Grading and Encapsulation 4 4

[Hempster]

I'm willing to wait in line for my items to be graded. What I'm not willing to do is to pay for items before they enter Grading and Encapsulation. Such is my case! I have been billed for items that haven't made it to the point of Grading and Encapsulation. I think this is unfair, I'm paying interest on those funds that are being held in limbo.    

[Ryan.]

Thanks for the update. 

[Math Teacher]

I assume that you knew the cost of submitting your books when you submitted them, right? I pay for many things with my credit card, because I get 2% cash back. Before I start charging for things, I make sure that I have quick access to the money that I need to pay off that credit card charge.

I just paid $900+ for two books using Venmo, and I don't expect to see them until next week. I would like to receive my books instantaneously, but until physicists invent the transporter, I am just going to have to wait for them to be delivered. You know, that brings an interesting philosophical question - if you were to receive books through the transporter, would they still be considered for a blue label?

From what I understand, once you get billed, you should expect to see your books relatively soon. I can't speak to the amount of time that "relatively soon" represents, as my most recent submission is still at my presser. I submitted these books to my presser in August, 2021, and I have decided that if I get them back by August, 2022, I will consider it a moral victory. Don't get me wrong - I would love to get my books back sooner. However, when I sent them in, they had been setting on my bookshelves for years, and I had not touched them for years. When I get them back, they will be stored on another set of bookshelves that I built to accommodate CGC slabs. If they had been setting on shelves before I submitted them, and they will be setting on shelves after they are returned, does it really make any difference where they are right now?

[Lightning55]

CGC can charge you as soon as they open the box and create a data record for the submission.  It's no different than someone sending a check along with their submission.  When the box gets opened, the check is deposited.

Lately, as CGC has been so backed up, they have been holding off on charging until much later in the process.  Sometimes you see a charge and your books are out the door a week later.  Sometimes 6 weeks. 

When you send the books in, plan on the money being gone immediately.

[Randall Ries]

On 2/21/2022 at 6:21 PM, Math Teacher said:

when I sent them in, they had been setting on my bookshelves for years, and I had not touched them for years. When I get them back, they will be stored on another set of bookshelves that I built to accommodate CGC slabs. If they had been setting on shelves before I submitted them, and they will be setting on shelves after they are returned, does it really make any difference where they are right now?

I think it does. You are assuming your books won't get lost, stolen or damaged at CGC while the stories are coming in from other submitters are about exactly those things. None of those things would happen if they were sitting on your bookshelves.

God. I read these reports and stories and believe them. I see the photographs. It isn't bad enough these things are being reported. The fact that CGC or any of the mods here EVER comment on them is almost worse. Never say "Yeah. We suck. We really DO need to do better and WILL do better" and actually do better. They never deny them, either. Just sit there in utter silence.

Their only purpose seems to be walking the yard and giving me suspensions to show how politically correct and moral they are. I never get the sense they are actually doing what they should be doing: Gathering data and reporting to their overlords: "Hey. We have a serious problem with just about EVERYTHING." When's the last time any mod actually got involved with forum members and acknowledged the CF that IS CGC? Since 2018 I have been reading these reports. From what I can gather, things have only become worse.

You have more faith and courage than I do. I had considered sending a few books in the past. It'd be a neat thing to have some raw books graded and retired. I like the concept. But I won't wait for a year on pins and needles. A YEAR? That's a ridiculous amount of time for so simple a process. It isn't rocket science. AFAIC, CGC is a joke and a terrible joke to play on customers. Talk about being gaslit. Slide you books in a toploader instead. Enjoy them. They'll sell that way too if that's your aim. Here's an industry secret: <drumroll>

Raw books get sold for good money every single day of the year.

 

[grendelbo]

On 2/21/2022 at 4:21 PM, Math Teacher said:

You know, that brings an interesting philosophical question - if you were to receive books through the transporter, would they still be considered for a blue label?

Yes, but conserved.

Use of a replicator would get the PLOD.

[PovertyRow]

On 2/21/2022 at 5:09 PM, grendelbo said:

Yes, but conserved.

Use of a replicator would get the PLOD.

 

My first Prt-Scrn attempt. Good reflexes for being 71 years old!

Edited February 22, 2022 by PovertyRow

[Randall Ries]

On 2/21/2022 at 8:09 PM, grendelbo said:

Yes, but conserved.

Use of a replicator would get the PLOD.

"Enterprise. What we got back...didn't LIVE long. Fortunately."

[Randall Ries]

On 2/21/2022 at 9:07 PM, PovertyRow said:

 

My first Prt-Scrn attempt. Good reflexes for being 71 years old!

Would the use of a replicator be like tearing the outer cover off a copy of a "Famous 1st Edition"?

[theCapraAegagrus]

How are you paying interest?

[Math Teacher]

On 2/22/2022 at 6:20 AM, theCapraAegagrus said:

How are you paying interest?

I agree with @theCapraAegagrus. If you pay off your credit card each month, you're not charged any interest. It's only when you carry a balance over more than a 1-month period that you get charged interest.

[Math Teacher]

On 2/21/2022 at 6:19 PM, Randall Ries said:

I think it does. You are assuming your books won't get lost, stolen or damaged at CGC while the stories are coming in from other submitters are about exactly those things. None of those things would happen if they were sitting on your bookshelves.

Well, keep in mind that we are in serious drought conditions where I live. Also, I have grandchildren, and I keep my books in my basement (well above waist level though). And trust me, but with my sometimes swiss-cheesed brain, I can set a book down and spend hours/days looking for it.

