Have you ever received a shattered, lots of fine cracks, PCGS holder in the mail?

oih82w8 · June 22, 2017 3:54PM

I just received a recent Heritage auction win and the reverse of the holder is shattered, lots of fine cracks. The original images does not show this, so it either was damaged enroute, or the focal spot of the camera "looked past" the damage and only showed the coin. The holder is still intact, but this is a first for me, with the damage not being noted in the item description. Is this something that I could "work out" with Heritage? Normally I would call, but they are closed at this time of posting.

Coinstartled · June 22, 2017 4:22PM

Have received a few damaged holders from Heritage over the years. They have always been quite gracious in having them reholdered.

Stork · June 22, 2017 4:57PM

I had a crunched one from a dealer. Clearly a crunching that occurred in transit and thankfully the damage was over the label not the coin. He reimbursed me the cost of a reholdering as I was sending in a submission anyway. He offered to send it in for me but honestly the last thing it needed was another coast to coast trip. I can't imagine Heritage would do any less.

rhedden · June 22, 2017 6:51PM

The first certified coin I ever sold on the internet in 1997 was an 1878-s Morgan in PCGS MS63 PL, OGH. It arrived with the slab shattered into pieces. There was a very clear vehicle tire track on the padded envelope. The mail carrier dropped it on the ground at some point, and a vehicle ran over it, but the mail carrier just dropped it in the mailbox and left. The buyer was furious and demanded a full refund (like this was my fault), and then he refused to go through with the postal insurance claim because he did not want to surrender the coin or wait 30 days for his refund. Only the buyer can receive the insurance claim, so there was no way I could take it back without eating the loss.

AmazonX · June 22, 2017 8:14PM

No way the camera focused past that. Damaged in transit. I would contact Heritage.

Unknown · June 22, 2017 8:34PM

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Moldnut · June 22, 2017 8:34PM

I would think that the seller is responsible for delivering an undamaged product to the buyer. And take any corrective action.

rhedden · June 22, 2017 8:43PM

If the product is damaged in transit, and the seller insured it properly, it should not be the seller's problem any more. That's what insurance is for.

If the slab was already damaged when the seller shipped it, and it was not disclosed, that's a much different story. That would be plain old dishonesty.

Edited to add: looking at the original images from the auction, I suspect that the holder damage was already present. If true, the coin should have been reholdered prior to sale.

Relaxn · June 22, 2017 9:05PM

Just call Heritage and speak to your contact there... If you do not have a direct line just call their customer service tell them your customer number and explain the situation. They will reholder your coin with no problem... in instances where this has happened to me they covered my shipping/insurance back to them. They will take care of you... If they do not come on here and post and we will rake them over the coals...

oih82w8 · June 22, 2017 9:22PM

Thanks for the replies, I will contact them when they open in the morning.

BryceM · June 22, 2017 9:51PM

Looks like the holder protected the coin perfectly. The reholdering service was created for situations like these.

3keepSECRETif2rDEAD · June 22, 2017 10:53PM

...the mighty roar of the PCGS customer service goddess at play here?

lkeigwin · June 22, 2017 11:10PM

I could shoot through that.
Lance.

ricko · June 23, 2017 5:13AM

The seller will surely have it re-slabbed.... that is not something to be ignored. Let us know what your morning telephone call produces... Cheers, RickO

Hydrant · June 23, 2017 8:43AM

It's happened to me, two or three times. Not scratches but broken slabs. Chips broken off on the corners. In every instance the chips were in the cardboard protector with the rest of the slab. So obviously the damage happened in transit.

DIMEMAN · June 23, 2017 8:47AM

@rhedden said:
The first certified coin I ever sold on the internet in 1997 was an 1878-s Morgan in PCGS MS63 PL, OGH. It arrived with the slab shattered into pieces. There was a very clear vehicle tire track on the padded envelope. The mail carrier dropped it on the ground at some point, and a vehicle ran over it, but the mail carrier just dropped it in the mailbox and left. The buyer was furious and demanded a full refund (like this was my fault), and then he refused to go through with the postal insurance claim because he did not want to surrender the coin or wait 30 days for his refund. Only the buyer can receive the insurance claim, so there was no way I could take it back without eating the loss.

I thought only the sender could file a claim. I know I had to when this happened to me.

Stork · June 23, 2017 8:52AM

@Moldnut said:
I would think that the seller is responsible for delivering an undamaged product to the buyer. And take any corrective action.

True, but it is incumbent upon the recipient to participate in the claims process.

I always laughed a bit when a listing (at least in the old days) would claim no responsibility for an item after it left their hands and entered the post office's. As a buyer I am not paying you to deliver it to the USPS (or whatever country), I'm paying you to deliver it to me. If the USPS (or whatever) does not deliver it is not relevant.

