noelbeast Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 Hopefully this is in the right place. I tried posting a variation of this yesterday in Ask CGC, but still pending approval, and I posted another time there before about something else and never got a response. Looking for some advice based on experience someone might've had with a similar situation: Anyone here ever have to file a USPS insurance claim for books damaged on way to CGC? On April 17, CGC received from me 2 CGC 9.8 books I sent in for re-holders. I sent them because of some bad Newton Rings, slabs themselves were in fine condition when sent (documented with pictures). I also used a lot of bubble wrap on each, so I’d consider the box well-packaged, and insured for $600 with USPS. Submission status of the books on CGC’s website stated “Modern”, so I contacted to check if there was a mistake made. Found out yesterday from the person that got in touch with me that the books arrived to CGC with “impact damage”—first news I heard of this. CGC is now pressing for free, and regrading at no additional charge. Issue for me, though: if both regrades even drop to 9.6, I’m losing value of at least $350 based on current FMV. I have 34 days left to submit a claim to USPS, and don’t think I can wait for the pressings and re-gradings to see final outcome, based on current turnaround times. I’ve asked the CGC rep I was emailing for help with evidence to submit a claim with USPS, and they said they’d get back to me. Has anyone run into a problem like this before/received help from CGC to help resolve? I couldn't find mention of a case searching a bit through the forums. Basically, I’m looking for any reassurances that I’m not potentially about to lose a few hundred dollars or more for reasons beyond my control. Any advice beyond what I'm already doing? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vheflin Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 Get all the evidence you can and file a claim for the full value. The post office trashed it, it's on them. theCapraAegagrus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelbeast Posted May 9, 2020 Author Share Posted May 9, 2020 47 minutes ago, vheflin said: Get all the evidence you can and file a claim for the full value. The post office trashed it, it's on them. That’s the plan, just wondering if anyone has experience getting said evidence from CGC to help their with their case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Lions Den Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 (edited) All I can tell you is that CCS and CGC will do everything they can to keep the books graded at 9.8. It was smart of you to take your own pictures of the books and the packaging---you do have very important visual evidence if you have to file a claim. I would expect the process of pressing them and regrading them will take awhile, however. Periodically putting in a phone call to customer service to check on the status of the books isn't a bad idea, but please try to be patient. I assume you also have the invoice number for the books, which is essential in helping you keep track of their status. Hopefully you'll find something out soon. Good luck... Edited May 9, 2020 by The Lions Den Keys_Collector 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelbeast Posted May 9, 2020 Author Share Posted May 9, 2020 29 minutes ago, The Lions Den said: All I can tell you is that CCS and CGC will do everything they can to keep the books graded at 9.8. It was smart of you to take your own pictures of the books and the packaging---you do have very important visual evidence if you have to file a claim. I would expect the process of pressing them and regrading them will take awhile, however. Periodically putting in a phone call to customer service to check on the status of the books isn't a bad idea, but please try to be patient. I assume you also have the invoice number for the books, which is essential in helping you keep track of their status. Hopefully you'll find something out soon. Good luck... Appreciate it, thanks. I believe that CGC and CCS will do all that’s possible to keep the books at 9.8’s. But if it doesn’t play out that the grades stay the same and my window of filing a claim with USPS passes, any inaction on my part would literally equate to throwing money away. Guess I’ll just stay in communication with CGC and keep asking for evidence from them of the original damage they encountered as received. Was hoping they have a precedent for this sort of thing. I can’t be the first person to ever have this happen, can I? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaard Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 That's really nice of them. USPS screws up and damages the books, and CGC presses and grades them for free? The Lions Den and silverseeker 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Lions Den Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 7 minutes ago, noelbeast said: Appreciate it, thanks. I believe that CGC and CCS will do all that’s possible to keep the books at 9.8’s. But if it doesn’t play out that the grades stay the same and my window of filing a claim with USPS passes, any inaction on my part would literally equate to throwing money away. Guess I’ll just stay in communication with CGC and keep asking for evidence from them of the original damage they encountered as received. Was hoping they have a precedent for this sort of thing. I can’t be the first person to ever have this happen, can I? I would say no, but it is a bit more complicated when the books are damaged. Generally, reholdering is a pretty simple process which involves replacing the outer shell, not the inner well. It also complicates things when the book is damaged and has to go through the pressing process. In addition, it takes time for the books to be evaluated after they're pressed by CCS. I've seen books that had fairly significant damage brought back to the 9.8 level, but I've also seen it go the other way. I do commend you for taking photos of the books and the packaging materials you used---that's a critical factor if you have to file a claim for damages with the USPS. If they deem that the packaging was sufficient, that's usually the difference between a "yay" or a "nay." As far as evidence of the original damage, I sincerely hope someone documented that. But however it shakes out, I absolutely do wish you the best of luck... