GAI
graypoet55
Posts: 21
I'm new here and want to use the forum to vent if I may. I sent an autographed 1965 Tony Conigliaro card (a really sweet card) to GAI to authenticate. Two months later, after numerous calls (each time I was told the card was "in shipping") I was informed that the card was "probably lost". It might have been sent with someone else's order! This card is nearly irreplaceable. They charged me $56 to lose my card. I was told I would receive market value compensation, but that's small consolation. I am supposed to hear from the owner of the company to negotiate a settlement. Autographed Tony C cards are not easy to get. I will never send anything to GAI again and would warn anybody to think twice before risking a valuable card to them. They lied to me everytime I called by saying the card was being "shipped today". They only fessed up when I called a fourth time. If I hadn't called they probably would never have contacted me. Very poor service and customer service. I lost an item very dear to me and learned a hard lesson. Thanks for listening. I am curious if anybody else has had a bad experience with them.
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Matt
1994 Pro Line Live
TheDallasCowboyBackfieldProject
I have submitted cards to them once and will probably stick to PSA in the future, although I do use them for pack grading (as there are no other alternatives...<----PSA take note). I would buy GAI graded cards to cross and naturally buy their graded packs.
My 1934 Goudey Set
I don't expect them to be in business much longer, I don't think they can sustain a business of grading cards alone. I know they also do packs, but I'm guessing it's a very small portion of their overall business. If it was that profitable, I would imagine PSA or SGC would have started offering it long ago. PSA and SGC are solid because they are trusted coin graders, and coin grading accounts for the majority of revenues for both companies.
If i recall, when they first started out they made a promise on their website that your cards would sell for at least SMR or they would refund your grading on that card.
After i sent in a large submission of Baseball,football, and basketball cards pre 72', about 70% of them bombed on ebay. They tried to change the refund policy on me by sending free grading coupons instead of my money back to me. I was to receive 120 grading's back. These were mostly 7's.7.5's, and 8's. Some never even received bids on ebay. I had even relisted them twice. After a month of beating them over the phone i finally received my check. This is why you no longer see this refund on their website. At least i couldn't find it after i was paid. I have not used them since. The only cards that seem to do well for GAI are 9's.
"Never tell a joke that ain't funny more than once!!"
Bad isn't the word. In March of 2005, I personally delivered my lifelong collection of unopened wax packs to them: 11 vintage packs and I mean vintage.....1955 Topps Baseball, 1958 Topps Baseball, 1960 Topps Baseball, 1960 Topps Football, 1962 Topps Football, 1960 Leaf Baseball, 1961 Fleer Baseball, 2 1956 Davy Crockett 5 cent packs......
Brought them to a show and paid for 10 day service. After 3 weeks, I was told the following stories by different people at GAI....
[1] you paid for 30 day service..so stop bothering us.
[2] the person who took your order didn't bring the packs here for a week, so the 10 days isn't up yet.
[3] your packs are in "sealing" and will ship soon.
After 4 weeks, I got great news from Danny Fischer...head of customer services..."Your packs are shipping as we speak!" Yes, "as we speak"! "Call us for the tracking number".
After 5 weeks I was told "We cannot find your packs. They did not ship. They probably shipped to someone else BUT we will track them down, don't worry.
After 6 weeks I was told "Give us more time"
After 7 weeks I was told "Just a few more days and we will make you whole"
They finally sent me a check for the packs plus a 50% discount on future submissions...like I would ever use them again.
If you have items that you care about....do not send them to GAI. Not only will you get incompetence, but you will also be lied to, jerked around and in the end you will not be "Whole".
Always looking for 1957 Topps BB in PSA 9!
It's a shame you went to GAI. They're known for grading trimmed cards, poor grading and even worst customer service! PSA has never lost a package and even if they ever did, I'm sure they'll be more than fair in compensating you. Sorry you had to learn such a horrible lesson "across the street."
GOOOOOOOOO PSA!!!
GO MARLINS! Home of the best fans in baseball!!
As a pack collector your story makes me sick to my stomach.....I may stick to buying graded packs and no longer sending them in.
My 1934 Goudey Set
I also no longer send anything to GAI anymore.
