Apparent PCGS policy: Paying for Variety Attribution doesn't mean the variety will be on the label?
lermish
Posts: 4,045 ✭✭✭✭✭
I am so angry at this email I just got from customer service that I am absolutely apoplectic.
I recently had a few coins graded with variety attribution. The coins required new PCGS numbers as they are chopmarked variants of the newly released Kirchgessner trade dollar TDVs. They are all details coins but important to me for my variety set. When the order flew through all stages I expected an error but, upon checking the results, all of the varieties were attributed properly and all looked good. Sweet!
Upon receiving the coins today, it appears they left the varieties off of the label. That's annoying but at least it's an easy fix. I spoke to someone in customer service and emailed in pictures of the coins in the holder to verify the issue. This is the email I received in return:
PCGS Associate Customer Care Representative said:
Thank you for providing the photo,
Unfortunately, these would not need to come back as an error to be fixed. In the space that usually states the Variety, it is occupied with the details grade, as there is no room, they elected to leave it off the label itself. The coin's spec number and certification numbers all describe the variety.
I sent back a very angry email because I am very angry along with photo evidence of several other coins proving that having the variety on the label of even a details coin is (of course) standard.
PCGS’s customer service and quality control have been declining for years, but this is genuinely shocking. To specifically state that paying for variety attribution doesn't mean the variety attribution gets on the label? Absolutely absurd.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
Comments
In case anyone was wondering:
Thanks @FlyingAl
The three new coins (top) with three similarly detailed and variety attributed coins (bottom):
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
I’m sorry for what you’re experiencing.
My unsolicited suggestion is to reply to the email you received and include several pictures of PCGS coins/holders that have as much or more information on the labels as would be necessary for yours to be changed to your satisfaction. Now for the really hard part - be way more polite than you feel like being.😉
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Mark, he has already done that per the OP.
Edited to say- as a submitter, paying hundreds to thousands of dollars for professional grading, one expects a professional job. When the submitter has to do the grader's job for them, it gets infuriating. Variety attribution in particular has been a problem as of the last several years.
Thanks, Alex and oops.
In that case, I recommend that the message and images be resent. And state that as a submitter, based on multiple PCGS labels seen with the same amount of information and the submission being under the variety tier, the reasonable expectation was that all of the information would be included on the label. Therefore, PCGS should either add the information, free of cost (including postage) or refund the invoice fees in full.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
@FlyingAl is right, I have done that. And you are right also, honey vs. vinegar and all of that.
However, more than half of my submissions have errors of some sort which is frustrating in and of itself, but can be rectified. Spending years fighting the good fight regarding the degradation we've seen in the Registry is demoralizing.
But to be forced to call in and then told patently wrong information and have to escalate/complain/beg/whine/plead just to get them to fix their error time and again is beyond the pale.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
Mark, I agree. Perhaps they'll do it once they see this thread, but it would have been nice to see things done right the first time, especially with how much certification costs these days.
I contacted PCGS to see what they needed in order to have a pedigree added to a label and included the info I have (admittedly, it's not a lot) and asked if that info would be sufficient. The response: "Send the coin and your info in (along with some money, of course) and see what happens." Really? You already have the info, how hard could it be to actually look at it and tell me if it's enough or not?
I don't expect them to give me a grade opinion for free. On the other hand, I don't think it's too much to ask to have them describe what sort of info they require for a pedigree designation, especially after I've provided them with the info I have to review.
PCGS customer service? Not impressed.
I just got an email from @PCGS_Hy acknowledging the error and resolving the situation. Thank you Hy.
But having to go through this escalation/complain process for every error, which is disappointingly common, leaves scar tissue. I've already started moving what subs I can to CACG.
Please PCGS...do better. We want to give you business. Just don't punish us for doing it.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
I have sent in 50+ coins to be attributed and many were detail coins to PCGS, NGC, ANACS and ICG. All were attributed on the holder correctly but one. I would not be happy with the email answer at all and feel a phone call to a more representative customer service person will suffice. I know PCGS is better than that. JMO
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
Based on posts from multiple forum member submitters, sometimes PCGS is “better than that” but other times, not.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Although I haven’t submitted coins for grading for more than 10 years, I still think I have a pretty good idea how you feel. It’s up to you to decide how much frustration and effort you’re willing to put up with in order to keep trying with PCGS. Whatever you decide, I hope it works out for you.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
That didn't work for me. Their response was so poor that it sent me into orbit and necessitated changes in my approach to PCGS. Constant vinegar, acid, and use of a flamethrower while complaining about their incompetence seemed to work for me.
Better yet, switching my TP grading to CACG worked even better. Tougher grading but no wasted money on attribution failures or orange TrueViews.
But have you seen their new glossy magazine that is irrelevant to the services they provide? My garbage cans look forward to it every few months.
I hope that although you wrote “garbage cans” that included a recyclables container.😉
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
WHAT?!
Apparently, you know one of my hobbies is dumpster diving for aluminum cans. It's my "Cans for Silver Coins" program. Glossy mags have high clay content and don't recycle well.
PCGS_ HY is a gem, and I will always praise his efforts on my behalf.
Why can't they use smaller font for adding Details, Pedigrees, and attributions? It may be better to send coins to Varslab rather than deal with PCGS's lazy attribution service. They cannot do reed counts though on slabbed coins though unless they will take one's word on the number of reeds on the edge.