My recent and ongoing submission experience. PCGS has made a correction.
Maywood
Posts: 2,193 ✭✭✭✭✭
I hadn't submitted anything to PCGS since maybe pre-COVID, I would have to check to know for certain, but it's been awhile. When last I submitted Phil Arnold was still the photographer and PCGS used the USPS for deliveries. My images were always quite representative of the Coins/Exonumia I had submitted and shipments always arrived in a very timely fashion that I could set my clock by. I felt connected to what was going on and had a good idea of what to to expect.
My how times have changed!!
Mailing things is still the same, USPS Registered Mail to PCGS took 5 days for delivery with an additional 8 days to be listed in the system. I get that, they're busy and through the process wasn't very long. But that's where the fun stopped and the aggravation started. I was disappointed by the images as other members have stated. It seems to me that there is quite different lighting being used and an almost intent to present the coins at their worst. And as others have noted, the white balance is off badly and things are skewed towards yellow.
Then the fun really gets going: Why has PCGS opted to use FEDEX for deliveries?? There system seems slow and way worse than anything the USPS has ever done. I have been waiting for delivery since Monday, 12/2. Every evening it's the same thing: Delivery updated and it gets moved to the next day. About half an hour ago the truck showed up, stopped in front of my home and beeped the horn, waited long enough for me to look out the door --- 20 feet away --- before he sped off!!
I'm retired, I'm patient, but I have a low tolerance for poor Customer Service in today's world. Sorry about the rant, I just want my package. 
Maywood
Here's one of the coins, 1916-D Walker that graded AU58, right where I thought it would. The actual color is a very natural grey.
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I also was surprised when one of my last submission returns was via FedEx to my PO Box address. I am not sure if their return decision is related to 'value' of submission or their cost of shipment. At least I did get my coins and was fairly happy with results.
Well, I let my PCGS subscription lapse this month. I submitted a few things here and there, but it’s been a while. I haven’t attended any of their “members-only” shows for a few years. From a cost/value proposition, it just didn’t make sense any more.
I am at the point where it is sadly time to admit that my days of actively collecting the way I want to are over. I have been going through things, all the raw coins I've accumulated over the years, and making decisions about what to submit. This package was part of the first 10 coin group.
I like the Walker… my sympathy for the rest of the story. Hopefully you will consider posting images of the other coins.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Love the Walker.
Feel privledge Fedex is delivering, Just had another gold coin go missing with USPS delivery.
I guess it depends on your location. For my recent submission, the "priority" registered mail package took 2.5 weeks to make it to PCGS. The return via Fedex took 2 days.
A PCGS rep contacted me, evidently alert to/read the thread and the phot was changed to an alternate image. It is much, much closer to the actual color, in the OP you can see both images side-by-side.
Thank you, PCGS.
It just baffles me that they still cannot get the white balance right.
If they can do that, why don’t they?
I have virtually given up on trying to rectify TV problems, I can't even remember the last time I had a problem-free order. My most recent order was a 15k coin submitted for restoration, the total cost was $361. The coins appearance changed quite a bit, and despite that, they pasted the OLD images of the coin pre-conservation onto the NEW cert. I can not even comprehend the lack of competancy for that to happen on a restoration order.
The order prior to that was 4 higher value coins, total cost was close to $700. This time they did in fact take new low quality truviews, but then they pasted them onto a TV template of the OLD CERTS. One of the TVs was absent entirely. When you would look up the cert details on one of them, the # on the TV didnt even match what was on the details page. I contacted CS, and the agent I was in communication with somehow did not understand me. We went back and forth for about a week and a half, and I had to explain the problem in a child-like manner. Eventually i got on the phone with her and the 3 numbers were fixed, but she wasnt able to help with the missing one, which is still blank to this day.
Founder- Peak Rarities
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To everyone that has bad TV pics - generally, depending on the series, I’m doing free replacements for a lot of people. They’re not attached to the certs, but it’s something for you all.
Shipping is on you, of course if you want to do this.
Coin Photographer.
I bought this stunning error Cent a while back. Every couple weeks I look to see if an official PCGS image got posted for this gold shield. Maybe I am doing something wrong ? Maybe gold shields do not include images ? Maybe someone else can access image & please post if you can ? Thanks !
https://www.pcgs.com/cert/49789855
This is unacceptable. Is this on the PCGS president’s radar? If not, it should be after over a year of lousy post-Phil photos.