But, as the buyer I must cooperate. In the above case it sounds as if the seller would have been perfectly fine with the process but with a buyer who refused to participate, then how is the seller supposed to do his job? Both parties must do their part.

rhedden · June 23, 2017 8:55AM

_I thought only the sender could file a claim. I know I had to when this happened to me.
_
Yes, the sender has to file it, but the receiver gets the claim check. The buyer in this case was unwilling to go through the insurance claim process at all. He was a bit of an unstable guy, if I recall. When he received the damaged package, he ran to his local P.O. and barged into the back room to chew out the postal inspector (in his words...) and then was escorted out of the post office and told not to come back. I really don't know what you can do with someone who handles himself that way.

asheland · June 23, 2017 8:58AM

That sucks. I would want that reholdered, too. Nice coin though!

LindeDad · June 23, 2017 9:40AM

Looks like the holder did good and protected a nice coin. Easy fix (for that all important eye apeal) is a new holder.

Got four going in to our hosts next week.

AUandAG · June 23, 2017 10:13AM

Automatic sorting machines at the PO. If an envelope is not over 3/4" thick it will go through the automatic cancelling machines. This is where the damage occurs. If it's at least 3/4" thick it will not go through the auto machines and will be treated much differently in the cancelling process. At least this is what I've been told by my Postmaster.
I believe him and always add peanuts or bubble wrap to make it a plus 3/4" thick.

bob:)

Bochiman · June 23, 2017 10:48AM

@rhedden said:
_I thought only the sender could file a claim. I know I had to when this happened to me.
_
Yes, the sender has to file it, but the receiver gets the claim check. The buyer in this case was unwilling to go through the insurance claim process at all. He was a bit of an unstable guy, if I recall. When he received the damaged package, he ran to his local P.O. and barged into the back room to chew out the postal inspector (in his words...) and then was escorted out of the post office and told not to come back. I really don't know what you can do with someone who handles himself that way.

That's not how it happened with me a few years ago.

Seller sent 2 coins.
Packaged received by me (I had to go to post office and sign for it)
As I started walking with the package, I noticed the back was slit, so I opened it up while at the post office.
Only 1 coin was inside.
I confirmed with postal clerk on duty and then let the seller know.
Seller filed the claim, reimbursed me for the missing coin that I had paid for, and dealt with the USPS for the insurance.
Seller was paid by the USPS (USPS did not pay me).

So, I had always thought that it has to originate, and end, with the seller when it is USPS insurance.

rhedden · June 23, 2017 10:56AM

Bochiman,

Good to know. I have filed three claims over the years, and I do not remember being given this option in any of the three cases. Have they changed the rules, or perhaps I'm just not remembering correctly? I think the last one I filed was in 2007 or so.

pmac · June 23, 2017 11:14AM

I've had nothing but good luck working with Heritage (other than being too high on some of my bids). By now, you have probably had that conversation with them and they will have given you instructions on how to handle the situation. Good luck.

oih82w8 · June 23, 2017 2:42PM

I taked with a customer service rep at HA and a postage paid label will be drafted to send back the coin to be reholdered at their expense.

USMarine6 · June 23, 2017 3:29PM

Just got this back a few weeks ago

USMarine6 · June 23, 2017 3:30PM

And no the silver proof didn't 70

derryb · June 23, 2017 4:55PM

How was the OP's coin packaged?

mannie gray · June 23, 2017 5:10PM

I have seen PCGS slabs like the OP's coin.
I don't think that coin was damaged in transit.
Good that Heritage is reholdering it.

Bochiman · June 23, 2017 10:16PM

@rhedden said:
Bochiman,

Good to know. I have filed three claims over the years, and I do not remember being given this option in any of the three cases. Have they changed the rules, or perhaps I'm just not remembering correctly? I think the last one I filed was in 2007 or so.

Rhedden, I don't know if rules changed or not....without looking back through some old correspondence to see exactly when, I want to say this was ~2010 or so (give or take a year or 2).

As I said, I wasn't the seller so I don't know what options may have been given...I only know what I did on my end. To that, the seller refunded me (he is a board member here and may chime in on what he did....I'll leave that to him), and told me USPS insurance refunded him.
As I mentioned, I was still at the post office when I noticed the slit...and opened the package up right there. The clerk, I still remember her name, Betty, gave me info on what to do/expect at that time as well and said she would write up a statement if necessary (I don't think it was...hard to remember everything from that far back....I'm old )

oih82w8 · June 24, 2017 8:10AM

@derryb said:
How was the OP's coin packaged?

Common adheisve laiden corregated mailer inside a USPS Flat Rate mailer envelope...normal stuff for small coin auctions through Heritage.

Have you ever received a shattered, lots of fine cracks, PCGS holder in the mail?

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