Like Josh said, they're harder to sell and if they do,
they only bring in a small percentage of realized value.
I must say that they've never lost or misplaced anything
I've sent to them and I've never had any problems with
their customer service. Sorry about your lost. Hope you get
fair compensation.
There's no excuse for this and there are way too many similar reports coming in. I have no axe to grind with GAI but it appears that relative incompetence is their middle name!
There's no doubt, at this point, they require an expert to "retool" their system of handling submissions to insure that every phase is professionally handled.
In the interim - GAI can authentic this!
mike
<< <i>Thanks for listening. I am curious if anybody else has had a bad experience with them.
Bad isn't the word. In March of 2005, I personally delivered my lifelong collection of unopened wax packs to them: 11 vintage packs and I mean vintage.....1955 Topps Baseball, 1958 Topps Baseball, 1960 Topps Baseball, 1960 Topps Football, 1962 Topps Football, 1960 Leaf Baseball, 1961 Fleer Baseball, 2 1956 Davy Crockett 5 cent packs......
Brought them to a show and paid for 10 day service. After 3 weeks, I was told the following stories by different people at GAI....
[1] you paid for 30 day service..so stop bothering us.
[2] the person who took your order didn't bring the packs here for a week, so the 10 days isn't up yet.
[3] your packs are in "sealing" and will ship soon.
After 4 weeks, I got great news from Danny Fischer...head of customer services..."Your packs are shipping as we speak!" Yes, "as we speak"! "Call us for the tracking number".
After 5 weeks I was told "We cannot find your packs. They did not ship. They probably shipped to someone else BUT we will track them down, don't worry.
After 6 weeks I was told "Give us more time"
After 7 weeks I was told "Just a few more days and we will make you whole"
They finally sent me a check for the packs plus a 50% discount on future submissions...like I would ever use them again.
If you have items that you care about....do not send them to GAI. Not only will you get incompetence, but you will also be lied to, jerked around and in the end you will not be "Whole". >>
I guess I tend to look on the negative side of things but it sounds like they stole these from you.
Matt
1994 Pro Line Live
TheDallasCowboyBackfieldProject
I think this sums it up rather nicely.
<< <i> guess I tend to look on the negative side of things but it sounds like they stole these from you. >>
Matt
Knowing the people involved and what their business intentions are...I don't think so...if they make mistakes, it's out of weakness and not integrity IMO.
mike
<< <i>
I just a mouthful of water on my screen...that it absolutely hysterical!!!
Greg M.
References:
Onlychild, Ahmanfan, fabfrank, wufdude, jradke, Reese, Jasp, thenavarro
E-Bay id: greg_n_meg
<< <i>Thanks for listening. I am curious if anybody else has had a bad experience with them.
Bad isn't the word. In March of 2005, I personally delivered my lifelong collection of unopened wax packs to them: 11 vintage packs and I mean vintage.....1955 Topps Baseball, 1958 Topps Baseball, 1960 Topps Baseball, 1960 Topps Football, 1962 Topps Football, 1960 Leaf Baseball, 1961 Fleer Baseball, 2 1956 Davy Crockett 5 cent packs......
Brought them to a show and paid for 10 day service. After 3 weeks, I was told the following stories by different people at GAI....
[1] you paid for 30 day service..so stop bothering us.
[2] the person who took your order didn't bring the packs here for a week, so the 10 days isn't up yet.
[3] your packs are in "sealing" and will ship soon.
After 4 weeks, I got great news from Danny Fischer...head of customer services..."Your packs are shipping as we speak!" Yes, "as we speak"! "Call us for the tracking number".
After 5 weeks I was told "We cannot find your packs. They did not ship. They probably shipped to someone else BUT we will track them down, don't worry.
After 6 weeks I was told "Give us more time"
After 7 weeks I was told "Just a few more days and we will make you whole"
They finally sent me a check for the packs plus a 50% discount on future submissions...like I would ever use them again.
If you have items that you care about....do not send them to GAI. Not only will you get incompetence, but you will also be lied to, jerked around and in the end you will not be "Whole". >>
It sounds like they have someone stealing customer submissions. As much as PSA aggravates me at times, I trust that the cards I send in are the ones I receive back and have never had a hard ruined that I had sent in for grading (I've probably graded over 750 cards on my own). GAI sounds very poorly run - which will kill any business no matter how good the product is.
