My Actual PSA Turnaround Times
TMCerebus
Posts: 13 ✭
My actual turnaround times, in business days, over the last three months (ending 7/24/25). The business days I use for calculation are those that PSA customer service has provided, so they are accurate.
These are all VALUE PLUS submissions, with a PSA estimate of 20 business days.
Of the 16 orders in total (completed and still in progress) ... 69% did NOT complete within the 20 bus days. Of those that were late, the average was 32.4 bus days.
Of the 13 "completed" orders ... I had an order take 42 bus days, another 38 bus days, with 36% taking 25 bus days.
Of the 3 "still in-progress" orders ... They are currently at 48 bus days, 45 bus days, and 29 bus days (and still growing).
OF INTEREST is that the PSA website is boasting that their VALUE service is estimated at 45 days. That is curious given that they are aware that there are VALUE PLUS orders taking this much time, or even longer.
Comments
You’re not alone.
On the current order that is at 48 bus days ... 28 bus days late ... I keep getting the pathetic excuse that "20 days is just an estimate". More like a "random guess"!
Two weeks ago (at 38 bus days) the PSA rep told me that they'd flag the order with a "request to expedite". Still waiting for the order 10 days later. Guess 48 bus days is "expedited".
So you go check out a car ... the salesperson says it will cost about $20,000 ... you are interested and take the test drive and get your mechanic to check the car out ... you go back saying that you would like to make the purchase ... the salesperson says that the car is actually $48,000 ... how does one feel about the "estimate" now? ... but the salesperson says that you can't complain since it was only an estimate
How does PSA get away with this? Rhetorical question, I guess.
I have several "20 day" orders that were due July 1. I get the same excuse. being double the time is really poor. If its 20 days and you have grades in 25, thats reasonable but when we are in the next price category thats not acceptable
Paying $40/card for VALUE PLUS ... waiting 45+ bus days on two orders ... while they are boasting about 45 bus day turnaround for VALUE at $25/card.
If their boast is correct ... I'm paying $40/card while they are giving shorter turnaround times to people paying $25/card.
If their boast is all a lie ... then they are deliberately misleading their customers.
Also ...
This whole "we will flag it as request to expedite" is obviously just crap, used to placate the customers while they do nothing differently.
If the flag was true ... why do they only do this when a customer complains? ... why not flag any order that is more than DOUBLE it's estimated turnaround time?
I also had 42 days on a 20 business day sub. I notified and received a voucher for 200.
Hmmm ... I have two completed VALUE PLUS orders, one at 42 days and the other at 38 days.
I asked the PSA rep if I could get compensated, somehow, since I paid $40/card but got service more like the VALUE $25/card.
They said "no" politely.
I've got a lot more cards to get graded. My plan was to have them ALL graded by the same service, looks better that way.
But after all my PSA orders, the lateness, and the lack of customer service ... I've sent out my recent submissions to BGS.
I have no experience with BGS, and maybe they will take 2.5 times the turnaround (like PSA), and maybe they will have no customer service (like PSA) ... but what can I lose by trying?
yep...if they are taking that long and you could have submitted at a lower level, seems to me there should be some kind of refund...if they can upcharge when a card is worth more than the level submitted at, they can do a refund when they take so long with an order that the person could have submitted it a lower level...really getting tough...maybe they have converted some of the card graders into comic/magazine graders, further slowing things up on the card front...submission prices going up but turnaround times progressively getting worse? Not a good look...
Not to mention the 11 orders at value that are still in Research since late May
say hello to the influx of Pokemon cards
Will my May 12th received order (est. by June 13th) reach the 50 bus day mark??? Maybe all the cards will get this label?
I think what you're looking at on the website are the recently updated improved turnaround times.
I currently have Value Orders submitted that said 65 days when submitted, but now say 45 days on the website.
I also have an Value Oversize Order that was in Research for what seemed like forever, then went from Grading to Assembly within a couple hours of the same day. (Strangely though, I never received an email to review my order.)
It supposed to be ready in a few days (45 business days), so hopefully and it seems to be running on schedule.
Yes, that was what I was reading. Thanks for the clarification of the July 8th update.
But, VALUE PLUS have always been 20 business days. So I think my remarks are justified.
PSA says there is no change to the VALUE PLUS orders turnaround time. So we can expect these to continue being 49 bus days, 46 bus days, 42 bus days ... to list just some actual real examples of mine.
Why pay for VALUE PLUS when PSA is saying that VALUE now takes less days to process?
If VALUE PLUS are taking 150% longer than estimated, are we to believe the 45 day VALUE orders won't take 112 days?
PSA isn't trustworthy on their "estimates" and they refuse to be accountable if the orders take more than DOUBLE their estimate.
I only wish that what I'll end up paying PSA was an estimate! 20 days is really 50 days to them. So $40/card should really be $16/card. Ha ha.
isn't much reason to submit at higher levels if all orders are taking 2+ months, unless you need/want the cards back quickly or you are submitting some high-dollar cards...just send in an order every month or so and eventually, hopefully you will have an order coming back every month?
To summarize, based on my actual experience with 16 PSA VALUE PLUS orders over the last 3 months ...
If you use VALUE PLUS service with a PSA estimate of 20 business days ...
