SO HOW ARE THE NEW PSA SHIPPING RATES WORKING OUT FOR YOU?

JMDVM

Got my first submission back from PSA with the new priority rates instead of registered mail. I saved a big,whopping $2!!! Which means PSA is saving major bucks for themselves, not us submitters. Can't say I'm surprised.....

favoritethings

What? You don't like paying the same money and getting less for it? C'mon, look at how much quicker we are getting our cards back! Please read the preceding with a heavy sarcastic note. Some companies (can you say CU) need to learn the meaning of customer service.

hammered

You're paying less money to have your package delivered 2 weeks faster, fully insured, and trackable.
I can see why you're so upset.

alnavman

I just sent in a 75 card lot that cost me $34.45 for return shipping.......using the post office's calculations the cost for return shipping should be $20.20 (large flat rate box + $5.70 insurance, which is what I valued the cards at - $5 each). Is this what the cost is going to be for PSA and if so do I get a $12.25 refund??? looks to me like they are making money on postage, which is what everyone complains about on ebay when overcharged......any ideas on what they are going to do??? al.

bking

Just wondering where PSA got these magic wands that let them prepare packages for shipping without any expense.

Many folks seem to act as if what PSA charges is supposed to exactly equal postage - how many of you are prepared to only include the exact cost of postage in your auction sales and just eat the time & cost of supplies? Did the old shipping rates exactly equal the cost of registered shipping?

My ONLY concern,as I've stated before, is the relative insecurity of the priority mail ednpoint delivery, not any expected costs savings. My March submission is costing me more than it normally would, as I'm beefing up my declared values to cover my hopes for grades instead of my best expectation of grades. I'm not going to like losing a low pop card that I only expected to get an 8.5 on but somehow nailed a 10, only to get paid $10 insurance for it.

hammered

1. PSA will not always be able to use flat rate boxes, because order sizes vary and won't always fit in one of the three flat sizes. So they cannot assume flat rate when assigning shipping charges.
2. I believe PSA is using an outside insurer to cover the cost of insurance. Perhaps this cost is higher than the USPS' own coverage.
3. Even though many here feel it's morally reprehensible, charging a few dollars for "handling" is pretty typical. Your grading fee covers just the grading. Nothing wrong with PSA making a little money for packaging your order and taking it to the PO. They are paying employees to do this work.

Customers should not expect the shipping charge to match the shipping label every time.


Besides, you no longer have to wait 14-20 friggin days for the P.O. to deliver your registered package. Some might not mind the wait, but for me waiting that long cost me money.

hammered

<< <i>Just wondering where PSA got these magic wands that let them prepare packages for shipping without any expense.

Many folks seem to act as if what PSA charges is supposed to exactly equal postage - how many of you are prepared to only include the exact cost of postage in your auction sales and just eat the time & cost of supplies? Did the old shipping rates exactly equal the cost of registered shipping? >>




Ditto

MCMLVTopps

The case where the oversized card would not fit into previous mailings is perhaps true. Recall getting small boxes back Registered Mail with the heavy brown threaded tape.

Now, the USPS has 3 sizes of boxes that PSA has to use as they've decided to use Priority Mail. To my knowledge, any oversized card will fit in the smallest box, thus easily fit in the other two. I am pondering a 56 card submission of which one card is oversized as it is a thumbnail compilation of all the players. Well, to ship the 55 cards back to me will cost $29.70, however the accompanying 56th card to the set, which is the oversized, must be sent in a separate submission and will cost me $15.95 to mail that ONE card back to me, which would easily fit into the 55 card shipment. Makes no sense to me whatsoever.

If the cards have little stickers attached to each one of them identifying the line # and submission #, how could they not match up the submission (1 of 2, 2 of 2), which I recently did, and toss the oversized into the 55 card shipment? After all, all 56 cards arrive in Newport Beach in the same box from me, just keep them all together...just seems so simple.