I’ve had great luck with FedEx. > @Mr Lindy said:
That coin should definitely have a picture associated with it since it is gold shield. I would reach out to them and see what’s up.
The color in the second image looks good
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
yet so many folks still insist on playing the plastic game........
I think I am beginning to understand why now....... Cause they have so much more to
complain and be unhappy about.
That seems an oversimplification, and I doubt anyone prefers to be unhappy. The hobby is multifaceted and there are a myriad of different reasons to make a submission. Raw subs, Conservation, damaged slabs, etc. For dealers, "The plastic game" is not even optional. Even for collectors, it makes sense before selling to help maximize value. You either play the game, or get played by the game.
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@habaraca said: yet so many folks still insist on playing the plastic game
I believe @PeakRarities offered the best answer. The way that the coin market has developed in the last 20-30 years the advantage to having coins encapsulated prior to selling is obvious.
Ditto to Peak Rarities and Maywood. And thank you FlyingAl for your generous offer. Problem is the risk in shipping valuable coins today.
While I agree that TPG is a critical component to the coin market- especially for coins at the high end of the grading spectrum- There is still is a place in the hobby to collect complete sets in albums. In terms of happiness or complaining about collecting—whether one is at the high end or just collecting to complete sets—there is no substitute for developing collecting and grading skills. Don’t abdicate from the responsibility to learn to become a more knowledgeable collector and avoid delegating decisions to others. Take responsibility to reduce the probability of being taken by the game.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Good for you!
When I asked to have about 60 coins checked for alternate images because the posted ones were horrible, Customer Service literally whined and complained about it, so I didn't bother. PCGS has been very disappointing.
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The depth of their incompetence is staggering. Their attributions are as poor or worse than their photography. That costs customers $$$ as well. I see rare DMs misidentified as a more common varieties, and the distinctions were so easy to make a child could do it. It's mind-blowing to someone who performed and taught identification work for a living working with much smaller things than half dollars. I seriously believe their attributors don't even collect coins.
Well said.
My last few orders have had terrible truviews, similar to the walkers you posted, the images are totally washed out and you can hardly see the details in the coins. That said, despite my better judgement, i did get TV on my last order and one of the images came back really nice. This is the best TV in have received since Phil left although I appreciate his photos on GC. The toning on this is very subtle but it was captured very well in the TV photo. I have hope they can get these issues resolved.
Regarding FedEx, I have encounter the same issue that you have. My order was received back yesterday but originally scheduled Tuesday. They do charge $6 to schedule the delivery date, but they don't hold themselves to their dates... I had a similar issue where the driver rang the bell, knocked, and by the time I got to the door (maybe 10 seconds), he was already walking away with a "sorry we missed you" note on the door. I stopped him, signed for the package and took delivery. Had he driven away, it would have cost me $6 for a redelivery. USPS has been worse, I work from home and am always home. They put the "sorry we missed you" slip on the door and don't even ring the bell, it's happened about a dozen times with USPS. No customer service anymore.
If I remember correctly, PCGS was offering quite a low salary (for California) for a photographer.
You get what you pay for. And your service, particularly a visual service like photography, speaks much louder than any advertisement.
Tech support is lacking. I submitted 3 orders this week using the online form and I'd get all the way to the end, hit submit, and get an "oops" error. I bet I went thru the process a dozen times before all orders finally succeeded and yes, I tried different browsers. Same with reporting a set registry issue with a cert that matched but would not load to the set. Another "oops". That's still pending. An email to CS was responded to with "tech support is aware of it....."
USAF veteran 1984-2005
@pruebas said: You get what you pay for. And your service, particularly a visual service like photography, speaks much louder than any advertisement.
The photography seems like any difficulty for whoever replaced Phil A. should have been overcome by now. It seems to be two things, based on what my experience has been and what others have reported --- lighting and color/white balance. This might sound funny, but is it possible the photographer has poor color vision??
I posted this in another thread on the World side. This TV is an auction lot in a current sale. I can't believe the actual medal looks like this.
Edited to add the auctioneer's photos showing that it really doesn't look like that.