69% chance that it will take longer than the 20 days.
44% chance that it will even take longer than 25 days.
25% chance that it will even take longer than 40 days.
So with any VALUE PLUS submission ... there is a 1 in 4 chance that the turnaround will exceed 40 days (twice as long as estimated). Could even exceed 50 days.
This is why I think they have to receive the lowest score of any business on the planet. There is no concept of customer service or customer satisfaction, only we will do what serves our interest most. Giving back money because we did not deliver the service window that you paid, hmmm, no, we'd rather keep your money. [Insert comical greeting that is so inappropriate coming from someone who just screwed you over like "We appreciate your business and hope you have a lovely day."]
I had to deal with them on cards they list on eBay (which feels like a very inappropriate conflict of interest) and I bid on something and made a mistake because the eBay search was for this but pulled this result that was something different. My bid increased the value by $10 and the auction had 5 days to go so my retraction would not be a big deal but when I asked for the bid to be canceled I got the absolutely not have a lovely day canned response. Talked to eBay and they canceled it within 10 minutes of the ask. I was just like wow, I cant believe that the customer is always wrong, us first, ring the register is all that matters PSA approach carried over to the way they sell cards on eBay too. After that will never buy an eBay card with PSA as a seller.
Got the grades on one Value Plus order today. The 4 of the cards graded from 68 and 73 all major stars got 8s. A 8.5 73 Ryan and a 73 Fisk 9 and a 73 Bench 9
Had to pay an upcharge on the Ryan and Bench
While awaiting my VALUE PLUS orders of 30 bus days and 46 bus days ...
My VALUE PLUS order of bus day 49 is finished "QA Checks" ... yippee ... fireworks ...
Oh wait, it is not showing "Grades Ready" but "Accounting Hold" instead. On Hold, never had that before.
Guess they want to drag this one out to hit a new record ... 50 is sooooo close.
This will be my last post on the subject ... guess I'm done whining.
As stated, my latest order has gone to BGS and I shall see. Hard to imagine them being worse that PSA ... no customer service and 2.5 times the estimated turnaround time.
I "estimate" that you all will become billionaires with gorgeous wifes/husbands and experience nothing but eternal bliss. BUT as PSA would say ... "don't complain if that doesn't happen since this is only an estimate".
Mine said accounting hold as well then I got the email about up charges. Maybe that’s why. Once I accepted the up charge it went to completing in minutes
They want to research what to up charge you is what that hold means. Check your email over the next few business days.
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im pretty sure i could grade 1,000 per day without much trouble.
shipping 500 a day
grading 500 a day
labels and research 500 per day
sealing 500 per day
pop report 500 per day
registry management 500 per day
so for 1,000 cards at 25 a piece
25,000 revenue - labor costs of 3000 =22,000 profit before cost of goods and over head
thats for one grader doing 1000 cards
pretty sure you should be able to hire thousands of people to do this kind of jobs. over 100,000 per year for everyone .
just break the graders up 1991 and older and 1992 and newer. cardboard vs non cardboard.
You’re hired.
i sent 2 cards- prewar under Value $24.99/each (65 days)...arrived 6/30 --Order Prep 7/11
now they changed it to 45 days now just recently.
Says expected by Oct 13
Does that seem right?? Yeah for 65 days
That be 22 bus days in July (-4th july)
21 bus days in August
20 bus days in September (-labor,-Rosh)
7 bus days in Oct (-Yom, -Columbus)
Hoping the new estimated is early September.
I wish you the best ... crossed fingers on 45 bus days for your VALUE order.
I've got two VALUE PLUS (20 day) orders that arrived at PSA in May ... one is at 50 bus days and counting, the other at 47 bus days and counting.
Final count, with 20 VALUE PLUS submissions over the last 3 months. Average 28 business days, with 75% over 20 business days, 25% over 36 business days.
My Value Oversize sub passed it's estimated completion date. It's now 3 days past and counting.
Looks like they brought the 1 sonic sealer and the 1 guy who can run it to the National. (Just kidding PSA...kinda. LOL)
My other Value subs aren't slated to be ready until the end of Sept and the June special, not until mid Oct!
I've decided after this year I am done with grading companies. Sick and tired paying for 2 month service and getting 4-5 month service. I've had enough.
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ohio State Buckeyes - National Champions
i used to get them done in 10 days for $5..
You’re showing your age now. I can remember those days myself.
You could actually do bulk for $4.25/per.
Thanks,
David (LD_Ferg)
1985 Topps Football (starting in psa 8) - #9 - started 05/21/06
I was getting $4 per for 500 cards per order AND free review if I questioned any grades. Those were the days
Incredible...Its great that the grading industry has grown so much, but boy did service go way down.
There was a story I heard long ago about a man who kept rabbits. For a time it was a pleasant life with these cute little creatures running around happily immersing themselves in a peaceful place. Then one day the man noticed that there were more rabbits. And then many more rabbits. So many rabbits that he became a hot topic of discussion in every corner of his community. Rabbits everywhere. Too many to count. And no way to control them. But they don’t go away. They just keep on hopping around looking for more. More of what keeps them hopping.
Farewell Ryno.
Old man Fibonacci… shakes fist
The good old Joe Orlando days!
Late 60's and early to mid 70's non-sports