Submission Status - Just Venting

Pinchdatail

I really wonder sometimes why PSA even bothers with the "submission status" page. The only thing it tells you is when your submission was received and the grading results when completed. A receipt confirmation e-mail serves the same purpose - just like the posting notification e-mail you get. Why bother with the web page if that's all there is?

It would be much more valuable to know where they are in the process, like "you're number 38 in line" or "here are the grades we have so far." Is there any other way to find out more information and some reasonable expectation of a completion date?

mcholke

Pinch

I agree, the customer service agents on the phone have additional information regarding location of cards (in grading, sealing, labeling, etc.) If they have it you would think that could be put on submission status.

mikeschmidt

As long as they get it done before they are obligated to - they're fine. They could certainly add more functionality to submission status - but it would require resources - people dedicated to updating and keeping that information current. I would rather not see a fee increase to cover such additional functionality - and I'm sure that most feel the same.

mcholke

I am not entirely sure it is the case they would have to add people/ money to solve the issue. When you call customer service, they punch up your submission number and they can tell you more precisely where your card is. So it appears they have the tracking in place already linked to your submission number and have just not allowed access to members. Maybe I am over simplify this but if customer service can punch up the information with a submission number, a member should be able to do the same.

mikeschmidt

Perhaps that is a bit of a process question.

My understanding basically was that the sealing and labelling were a 1-2 business day process. Thus, if you have a 30-45 day submission - basically it is sitting waiting to be graded 90-95% of the time. But perhaps my assumptions about that process are wrong. It does sure seem to me, though - that your order can sit around until the very last 2-3 days of the guarantee - and then it is graded, sealed, labelled all within 48 hours and shipped on its way.

packCollector

marc, if you call them up , they can tell you on the spot things like "grade verification 1" , "grade verification 2" , "sealing" , "grading" , etc. i believe it is from the same source that shows on the web site does not have a line for status. that is all they would need to add since the infrastructure is already there. I am sure this would make a lot of people a lot happier and probably save psa a lot of time and unnecessary customer service hours.

rbeaton

If they are within the guaranteed time, why would you call them??

Robert

packCollector

<< <i>If they are within the guaranteed time, why would you call them?? >>



because that is what customer service is for when orders start to get old, I am not complaining , I would just rather know where my order is. also , because there are mistakes in billing and what not and I would rather have my cards at home when they are graded as opposed to sitting at psa because of a clerical error. a friend just had an order sit there for over 2 weeks after grades where done because the payment was applied to his old account number after he renewed his membership. if he didn't call , he would not have known until his service time was missed even though the grades were ready a month before .

BillsGridironGreats

The submission status would not be such an issue if there was some rhyme or reason to the order they grade submissions. I recently sent in 7 subs. One on the Oct 50's $6 special (received 11/2), a tallboy common (received 11/8), a Nov $5 special (received 11/8 with the tallboy), a voucher coupon submission (3 cards on 11/22), a Nov $5 special (received 11/28), a Nov $5 special (received 12/5) and a mechanical error (received 12/22). The Nov special (received 12/5) was posted first on 12/9. The Nov special (received 11/8) was posted on 12/16. The Oct 50's special finally hit last week. The mechanical error hit yesterday. Still waiting on the voucher, the tall boy and the 2nd Nov $5 special. Where's the logic here? That is why it would be nice to know where you are at in the process, at least to me. Don't get me wrong, PSA was great over the summer, but lately.....

gregm13

What I can't understand is how an order can be in grading for 3-4 weeks. I have an order that was logged in on 11/22 and I've been told since the first week of December that my order is "In grading". Granted my order is around 85 cards but come on. My guess is that there are a few oddball cards that someone is too busy to research - so it's been sitting on a table for the past several weeks.

I think Bill's description of the timing of his orders highlights the crazy in/out process they have in place. Why would the last of his orders be the first to be graded (unless it was a 5 day or under submission - which I doubt it was).

Regards,

Greg M.

mikeschmidt

Greg:

Part of the frustration, I think, is that people *expect* PSA to grade the orders on a FIFO [first-in, first-out] basis. They don't. And they really do not even have an obligation to. That being said - it is frustrating when some people get their bulk orders graded right away - whereas others wait longer. That being said - as long as they grade your orders by the time they are obligated to - you can't complain too much. Orders that are a) from the same set, or b) bulk of the same card are easier to grade and are almost always graded quicker. It is the large orders spanning many issues that tend to sit around to the end of the obligated time period. This likely will not change. And as long as they are sitting around like that - that technically means "in grading" or whatever. So I think that it's pretty much stuck like that.

~ms

pandrews

i just called to check on my subs for the helluvit.. my 11/18 sub is "in sealing".. my 12/06 sub is still "in grading"..