Something just doesn't pass the smell test here. I understand making a fair profit, and charging me $14 to grade the oversized card, but then whacking me for $15.95 to mail it back to me is simply gouging and ripping me off. Does not make me happy.

JMDVM

I would not expect the shipping charges to match the exact postage and I know PSA has to cover handling expenses(employees,supplies) BUT like you said they are using a riskier shipping method with less tracking reliability under the guise that they are saving us money and getting our cards to us faster. The reality is the savings are MINIMAL and not worth the greater shipping risks. And in terms of a faster return, I'll take safety over a faster but riskier return any day of the week. I agree and did the same thing as you----I upped the value of my cards for the return trip so we end up paying more anyway.Like any thing PSA does, its for their bottom line, never customer service. Take it from someone who ran and owned his own business,if you offer outstanding customer service, the profits will follow. This is something PSA will never learn.



<< <i>Just wondering where PSA got these magic wands that let them prepare packages for shipping without any expense.

Many folks seem to act as if what PSA charges is supposed to exactly equal postage - how many of you are prepared to only include the exact cost of postage in your auction sales and just eat the time & cost of supplies? Did the old shipping rates exactly equal the cost of registered shipping?

My ONLY concern,as I've stated before, is the relative insecurity of the priority mail ednpoint delivery, not any expected costs savings. My March submission is costing me more than it normally would, as I'm beefing up my declared values to cover my hopes for grades instead of my best expectation of grades. I'm not going to like losing a low pop card that I only expected to get an 8.5 on but somehow nailed a 10, only to get paid $10 insurance for it. >>

JMDVM

I have been told by several big time dealers that an outside insurance policy offered by the agencies specializing in collectibles is cheaper than USPS insurance rates. The business policy covers dealer inventory wherever it may be and covers shipping. A personal policy designed for the collector does the same thing.



<< <i>1. PSA will not always be able to use flat rate boxes, because order sizes vary and won't always fit in one of the three flat sizes. So they cannot assume flat rate when assigning shipping charges.
2. I believe PSA is using an outside insurer to cover the cost of insurance. Perhaps this cost is higher than the USPS' own coverage.
3. Even though many here feel it's morally reprehensible, charging a few dollars for "handling" is pretty typical. Your grading fee covers just the grading. Nothing wrong with PSA making a little money for packaging your order and taking it to the PO. They are paying employees to do this work.

Customers should not expect the shipping charge to match the shipping label every time.


Besides, you no longer have to wait 14-20 friggin days for the P.O. to deliver your registered package. Some might not mind the wait, but for me waiting that long cost me money. >>

jradke4

not all of PSA returns to you will come in flat rate boxes. I just got two orders back last night. 25 patch holders and 26 tickets. neither box was a flat rate box. yet both still came back rather fast. i was slow picking them up as normal.

at the same time i sent another round of subs into psa. they had two high priced cards so insurance was required. i sent in a flat rate box but registered as the insurance value was over the limit for normal insurance. cost was $28.885. now if i had sent it in the same flat rate box but with insurance at the max which is $5000, then the package would have been $58 with insurance. so when psa sends me my one card back at a declared value of $5000 in the flat rate box that would be $58 if they used USPS insurance. we know they self insure. but looking at the cost that they charged me it is in line with registered but cheaper than the flat rate with standard insurance. then again its minus the added security of registered. but may get back quicker.

they way i see it, we are paying about the same for quicker return delivery but with less security than with registered.

1960toppsguy

real good

Wabittwax

Huggins and Scott just charged me over $200 shipping. Granted it's a really heavy valuable package, but my guess is that they're making about $100 profit on shipping. $10 extra to PSA doesn't bother me because like someone else said, they have to pay employees to package that stuff. Also they'll need a shipping department which comes with expenses such as extra rent, extra electricity, data entry people etc. I would guess but the end of the year, PSA makes almost no profit on shipping.