getting jacked right and left, you would see more threads here.
Based on the standard PSA shipping costs, all USPS shipments are insured (though probably self insured by PSA or they have a policy, not through USPS). You will get the declared value of the cards you sent, or the market value if based on the grades are worth less than the declared value. If you haven't you can send an email to info@psacard.com. Not sure the customer request center is setup for missing/damaged shipments.
@DBesse27
A very similar situation happened a couple years ago with a piggybacked sub of mine. Hopefully you had declared value at a reasonable amount.
Yes, we had an outer box show up with a hole in it and one inner box missing. The postal service was no help. You should contact PSA right away and let them know the Cert numbers of the missing cards. With us, they did their best to make us financially whole, even though the problem wasn’t theirs. More importantly, they flagged those Cert numbers.
Yaz Master Set
#1 Gino Cappelletti master set
#1 John Hannah master set
Also collecting Andre Tippett, Patriots Greats' RCs, 1964 Venezuelan Topps, 1974 Topps Red Sox
Thanks. That’s helpful to hear. I contacted them by phone right away. They sent an email confirming, but it’s been a week a no indication from PSA what they plan to do. I get that they are still overwhelmed, but it’s frustrating to get no feedback other than an acknowledgement from their customer service that they will look into it.
Well, I would expect it to take weeks, not days. When I got a CSG package back from FedEx ground that was ripped open and cards missing, and another box that just never arrived, it took Collectinsure a couple months to handle it and pay me out. (CSG doesn't insure non-USPS shipments). You already know how much you are going to get paid out (DV or card value, whichever is less), so unless you are concerned that PSA is going to deny your claim, I'd just sit tight for a couple weeks, then you can send them an email to ask for status. You're not the only loss/damaged package customer they are probably dealing with at one time based on the volume they do.
It’s been 4 weeks since part of my package was stolen in route to me from PSA and PSA has done nothing but tell me they are looking into it. Charging customers for insurance and then refusing to timely process claims is pretty sketchy. Does anyone have any advice? Customer service is polite, but completely unhelpful.
My usps boxes usually arrive with a plum-sized tear on some part of them but so far no cards missing.
Kiss me twice.....let's party.
Coming to this thread a bit late...
When I am out of town and have USPS hold my mail they now provide a free option to have scans of every envelope that's arrived at the post office e-mailed to me. Seems there's a decent chance that USPS takes scans/photos of items at different points while they're in transit, in which case it might be possible to discover when the damage occurred. And if USPS is investigating what happened they'd be accessing those.
Presumably, if you have not been in touch with USPS then PSA would be contacting them, and that might be part of the reason for the delay.
Maybe so, but there is no way it should take PSA a month to figure this out. The loss is in the thousands, but it’s not like there was a 52 Mantle in the box. Literally, all PSA will tell me is that its claims department will provide an update. It’s been 4 weeks, and they just keep saying the same. I’m continually shocked at how poorly this company is operated.
The pictures are only for envelopes that go through the sorting machines where I assume the pics are snapped. Never seen pics of packages, and if there are, they are not for the public to see.
I was able to hack the postal cameras: internal video footage - uncovered!!!
😉
PS - This still sucks - just trying to put a smile on your face, @empigtv
Any news?
Curious about the rare, mysterious and beautiful 1951 Wheaties Premium Photos?
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/987963/1951-wheaties-premium-photos-set-registry#latest
Since this wasn't damage caused by PSA, like damaging a card during grading, I think a 90 day window (time to resolve) for an "insurance" claim is reasonable since it needs to be investigated. Don't be in such a hurry... The cards aren't coming back, and you should be made whole (at least per PSA policies) in the end.... PSA isn't treating you special, in a crappy way, this is just how they do it. Not their first time dealing with something like this.
90 days is wholly unreasonable. The law in CA is 30 days for an insurer to accept or deny a claim. That is the edge of reasonable. Does anyone have a direct line to someone other than customer service at PSA? I’m about to lawyer up as PSA won’t communicate with me other than to say they will get back to me at some undefined point in the future. I would love to work it out the easy way, but PSA is acting with complete disregard for its contractual obligations. I think I’m done with the hobby.
https://wallethub.com/answers/ci/how-long-does-an-insurance-company-have-to-settle-a-claim-in-california-2140742101/
Also, PSA does not sell insurance, so you don't have an insurance claim with them. You have a customer complaint that you are missing items from your shipment/order and that your shipment was damaged, tampered with before delivery.
Unfortunately the PSA terms & conditions don't explicitly spell out the coverage for items lost or damaged in return transit of PSA's choosing, it only states that there is no Coverage if YOU choose the carrier, but that is not what you did.
My guess is that when PSA chooses the carrier/shipping method, they consider the cards to still be in their possession till delivered, thus your "claim" is under section 5 of the T&C's:
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PSA will exercise reasonable care in handling items submitted for grading, review, or reholdering. However, if PSA determines that Customer's item was lost or damaged while in PSA's possession, Customer will be compensated based upon the fair market value of the item as determined by PSA standard procedures, which may include filing a claim with our insurance carrier. The declared value you provided with this submission is for estimating the insurance coverage only, and the fair market value of the item may be less than your declared value. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE TOTAL LIABILITY EXCEED THE DECLARED VALUE OF THE ITEM. Such compensation shall be Customer's exclusive remedy for any loss or damage. PSA reserves the right to decline your Declared Value and to require you to pay for the accurate Service Level as a condition of completing the authentication and grading process. For more information regarding Declared Value, refer to the FAQ on PSA's website at https://www.psacard.com/resources/faq#104. If Customer's submission is not in conformity with this Agreement or PSA's submission guidelines, PSA reserves the right to process the submission and correct any non-conformity without notice to Customer. (See https://www.psacard.com/submissions/ for additional information.) _
If your lost cards don't tally more than $10k, then I would just file small claims, no point wasting money on a lawyer..