Onlypsahockey

ms,

I thought along the same lines until this last submission. Now I think they just kick a box toward their desk on the way in and thats about as logical as it gets.


Date Received: 12/05/2005
Date of Grades Posted: No Date Specified
Date Shipped: No Date Specified


2 cards from the same set!

I also have a conspiracy theory conjurred up but I'll keep it to myself.
I don't want to get banned.

Wabittwax

I think when people are spending their money, FIFO should be expected. We use that standard in almost every other part of our life. How do you feel when you see the table next to you in a restaurant get their food before you even though you sat down 15 minutes earlier than that party? Your only spending 50 bucks at a restaurant and you are spending 500ish with PSA. Or what about if you were standing in line at Best Buy waiting to buy a CD and the cashier directs the 3 people behind you to cut in front of you so that they could be checked out first? Everybody would be mad about that but we seem to accept it for card grading.

gregm13

<< <i>I think when people are spending their money, FIFO should be expected. We use that standard in almost every other part of our life. How do you feel when you see the table next to you in a restaurant get their food before you even though you sat down 15 minutes earlier than that party? Your only spending 50 bucks at a restaurant and you are spending 500ish with PSA. Or what about if you were standing in line at Best Buy waiting to buy a CD and the cashier directs the 3 people behind you to cut in front of you so that they could be checked out first? Everybody would be mad about that but we seem to accept it for card grading. >>



I couldn't have said it better myself.

Regards,

Greg m.

mikeschmidt

Well - no sense to debate this ad naseum. We agree to disagree. If you want quicker service - it is offered, you just need to pay for it. If you pay for the cheap, slow service [which I usually do] - why bother with what is happening with other people's submissions. You paid for a 30 or 45 day service - and as long as the cards are graded in under that time - I see no valid reason to complain. Rather - I say "Lucky You" to the collectors who send in a 45-day submission that gets graded in 14 days.

Glass half empty or half full, I guess. I'm done on this topic.

CoachTom

One last comment- These cards may be getting FIFO treatment. The cards are separated once they arrive, and it appears that not all graders are able to grade all items. For me, I have always received my coins, tallboys and disks back before regular size issues when they are all send inside the same box. I also believe that the pre 1980 cards amy require a different person than the 1980 till present. Just speculation on my part. I just plan for the worst case on the bulk subs and get a surprise when I get the beloved,"Your PSA grades are available."

Happy New Year to everyone.

Coach Tom

MiniMaster

I think those that whine about their submissions on the PSA Message Boards are logged by PSA and those orders are dropped to the end of the line and those that don't whine are handled in a timely manner......Just Venting

Don't take this to seriously.......it was written as a total joke.

Just can't relate to the complaints as I've always received quality/timely service with my submissions............guess it's because I don't whine about it on the PSA Message Boards .......Again just kidding

MorrellMan

<< <i>I think those that whine about their submissions on the PSA Message Boards are logged by PSA and those orders are dropped to the end of the line and those that don't whine are handled in a timely manner......Just Venting

Don't take this to seriously.......it was written as a total joke.

Just can't relate to the complaints as I've always received quality/timely service with my submissions............guess it's because I don't whine about it on the PSA Message Boards .......Again just kidding >>



Much truth is spoken in jest.

I'm not a factory, but I rep a number of them, and nothing chaps my ass more than when I'm working my butt off trying to meet deadlines and I have to stop everything because the guy on the phone needs to know the exact status, right now, of his particular order/quote/submittal/whatever. Only great restraint keeps me from telling him the truth - which is he'll get it when it's ready, which will be delayed a bit now because I have to talk to you. I'm doing the best I can. Every factory I rep has a website location for order status, and not a single one tells me what stage the order is at. That function would take time to collect data, input it, have it constantly updated and accessible - who do you think would pay for that? Pardon my soapbox, but if the service doesn't make you happy, go across the street. This is a free country, and no factory is going to change their ways because of whiners on a message board.

Just venting.

Pinchdatail

Glad things are going well for you at the factory. Seriously. No, I mean it. Really. Catch my whine?

smallstocks

Mark,

The problem with that theory is that the cards are already entered into the system at the exact level they are currently in. Noone has to take any time to look it up. Individuals just need to be given access to that information in the system. Not a second of time would be taken away from the graders, sealers or anyone else for that matter.

fur72

My beef is I sent in a submission in early November. After not recieving a confirmation that my cards were entered into the system I called PSA. Here I made an addition mistake in the number of cards I had sent in. Why it took me to call PSA to resolve the problem I dont know. So I sent in my submission on Nov 2nd and it was finally entered into the system on 11/22. So technically its been 2 months since I have see my cards.

zef204

I just got my grades today 1/3. Order was logged on 12/28. It was 85 1960's FB & HKY.

smallstocks

Awesome turnaround time Zef!

zef204

No kidding. I was shocked. I think they gave me the Scrooge of graders though.