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Lions Den Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 4 minutes ago, Gaard said: That's really nice of them. USPS screws up and damages the books, and CGC presses and grades them for free? I've seen them do things like this numerous times... oldrover and silverseeker 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelbeast Posted May 9, 2020 Author Share Posted May 9, 2020 19 minutes ago, Gaard said: That's really nice of them. USPS screws up and damages the books, and CGC presses and grades them for free? Yup, by all means, very much appreciative that they’re doing that for me. I would’ve liked to know sooner that the books were damaged in the first place, but that wouldn’t have prevented any of the damage in the first place. Now just hoping they’ll take it one step further and send me some clear cut evidence to support my claim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelbeast Posted May 9, 2020 Author Share Posted May 9, 2020 19 minutes ago, The Lions Den said: I would say no, but it is a bit more complicated when the books are damaged. Generally, reholdering is a pretty simple process which involves replacing the outer shell, not the inner well. It also complicates things when the book is damaged and has to go through the pressing process. In addition, it takes time for the books to be evaluated after they're pressed by CCS. I've seen books that had fairly significant damage brought back to the 9.8 level, but I've also seen it go the other way. I do commend you for taking photos of the books and the packaging materials you used---that's a critical factor if you have to file a claim for damages with the USPS. If they deem that the packaging was sufficient, that's usually the difference between a "yay" or a "nay." As far as evidence of the original damage, I sincerely hope someone documented that. But however it shakes out, I absolutely do wish you the best of luck... Again, thank you. Will update on here when I learn more. The Lions Den 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorick Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 I think you should file a claim anyway (in spite of CGC attempting to fix USPS' mistake). USPS needs to be held accountable for gross handling mistakes. All you need are some pictures from CGC showing the box as it was received. YOU are the one who bought the insurance. YOU are the one that must file the claim. There are definable costs here that have been incurred because of the post office's handling (I just hope the costs do not exceed your insurance limits). theCapraAegagrus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelbeast Posted May 9, 2020 Author Share Posted May 9, 2020 13 minutes ago, Yorick said: I think you should file a claim anyway (in spite of CGC attempting to fix USPS' mistake). USPS needs to be held accountable for gross handling mistakes. All you need are some pictures from CGC showing the box as it was received. YOU are the one who bought the insurance. YOU are the one that must file the claim. There are definable costs here that have been incurred because of the post office's handling (I just hope the costs do not exceed your insurance limits). Oh I definitely will file a claim. Like I said, just need to get pictures from CGC of the original damage, or the box, whatever they (hopefully) have. When I was talking to the rep yesterday, I asked for pictures and she said she’d forward my question on to the processing team and get back to me. That was a little of a bummer to hear, I guess I had hoped there would be protocols that would allow her to produce some evidence fairly quickly. That’s why I posted on here, to ask if anyone else has experienced this situation, and to help quell some of my unease until next week or whenever CGC gets back to me. Not asking CGC to intervene for me. I’m fully prepared to do as much of the leg work as I need to hold USPS responsible for all this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightning55 Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 I see a few flaws in this process. As you said, there should be a protocol regarding damaged packages received by CGC. They should be set aside, customer notified as soon as possible. Maybe you didn't WANT them to proceed with the work, pending the outcome of the claim. Maybe you wanted them to ship everything back AS IS, so YOU could document it and file your claim. Nice that they are helping you gratis, but that may not have been the best plan. What would have happened if you didn't notice it said Modern?? A lot more time would have gone by, and maybe you lose your path to remedy. Most companies would have halted immediately, so as to not get involved in a tainted situation from a liability standpoint. Quite odd. Keys_Collector and silverseeker 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelbeast Posted May 9, 2020 Author Share Posted May 9, 2020 13 minutes ago, Lightning55 said: I see a few flaws in this process. As you said, there should be a protocol regarding damaged packages received by CGC. They should be set aside, customer notified as soon as possible. Maybe you didn't WANT them to proceed with the work, pending the outcome of the claim. Maybe you wanted them to ship everything