What have your experiences been with returning an overgraded card to PSA?

envoy98

I have this PSA 9 Walter Payton that is just awful, I like having it in my sets, but it's just not a 9 and I could never sell it as such. Some of you probably saw my post a while back along with the pics. My question is, and I'm sure this has been asked before, but have any of you sent a card in that you felt was overgraded? If so, what happened? Were you satisfied with the results?

Every time I think about this card I go cross-eyed. It just bothers me. Personally, I think it's a borderline 6 but that's all been discussed before....Anyway, any thoughts or suggestions for me? I'm assuming as soon as they get it, they regrade and reholder the card. I've got PSA 9 money into this thing so I don't want to get screwed.

Thoughts?

Brian48

I had a '84 Clemens PSA 9 that was like that. The very top of the card looked like it was tucked in a heated oven and had severe browning. According to the published standards, a slight discoloration or yellowing of the borders is allowed for a PSA 9, but this was ridiculous. I would have graded the card as a PSA 7 or below. The card looked absolutely terrible. I wounded up returning the card to the dealer for another PSA 9 that looked like a "real" PSA 9.

envoy98

Hmm. Interesting. You never sent it to PSA though? I got the details from one of the CSR's (who was VERY helpful by the way). I'm just curious what happens. The card isn't a 9, not even PRO would give this card a 9. I'm not sure if this was a complete oversight, or if it's a fake holder or a reholder or what (the edges aren't frosted and no cracks or broken pieces). So I'm not sure what to expect really...

footballfan

I thought PSA had a buy back policy for any card that was overgraded. I emailed them twice about a PSA 10 Randy Moss rookie that I bought from 4 Sharp Corners that had noticeable damage to the card probably should of been graded a 4 or less. I never got a response from them.

jmbkb4

Boy, anyone who thinks PSA doesn't do favors for their big customers should take a look at the 4_sharp_corners cards on eBay. I've bought some, and they're absolute crap. 8's at best from a small-time submitter like myself.

VintageJeff

They may get some sliders but most I have gotten from them were 9-10 quality. With modern 10's like I have been buying from them, mostly Sandberg cards and 87 Donruss it is damn near impossible to tell an 9 from a 10 anyway.

iamthegreatcornholio

What have your experiences been with returning an overgraded card to PSA?

Hopefully I'll be able to answer this soon. I sent back to PSA a card graded an 8 that really is a 5 or 6...

Brian

duner

psa does have a buyback policy. however, you have to read the fine print. it says that they will buyback any card that is overgraded or deemed not authentic....however, the catch is from the "person who sent it in." So basically, if youre lucky to get some altered cards by them, you can call them within 5 days and they will pay you market value for the card. If you sell the cards and the next guy learns about it, he cannot send it in for reimbursement. Apparently, they make exceptions but i don't know to what extent.

earlycalguy

My only experience with this was a few weeks ago. I bought a psa 5 66' koufax for $18. got the card - it had a stain on it and the corners were a 4 at best. the card was holdered with a couple of the corners peeled back. I sent the card back to psa, told them my concerns and asked them to look at the card again. about 3 weeks later I got a call from a CS rep. He offered me $45 or 5 free grades at the $12 special.

I asked him about old flips and if they didn't measure up to today's standards - he said any card would have to meet the grade, regardless of when it was graded. he told me if any card was overgraded that I'd be hearing from him with the same news as the Koufax.

maybe they took care of me since it was an inexpensive card.

envoy98

Thanks guys, definitely helpful. I'm worried because this a $500(SMR) Walter Payton rc. Sure, I love having a 9 in my set registries, but if I ever decide to move the cards, I'll never get back what I've put into it, and I hate looking at it.

For those who have not seen it. (check out the top left just above Walter's afro)


...and a closeup of that little "pucker" notice the missing paper.


The edges are borderline, and that ink stain at the bottom doesn't help matters either. What I'm worried about is sending it in, having them holder it a 6 and offering me $50 or something. There is a $400 difference between what this card probably should grade, and what it is graded. Normally I wouldn't care about a card being overgraded (if I was going to sell it of course) but keeping this jalopy in my collection as a 9 just irritates me.

WinPitcher

person who sent it in."


If that is the case then those who buy the psa product from the secondary market are out of luck it would seem.