WinPitcher

No kidding. I was shocked. I think they gave me the Scrooge of graders though.


Jeese Jordan you want everything?



Steve

zef204

<< <i>No kidding. I was shocked. I think they gave me the Scrooge of graders though.


Jeese Jordan you want everything?



Steve >>


That makes me wonder. Would you rather have good grades or your grades quickly? Its kinda like you can have good food, or fast food. But you can't have good food fast, except for this one little dive cafe in Evanston where the food is incredible and you can in and out in 15 minutes and be stuffed full.

smallstocks

Sorry to hear G.O.D. graded your cards.

gameusedhoop

Jordan, do you certs begin with 313 by any chance. If so, time for some resubmits.

zef204

THEY SURE DO!!!!

You have had that grader before? He really graded some of these tough and I am not just saying that.

I will for sure be resubmitting the stongest 8's.

gameusedhoop

Just got my grades too and I am dumbfounded. We both know what we are looking at as far as raw cards, our submissions in the past prove that. I've had sets that I've sent in half of at two different times, half come back 9-8, the other half comes back 8-7, gets resubmitted and comes back 9-8 with a total different first three digits to the certs. There is one grader there that seems to be mad at the world and takes it out on submissions.

This guy hit us both today. Of course PSA loves him because he is a cash cow for the company, bringing in resumissions of the same card all the time. out of the 9 million that PSA has graded there are probably 500,000 resbmits. 1 out of 18 is not too far fetched.

I know the source of your cards and mine and they are better than the grades that hit today. I'm resubmitting at least half my order. With that said, do you want to sell any of todays 7s or 8s real cheap? If so let me know what you've got as I am a buyer, ready to upgrade them in a few weeks.

zef204

7's and 8's aplenty. But what stuns me is the 6's on these that I thought had shots at 9's.

Oh well, time to sharpen the little screwdriver....

Carew29

still waiting for Nov/Dec(72'-92' special) orders

halosfan

WOW that was fast ... my Nov Sub is still sitting out there in Newport somewhere.

pandrews

yikes, i got the 313 grader too.. he ripped me..

1966CUDA

What does "313" signify??

If that number corresponds to a specific grader, then I'm happy with their grading...my last 2 vintage submissions generated 8 10's and almost 20 9's...here are some scans (dont have many scanned...i can post more later)

gameusedhoop

<< <i>What does "313" signify?? >>



It has always been rumored that PSA graders have sort of an identification # which is the first couple #'s of the cert for the cards that they grade, so it is no coincidence that the experienced submitters on this board know that something is up when their submissions get unfairly graded. Jordan complained that his grades were way too low for his last submission, just this info was enough for me to figure out who graded his cards as I had it happen to me also. Now Perry has a bad "batch" with the same first couple #'s (313), on another thread Greg is very happy with his grades, coincidently they all begin with 905.

We are alll PSA vets, we know what a card should grade, except for a rare submission mistake, and we know when we get shafted. My opinion is that if you have a chance to pick up a card that has a cert that begins with "31", buy it, check it and maybe resubmit it, you may very well get a grade or two bump.

mcastaldi

Given the turnover among PSA's graders, I have a very hard time buying into this rumor.

Mike

doncherry

<< <i>Given the turnover among PSA's graders, I have a very hard time buying into this rumor.

Mike >>



Even if its true 3 people look at every card right

MiniMaster

That Bill Freehan 10 looks like it should have received an "11".......G.O.D. ripped you off......LOL Great Looking Card! Perfect Centering/Color/Edges/Focus.............Definately a keeper

Wabittwax

<< <i>That makes me wonder. Would you rather have good grades or your grades quickly? Its kinda like you can have good food, or fast food. But you can't have good food fast, except for this one little dive cafe in Evanston where the food is incredible and you can in and out in 15 minutes and be stuffed full. >>



I would definately take the good grades over the fast turnaround. I'd leave it there for a year if it meant 100% PSA 10's. Obviously though, it doesn't work like that, so I'm always hoping for the fast turnaround.

mcastaldi

Zef> "That makes me wonder. Would you rather have good grades or your grades quickly? Its kinda like you can have good food, or fast food. But you can't have good food fast, except for this one little dive cafe in Evanston where the food is incredible and you can in and out in 15 minutes and be stuffed full."

Where in Evanston???


My previous boss used to put it this way -

Good. . .Fast. . .Cheap --- Pick TWO

Mike

WinPitcher

Good and fast?


steve

mcastaldi

WinPitcher> The idea is of the three, picking two means you have to give up the third. . .

- If it's good & fast, it can't be cheap
- If it's cheap & fast, it's not good
- If it's good & cheap, it can't be fast

Mike