PCGS Customer Service or Not? Is a PCGS label's sales value worth waiting for ever?
CoinNewBee
Posts: 159 ✭✭✭
My submission was received on April 22, 2022. It's still just shown as just "grading". I called PSCG last Friday at 9:30am PST and the wait time was over two and one half hours. Requested an automatic call back-never called me back. I called Monday and requested an automatic call back. Again PCGS never called back.
I'm on hold with PCGS at this moment. I called 25 minutes ago. There were 17 callers ahead of me with a wait time of 22 minutes. Figured I'd just hold and wait in line. Right now the update message is saying I'm 15th in line and the longest wait time has now grown to 44 minutes.
This of course is crazy bad business. What is wrong at PCGS? I'm not moving up in the phone cue and the wait time is now 44 minutes after being on hold in line for 27 minutes as right now.
My last several submissions have been slabbed with label errors like the wrong designation number for error ID, no mint mark on label.
This submission I'm waiting on has some really valuable coins in it, PCGS has had it for 14 weeks (said 5 weeks when sent) and I can't even speak to customer service.
I know NGC slabs don't sell for as much money, but at least I'd have the slabbed coins to sell. Next submission is going to NGC.
By the way, the newest on hold message is that I'm still 15th in line but the wait time is 55 minutes from now and I called PCGS about 40 minutes ago.
Even better status update. While I was Preview this message to post it ---- PCGS disconnect me.
I anyone on this post knowns anyone in PCGS? Please tell them these are the signs of a business that's going out of business. The customer is suppose to be king, not the joker.
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Comments
This seems to be the norm these days...lack of customer service/support. 🤔
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Lack of any service!! -- They are suppose to be grading these coins not sitting on them.
Always more to know!
I HATE waiting on the phone too, but there is an email option. That worked for me.
A search around here for wait times will show some have experienced 4 months (me).
I've emailed about a mech error and had it resolved relatively quickly (3-4 weeks) - via email, at no cost to me.
I'll try it but...
I want the coins in this submission graded and back. I shouldn't have to struggle to get a business who I'm paying VERY HIGH PRICES to for their service to: 1. Do what I paid for-grade the coins or; 2. TALK TO ME about why they haven't done what I'm paying for.
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They obviously have problems and a business can not expect to do well moving forward if they continue to antagonize and lose their customer base.
I hear “rumors” about a new grading company and if this is true I can’t think of a better time.
I have had 3 submissions in the last 7 months. All have taken 3+ months and even longer for the TV's. This has been occurring over the last year or so. Probably 100 posts by all(me included) crying about the wait time, so no reason anyone that has sent a submission in the last year to have been unaware of the wait time, regardless of reason for it. Let's either don't send submissions or quit bellyaching about it. Don't get me wrong, I should not have griped either as I knew it was going to be a 3 month or so wait, but like most, I did bellyache on the forum. It seems misery loves company. But PCGS will not hear me cry again.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
I can recall the happy days when Dansco ruled!
OTOH.... I'd be hard pressed to think of trying to hire graders.
I mean a day in the modern silver ASE room would have me running out the door.
" but there is an email option."
I just emailed PCGS asking about the submission. I'll let you know if they read emails.
I will not use PCGS coin grading again. The MANY thousands of $ I've spent with PCGS - that goes to NGC now.
Someone on this forum must be a smart enough business person to see this opportunity to create a new grading service. I'd buy shares!
Always more to know!
Buy coins already graded
"I'd be hard pressed to think of trying to hire graders."
The optical scanning industry has advanced beyond the need for a human grader. The other problem with PCGS is their inconsistent grading. Coin grading is an ideal use of image recognition technology. PCGS needs to find its way out of the dark ages.
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No Thank you.
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So much for emailing PCGS for Customer Service!!
Always more to know!
Too answer the OP. Yes they are if you can wait.
If not then ship them somewhere else. I think it is as simple as that.
Martin
It may take a few days for them to respond. Hope it works out for ya.
Sounds like you want to move on anyway. To me, not sure there really needs to be yet another TPG - plenty of other options.
I'm sticking with PCGS, I'll wait out their growing pains - or whatever is going on. My 2nd choice would be NGC, but posts I've seen here seem to indicate they have similar problems. But I'm not following NGC closely.
My other hobby (guitars) involves a custom-guitar maker with a kinda similar model. They give you an estimate build time, and they often blast thru that. And people complain about that digression from the estimate, and the money they drop on the build. The end product comes out great tho.
Simple answer - No!
Yeah, thats the standard "we got your email". Give them a chance to respond. Its not instant, again could be a couple days. The point is, beats hanging on the phone.
I can tell the OP will not like this - but as a reference, I recently emailed about the login redirect page and it took 6 days to get a reply.
I've never, ever gotten an email response from that info address.