Regards,
Greg M.
References:
Onlychild, Ahmanfan, fabfrank, wufdude, jradke, Reese, Jasp, thenavarro
E-Bay id: greg_n_meg
mike, is that game worn?
Awesome posts!
Bob
61 Topps (100%) 7.96
62 Parkhurst (100%) 8.70
63 Topps (100%) 7.96
63 York WB's (50%) 8.52
68 Topps (39%) 8.54
69 Topps (3%) 9.00
69 OPC (83%) 8.21
71 Topps (100%) 9.21 #1 A.T.F.
72 Topps (100%) 9.39
73 Topps (13%) 9.35
74 OPC WHA (95%) 8.57
75 Topps (50%) 9.23
77 OPC WHA (86%) 8.62 #1 A.T.F.
88 Topps (5%) 10.00
<< <i>I just a mouthful of water on my screen...that it absolutely hysterical!!! >>
Glad I could help out with cleaning your screen.
I don't understand how they can 'lose' so many items.. I think they have a thief working there.
I submitted 5 cards to GAI last October (at a show, only because PSA wasn't there and I wanted to submit some cards, one of which was a very nice 64 Mantle). After 3 weeks and no cards, I e-mailed, then I called. Was told the cards were shipped to me and they'd look in to it, and get right back to me. Another few weeks, without hearing anything I sent more e-mails, more calls. And then sent more calls and e-mails, and started getting replies that UPS is stalling, UPS is looking into it, UPS is the problem. Etc.
2 months go by with me checking in every few days, and me getting an apologetic UPS-is-at-fault-we're-working-on-it e-mail. Note that every communication was initiated by me, as I'm sure they were just hoping I'd go away. Every time I was told they'd get right back to me, and every time I had to call back a week later. Every now and then someone (either in shipping or Danny Fisher) would tell me the UPS insurance refund had arrived and was physically shipped out to me. Then after a few weeks and it didn't come, I would call back and be told UPS was stalling and they hadn't received the check yet. Just lie after lie, contradiction after contradition.
Finally, a few weeks ago I sent my final e-mail, sick of it all and out of options. I cc:ed everyone I had been contacting since it started, and informed them that:
a) My only logical conclusion is that someone at GAI flat out stole my UPS refund and/or cards
b) I have about 20 e-mails or excuses, lies, contraditions saved in my in-box and...
c) I was going to publish all those e-mails and a lengthy narrative about the terrible customer service on my company website if I didn't get refund check by the end of the week.
1 day after sending this e-mail, I got an e-mail from Howard Kent, COO of GAI. Very apologetic, very helpful. One week later I received my insurance refund check ($500) and a voucher for 5 free card gradings. To his credit, Mr Kent was incredibly friendly, and did resolve the issue quickly. Exactly 9 MONTHS after I submitted my cards. I can't wait to use the free grading vouchers, as I feel so confident about sending cards to them...
I personally have had great luck with GAI and have had several conversations with Danny, Mike, Sean and Steve in person and was very pleased with them, and their on-site grading. I will say however, that I have never submitted anything to them via mail, every card has always been on-site and I've only had them holder 5 cards. 2 Perfect 10 Lebron Rc's, a 9.5 Reggie Miller rc, a 55T Duke Snider that they gave a 5 to and my 9.5 Fleer Update Clemens. Every time I've let them holder a card (this is the 3rd time) I've been told it would take a week to 10 days to get my cards back in my hands. Well, here it is 14 days after they took them and the cards are still listed as being in shipping. It took about 3 weeks each time to get them back. Keep in mind, they were already graded, all they had to do was holder them. I really like the $5 on-site pre-grade and then $5 to holder after the fact but 3 weeks is a bit much for return shipping.
I do trust their grading, and I've had terrific luck with crack & resubmits out of their holders but that's about as far as I'll go. I'm really surprised, and a bit horrified at the stories some others are sharing... that certainly would be enough to keep me from ever using them again, and I definitely would need to rethink things if I was a regular submitter to them.
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