Who should I be angry with? Please take the poll
eyebone
Posts: 1,404 ✭✭✭
I sent a group of cards off to SGC a couple of months ago.....I know, I know, that was my first mistake. In my defence, they were offering $5 per card as well as $5 mylar crossovers under their 30 day window.
Anyway, I live in Canada but wanted the cards to be sent to my sister-in-law in TN when SGC finished grading them. I listed her address as the return address on my grading form. I did this because we were going to be visiting her and I figured this was just as easy, plus I would avoid any potential problem with Canada Customs.
Well, the cards were not graded in time, so when I left TN the were still at SGC.
No problem I thought. When I arrived back in Canada I simply called SGC and told a fellow in customer service that the cards should now be delivered to a different address (my home in Canada). Taken care of he said.
Time went by and my cards never arrived. Getting worried, I called SGC. Oh, the fellow in customer sevice said, they were signed for by somebody in TN. I explained the previous telephone call to him about the address change. Oh, he said, our mistake. Somebody here must have forgotten to tell somebody else and the return destination never got changed.
No problem I thought. My mother and father-in-law are going to TN to visit their daughter (my sister-in-law) next week. They will bring them back to Canada upon their return and I will avoid any Canada Customs hassle. Well, they are older and they forget to bring them back. This despite half a dozen reminders from me both prior to and during their visit to TN.
No problem I thought. I will simply have my sister-in-law mail them to me. Despite crystal clear instructions about marking "GIFT" on the Customs label, etc. things went horribly wrong. She sent them in a box that could easily have held a 15" computer monitor, she marked "crystal vase" as the boxes contents, and she put the value down as $1,600.
Well, they arrived today. They were here when I got home from work. They were delivered with a Canada Customs charge of $311. Yep, that's right, $311. My wife says I should not be annoyed. She has told me to calm down. She has told me not to mention it to my sister-in-law (her sister) because it will only make her feel bad.
Um, I am annoyed.....but at whom should my annoyance be directed?
A) SGC
my mother and father-in-law
C) my sister-in-law
D) all of the above
E) Canada Customs
F) I should feel no annoyance....I should simply have a cold beer.....or two.....or three.....
Feel free to post your response and discuss.
Eyebone
Anyway, I live in Canada but wanted the cards to be sent to my sister-in-law in TN when SGC finished grading them. I listed her address as the return address on my grading form. I did this because we were going to be visiting her and I figured this was just as easy, plus I would avoid any potential problem with Canada Customs.
Well, the cards were not graded in time, so when I left TN the were still at SGC.
No problem I thought. When I arrived back in Canada I simply called SGC and told a fellow in customer service that the cards should now be delivered to a different address (my home in Canada). Taken care of he said.
Time went by and my cards never arrived. Getting worried, I called SGC. Oh, the fellow in customer sevice said, they were signed for by somebody in TN. I explained the previous telephone call to him about the address change. Oh, he said, our mistake. Somebody here must have forgotten to tell somebody else and the return destination never got changed.
No problem I thought. My mother and father-in-law are going to TN to visit their daughter (my sister-in-law) next week. They will bring them back to Canada upon their return and I will avoid any Canada Customs hassle. Well, they are older and they forget to bring them back. This despite half a dozen reminders from me both prior to and during their visit to TN.
No problem I thought. I will simply have my sister-in-law mail them to me. Despite crystal clear instructions about marking "GIFT" on the Customs label, etc. things went horribly wrong. She sent them in a box that could easily have held a 15" computer monitor, she marked "crystal vase" as the boxes contents, and she put the value down as $1,600.
Well, they arrived today. They were here when I got home from work. They were delivered with a Canada Customs charge of $311. Yep, that's right, $311. My wife says I should not be annoyed. She has told me to calm down. She has told me not to mention it to my sister-in-law (her sister) because it will only make her feel bad.
Um, I am annoyed.....but at whom should my annoyance be directed?
A) SGC
my mother and father-in-lawC) my sister-in-law
D) all of the above
E) Canada Customs
F) I should feel no annoyance....I should simply have a cold beer.....or two.....or three.....
Feel free to post your response and discuss.
Eyebone
"I'm not saying I'm the best manager in the world, but I'm in the top one." Brian Clough
0
Comments
I think you have every right to beat on your sister in law's kidneys with an axe handle IF she's sent stuff to Canada before. If she's never mailed anything north of the border then it's hard to really get on her. Until you've actually seen one of those customs charges you can't really believe it...