The email auto reply has a fax number. Pretend it's 1990 and try sending a fax. LOL
Philippians 4:4-7
I sent in 15 medals to be graded April 21st a day before yours. They are grading, and I expect them in a couple more weeks. Delays are becoming relatively common in a lot of businesses. Mailed package arrival times an example.
Other services also have very long wait times to even get the package opened.
Calling or emailing might get you put on an expedite list, or it might get you more frustrated with the answer.
Just wait it out, I also learned that it is better to just be patient and complaining is seldom helpful.
National Commemorative Medals of the U.S. Mint:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/medals-tokens/national-commemorative-medals-united-states-mint-1940-present/alltimeset/195526
If in your mind, you convince yourself your coins will take six to nine months to get back to you, you'll never be disappointed. Then, when they are returned much quicker than that, you are happy vs. being sad by having expectations that are no longer reasonable in this climate.
peacockcoins
My economy submission took 5 months to get back which, for me as a collector was 'OK' since I am not worried about inventory turnaround times etc. It would stress me out quite a bit watching silver fall if I was submitting and waiting on bullion items.
I did get a response from the info email address but it took like a week. My submission was my collectors club submission and evidently I submitted it too close to the expiration date and was charged for the submission so I sent an email about it. Took a week but the folks at PCGS did respond and refund the grading costs.
K
It seems to me the turnaround times and customer service issues started and continues since PCGS was sold. I would believe it is the change in ownership / management that has caused most of these ongoing issues.
Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value. Zero. Voltaire. Ebay coinbowlllc
@CoinNewBee , it is poor manners - not to mention a violation of the terms you agreed to when you signed up - to come onto a PCGS forum to criticize PCGS.
And what exactly are you calling them about? 🤔 To ask them why there is a delay in grading? Do you think that will speed the process? Here's your answer: there is a backlog.
I can imagine that most of the phonecall backlog is due to impatient people calling them to complain about the grading backlog.
Maybe they could pull some people off the grading line to answer the phones.
Now all that's left to do is to close this thread...
Sure seems all these like threads are gaining the attention of the wrong folks!
I plan on doing a submission at ANA and I’m dreading it ☹️
BHNC #248 … 108 and counting.
One can hope things will improve in 2023 but 2022 has been the year for abysmal customer service in all sectors/industries.
I disappointed myself by expecting the usual PCGS customer service when I signed up for Platinum, but after waiting 3 months and 5 phone calls to receive the promised golf shirt, still waiting (7 months) on the welcome envelope and two months hoping for 8 U.S. moderns to make it TO grading I would say PCGS has challenges to overcome to keep their members. I hate to think small time collectors aren't target customers anymore but I suppose time will tell.
Well, there's 1,600,000 "new" Morgan and Peace Dollars just around the bend in '23.....
If I get a piece if that i will help you guys out and not submit them.
I wouldn't. Unless you're JA or someone of similar esteem, it's likely to be a giant financial loser. It would take many years to gain market traction.
Feel free to send your coins to ANACS or PCI.
I'm glad I saw this thread. I was just thinking that it had been more than a month since I sent my coins in and that that was a long time. Apparently that's nothing these days.
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Hate to Rain on this woe thread. My Restoration Order, 4 coins, was received at PCGS on 6-14-22 and shipped out from them yesterday 7-26-22. I have no problems with that.
Ken
I always thought they ought to anchor a thread at the top so people can relate the real wait times currently experienced, to have an idea what to expect.
I can see where that'd get out of hand and be problematic (with complaints - and responses), but it would be informational to those with lagging orders in the queue. I can understand our hosts not supporting this due to the negative aspect of this idea.
The other searchable posts have long since sunk well deep in the stack of threads, so newer people will miss them, and not think to search. An anchored thread would be more visible; get more traction. Setting real expectations may be helpful.
(I also think it would be great to anchor a new user thread along the lines of "Hi, I'm new here. Let me introduce myself". Some people do that in their own threads. I didnt, but thought about it. ... too late now.
)
They do keep turnaround time statistics on this page, which are (supposedly) updated weekly.
Nothing is as expensive as free money.
PCGS, like many businesses, would serve themselves better (read: get fewer annoying phone calls!) if they under-promised and over-delivered.
peacockcoins
So 7000-ish graded coins per day? Any idea how many graders they employ? I'm trying to guess how long it takes to process a coin from start to finish.
Doesn't exactly sound like they are slacking off though.
I have got some pretty quick turnaround times this year on some modern submissions. Say 4 or 5 weeks . What I don't understand is how (and I have had it happen numerous times) I can have a modern submission at PCGS for a month and then send another one in and it will beat the first one out by a couple of weeks. Grading is never my problem step. I have some take a week or 2 and they get to Q & A and then take 6 or 7 weeks to get out Q& A
What I meant by that is not door to door turnaround time, but how long a coin typically spends in front of someone's eyeballs. And I appreciate that it varies a lot depending on whether there are problems or questions about it.