SD

VintageJeff

That is an ugly Payton and the top right corner looks real weak as well. I had an 8 of the Payton that I swore was a nine when I had my 1976 registry set. So I guess it goes both ways. Good luck with sending it back.

jrdolan

On the Payton, if that mark you call a "pucker" were merely an ink smudge (like the mark below the N in Payton), well I have certainly seen many of those on PSA 9's before. Paper loss is another thing, though would a paper loss be dark like that? Is the hole is deep enough to reach the dark card stock underneath the glossy white front? The grader must have assumed it was a smudge and not looked closely at it.

The easiest thing is to sell it and buy one you like better. But you don't want to hand off the problem to someone else, which is admirable.

kingraider75

those pucker/ bubble marks are quite common on a lot of Topps sets from the late 70's. I see it in my football, hockey, and baseball sets from that time period. Were the marks there out of the pack? I always wondered if it was due to mishandling or something else.

VintageJeff

I have alot of experience with the 76 topps set and that is not normal for a 9. I have seen better looking 7's. The card deserves to be sent back.

VintageJeff

This was my PSA 8 Payton.

envoy98

That 8 looks better than my 9. No question.



<< <i>On the Payton, if that mark you call a "pucker" were merely an ink smudge (like the mark below the N in Payton), well I have certainly seen many of those on PSA 9's before. Paper loss is another thing, though would a paper loss be dark like that? Is the hole is deep enough to reach the dark card stock underneath the glossy white front? The grader must have assumed it was a smudge and not looked closely at it. >>



jr-the "pucker" is just that (for lack of a better term). It's "bubbled" up from the surface and that dark spot you see is the middle of the card stock, there is no printing on it, the CYMK dots you would normally see, are missing. I looked at the bottom of the holder to see if the surface came off after it was holdered but I don't see anything in the holder (if that makes sense..) It's very clear under a loupe, the scan did a decent enough job showing it, but it's not as imposing in the scan as it is in person under a loupe. The Ink smudge under his name isn't so much of a concern but coupled with the other problems on this card, it just adds insult to injury.

I did think about selling it and buying a different one, but I really don't want to pass this one off on anyone else, and since PSA has the "buyback" policy I figured I would see if it was something I could take advantage of. (I do have a stack of 200 fb for my registries just waiting to be graded) Besides, I think the market for this card (via ebay anyway) would be primarily someone from these boards and I really don't want to pass it off to anyone on here. If I can sell it in person to someone who can look at it in person and make an informed decision on if it fits into their collection or not, then that's fine with me I guess. For me though, it just isn't a 9 and it's a high-profile enough card, with enough high-quality examples that exist, that keeping this one in this holder just doesn't seem right.

VintageJeff

4SC has an 8 and a 9 on ebay now both look decent. I would buy one of those and deal with PSA with the 9 you have now. I would call and work it out. The free gradings will make up for it. I'm sure they would be much more receptive to you wanting free grades than they would cash.

packCollector

don't think there is any way you will get them to buy that card back. It is to borderline , meaning the centering is good and the corners are good so the will be able to justify it that it is a 9 , not a high end 9 but a 9 none the less

VintageJeff

If they don't take care of it sell it on ebay and mention your concerns in the auction description. We all know alot of people buy the holder and not the card someone will want it and you probably won't take much of a loss.

RipublicaninMass

What if it was some lo pop card? Would they give you a fair market value or SMR???!!!

iamthegreatcornholio

dabighurt will buy it

envoy98

Rip-that's a good question. Luckily for me, this card is not low-pop, so I don't have to worry about it. I too am curious to know though if "Fair Market Value" is average ebay price, or a quoted price from some dealer they know or if it's SMR. There is a pretty big difference between the three 20-50% in some cases. If I send it back to them however, it sounds like it gets re-graded and then we work out some sort of compensation, so there is no way to sell it if things don't work out after the fact.

packcollector-I'm surprised you think this card is a 9, even a low-end 9. Granted it has good color, registration and centering, but it has a soft corner, excess ink, a "nose hair" coming off his face a surface pucker and paper loss.

PRO wouldn't give this card a 9. And if PSA considers this a 9 and were to send it back to me I would crack every high end 7 and 8 I own and send it back and insist on the bump.

I know I'll be buying a different one at some point and I suppose if nothing else I can express my concerns in an auction and list it on the bay. Well, at least it's only $500 card with a good pop available, and not some ultra low-pop $5k card I have to worry about.

Thanks for the replies everyone.