SGC obviously dropped the ball, but what can you say-- 99% of the customer service people employed today are sullen bongjockeys who are almost gleefully indifferent to the needs of the customer (I'd actually like to point out that the woman I always talk to at PSA, a 'Carolyn', is the glowing exception to this rule). Directing your ire at the stoners working for SGC will only lead you down a slippery slope.
Hop in you car and drive it into a neighborhood tree. That, and all the ramifications from it, will make you forget about your card problems.
edited to add - SGC is a good company. There was no mistake in sending cards to them for grading.
Mark Mulder rookies
Chipper Jones rookies
Orlando Cabrera rookies
Lawrence Taylor
Sam Huff
Lavar Arrington
NY Giants
NY Yankees
NJ Nets
NJ Devils
1950s-1960s Topps NY Giants Team cards
Looking for Topps rookies as well.
References:
GregM13
VintageJeff
FWIW, in the future I would recommend you send your SGC submissions to their Canadian address. I've always used it, and I've never been dinged by Canada Customs on the return shipping.
You turned a simple transactions into a complex event .
The difference between PSA and the other jokers "across the street" is that not only will your cards be professional graded, you're paying for the best customer service in the business. With PSA, you never have to worry about your cards getting graded late, never worry about paperwork snafus and getting your concerns passed from one customer service rep to another.
In fact, I wouldn't doubt that SGC purposely sent your cards to your sister in law late on purpose to teach you a lesson for trying to order something "off the menu." They're very deceitful like that. They figure you're willing to pay $5 per slab, you're willing to suffer a little. I mean seriously. Why would anyone submit their cards to be graded for just $5 a slab? That's like choosing to go to a hospital emergency room because they accepts coupons!
YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!
If I were you, I'd call up SGC (they probably don't even have a 800 number) and demand they pay for the $311 customs charge. With that $311 you collect from SGC, I would suggest you sign up for the PSA platinum collectors club. It'll be the best money you ever spent.
GO MARLINS! Home of the best fans in baseball!!
Step 1: Find the largest bottle of JD you can find and drink it fast without chasers.
Step 2: Then call every person involved in this nightmare and tell them they have to pay their share of the $311. Between the relatives, SGC customer service reps and Customs you should be able to drastically reduce your cost.
If that doesn't work, repeat Step 1
Arthur
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Exodia: A very perceptive reply. I actually had myself on the list, but took it off hoping to deflect the entire blame to others. You found me out.
Boo: I look forward to that beer. And apologize for the solely financial theme of my recent PM to you.
Bug: Should I be drinking when I smash into the neighbourhood tree?
Topps: Bourbon....cannot stand the stuff.
Phreaky: You, too, are correct. I knew they had the service but chose to ignore it. This lends more weight to Exodia's claim.
Black: Great place....though it is starting to get damn cold up here.
DBH: No matter what subject you comment on I simply cannot get enough of you. You will be getting my vote for CU Poster of the Year.
Xanadu: Intelligent as always.
Graphing: Which booth is yours? I would love to stop by.
Eyebone
why are you paying duties at all? There was no value added to the card, other than the $5. slab. The cards came from you in Canada and were returned to you in Canada. You just had them certified, but the only value added to that technically was the $5. per card you paid for grading.
I think you have a legit claim for a refund. You didn't import anything, you sent it out of the country and it was returned, with authentication- which in the case of the crossovers was already there.
Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's
<< <i>
In fact, I wouldn't doubt that SGC purposely sent your cards to your sister in law late on purpose to teach you a lesson for trying to order something "off the menu." They're very deceitful like that. >>
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
<< <i>this may be a bit off, but...
why are you paying duties at all? There was no value added to the card, other than the $5. slab. The cards came from you in Canada and were returned to you in Canada. You just had them certified, but the only value added to that technically was the $5. per card you paid for grading.
I think you have a legit claim for a refund. You didn't import anything, you sent it out of the country and it was returned, with authentication- which in the case of the crossovers was already there. >>
I think the duty is because she wrote it was a vase worth 1600. If she had written gift or antique auto parts or something then no duty.
<< <i>
Graphing: Which booth is yours? I would love to stop by.
>>
My booth number is 205. Gots lots of vintage cards and rare autographs
Check out my ebay auctions!
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Steve
Oh, and this is also a sure sign that your in-laws are either jerks for not bringing the cards, or paranoid gits afraid of being busted at the border with non-tariffed cards.
Blame Canada....
rd
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