back AS IS, so YOU could document it and file your claim. Nice that they are helping you gratis, but that may not have been the best plan. What would have happened if you didn't notice it said Modern?? A lot more time would have gone by, and maybe you lose your path to remedy. Most companies would have halted immediately, so as to not get involved in a tainted situation from a liability standpoint. Quite odd. I won’t lie: your thoughts have crossed my mind, and if it comes to it, I suppose those are always questions I can ask CGC. For now, I’m really hoping that how things have played out so far might be indicating that the damage was incredibly slight, if anything at all, and they’re pressing and regrading only as an over-abundance of caution. In this scenario, really hoping that the rep I communicated with just unintentionally caused me unnecessary concern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myowncollector Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 1 hour ago, Lightning55 said: I see a few flaws in this process. As you said, there should be a protocol regarding damaged packages received by CGC. They should be set aside, customer notified as soon as possible. Maybe you didn't WANT them to proceed with the work, pending the outcome of the claim. Maybe you wanted them to ship everything back AS IS, so YOU could document it and file your claim. Nice that they are helping you gratis, but that may not have been the best plan. What would have happened if you didn't notice it said Modern?? A lot more time would have gone by, and maybe you lose your path to remedy. Most companies would have halted immediately, so as to not get involved in a tainted situation from a liability standpoint. Quite odd. Agree. They shouldn't do anything with them until they had contact with you. Never filed a claim. But usps or insurance company doesn't need the damaged product? I figured if they paid the insurance they would want damaged item and auction off ones that still have some value. So insurance $ and possibly still get your 9.8s back sounds amazing. No wonder usps loses $ or has to raise prices. How many people are out there taking photos of their items, smashing them with a hammer and getting the insurance and their item back. File your return. Update us on how it turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelbeast Posted May 9, 2020 Author Share Posted May 9, 2020 19 minutes ago, Myowncollector said: Agree. They shouldn't do anything with them until they had contact with you. Never filed a claim. But usps or insurance company doesn't need the damaged product? I figured if they paid the insurance they would want damaged item and auction off ones that still have some value. So insurance $ and possibly still get your 9.8s back sounds amazing. No wonder usps loses $ or has to raise prices. How many people are out there taking photos of their items, smashing them with a hammer and getting the insurance and their item back. File your return. Update us on how it turns out. Honestly though, my conscious would never let me do that. I’m not trying to make money off this somehow, just want my comics looking nice and still 9.8’s. Took me many months to track one of them down, and it means a lot to me. The Lions Den 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myowncollector Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 1 minute ago, noelbeast said: Honestly though, my conscious would never let me do that. I’m not trying to make money off this somehow, just want my comics looking nice and still 9.8’s. Took me many months to track one of them down, and it means a lot to me. Oh yeah. I am not recommending fraud. Just saying if you get the $ and books that is pretty sweet. And I am sure some people do commit postal fraud. I never thought about it before but figured if you filed a insurance claim that they would want the item. So if I shipped out a $8,000 cgc comic. Case gets cracked pretty good, I get 8 grand insurance $ and then get to send book to cgc and most likely comes back a similar grade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorick Posted May 10, 2020 Share Posted May 10, 2020 I have filed claims for damages with the USPS and they took my damaged items as "evidence". So, with a rare book, you almost wouldn't want to file a claim as they'd take away your irreplaceable item. Myowncollector, The Lions Den, noelbeast and 1 other 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelbeast Posted May 11, 2020 Author Share Posted May 11, 2020 21 hours ago, Yorick said: I have filed claims for damages with the USPS and they took my damaged items as "evidence". So, with a rare book, you almost wouldn't want to file a claim as they'd take away your irreplaceable item. That’s good information to know, thank you. That also complicates things, of course. I wonder if the USPS would offer me an extension, based on the outcome of the work CGC is doing to try to preserve the original grades of the books before the shipment? Just pondering, not asking you to answer Though again, I feel like this all comes back to original evidence of the damage. If CGC can’t keep them at 9.8’s, it wouldn’t surprise me if USPS demanded evidence of original damage to pay out the insurance. Ugh. This just sucks on so many levels. I’ll not be mailing ever again. Insurance sounds great in theory, but only if the books are just lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadpoolica Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 23 hours ago, Yorick said: I have filed claims for damages with the USPS and they took my damaged items as "evidence". So, with a rare book, you almost wouldn't want to file a claim as they'd take away your irreplaceable item. They don't always want the item, just proof of damage & of value of the item Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