On 2/21/2022 at 6:19 PM, Randall Ries said:

You have more faith and courage than I do. I had considered sending a few books in the past. It'd be a neat thing to have some raw books graded and retired. I like the concept. But I won't wait for a year on pins and needles. A YEAR? That's a ridiculous amount of time for so simple a process. It isn't rocket science. AFAIC, CGC is a joke and a terrible joke to play on customers. Talk about being gaslit.

I guess that I am fortunate that I have not experienced such damages in the past. CGC did lose three of my books (ASM #194, #300, #361), but they paid the amounts I listed for each book, and I also got $300 in grading credit. When I posted my books in the HB,CYSAG? forum, each was evaluated at between 9.4 and 9.6. I used the money I received to buy 9.4 copies of all my books, and I had a little money left over. There was no guarantee that the books that I sent would get a 9.4 or a 9.6; they could have come back as 9.2s.

Look, I am not a CGC shill. If you have read any of my posts, I have criticized CGC plenty of times. However, I think that it is unreasonable to expect a moderator, like @CGC Mike, to engage with board members about CGC problems. I would guess that many of these decisions are far above Mike's pay grade. If you are serious about this, I might suggest that you start a petition asking @Matt Nelsonto answer some of the questions of board members. Matt, who also may not be the main decision-maker, is at least the president of CGC.

If I wanted to pursue this, this is what I would do:

1) I would start a petition asking @Matt Nelson to respond to submitted questions from board members. I would be glad to provide a question or two.
2) If, and that's a big IF, Matt agrees, give board members several days to post insightful questions. Insightful - Matt, could you please explain how QC has become so poor recently? Not insightful - Matt, why does CGC suck so much? I think there would be numerous questions that would be more or less the same question, and they then could be consolidated into approximately 10 questions.
3) If Matt has agreed to this, give him these ten questions and give him several days to respond. Once Matt responds to these questions, the thread is IMMEDIATELY locked to avoid a slew of additional questions or arguments. Pin this thread in some forum (I don't know which forum would be best), so people could see these responses whenever they want.
4) If Matt is agreeable, this process could be repeated on a yearly basis.

I actually believe that this would be an excellent idea, but I don't feel strongly enough about this issue to pursue it. I keep plenty busy with subbing, along with my quest to find FF #39 in CGC 8.5 and FF #57 and #58 in CGC 9.4.

It's clear that you feel quite strongly about this issue. I've laid out a pretty comprehensive plan for you to follow, if you are so interested. As I mentioned, there's no guarantee that Matt would go along with this idea, but, based on my experiences with him, he seems to be a pretty nice guy. What's the worst thing that can happen? He could say, "No."

You are more than welcome to continue to complain about these issues, but I think doing something constructive, such as trying to start a dialogue with someone who is a decision-maker for the company, might be a better use of your time. I imagine that many fellow board members would be appreciative of your efforts.

Best of luck!

Edited February 22, 2022 by Math Teacher

[CGC Mike]

On 2/22/2022 at 8:33 AM, Math Teacher said:

Look, I am not a CGC shill. If you have read any of my posts, I have criticized CGC plenty of times. However, I think that it is unreasonable to expect a moderator, like @CGC Mike, to engage with board members about CGC problems. I would guess that many of these decisions are far above Mike's pay grade.

Actually, it is part of my job.  If I don't know the answers, I consult with someone who does.  

[Math Teacher]

On 2/22/2022 at 8:14 AM, CGC Mike said:

Actually, it is part of my job.  If I don't know the answers, I consult with someone who does.  

Mike, I apologize for my assumption. Would answering ten questions as I proposed be something you might be interested in?

Thanks!

[CGC Mike]

On 2/22/2022 at 9:20 AM, Math Teacher said:

On 2/22/2022 at 9:14 AM, CGC Mike said:

Actually, it is part of my job.  If I don't know the answers, I consult with someone who does.  

Mike, I apologize for my assumption. Would answering ten questions as I proposed be something you might be interested in?

Thanks!

As far as the questions you proposed above like why does CGC suck so much, the answer is no.  If someone comes to me with a specific problem, I will try to find an answer for them.  

[Math Teacher]

On 2/22/2022 at 8:37 AM, CGC Mike said:

As far as the questions you proposed above like why does CGC suck so much, the answer is no.  If someone comes to me with a specific problem, I will try to find an answer for them.  

Mike, I hope you didn't think that I wanted you to answer questions like, "Why does CGC suck so much?" That's why I labelled that question as not insightful.

[CGC Mike]

On 2/22/2022 at 2:00 PM, Math Teacher said:

Mike, I hope you didn't think that I wanted you to answer questions like, "Why does CGC suck so much?" That's why I labelled that question as not insightful.

Understood!  

[Dr. Bruce Banner]

Regarding the original comment ... I just got a response in the "Ask CGC" forum about the timing of billing. I too just got bill (Mid-February) for five submissions that were received between mid-November and mid-January. My previous submission was not billed (late December) until shortly before shipped back (late December). Here is what CGC had to say:  "Our accounting department has recently transitioned into a new system that charges automatically as soon as invoices are received into the system. There have been a few cases in the past, where some submissions were not charged immediately. Our accounting department is currently catching up on all those old submissions that were not charged previously."

[Hempster]

On 2/21/2022 at 3:21 PM, Math Teacher said:

I assume that you knew the cost of submitting your books when you submitted them, right? I pay for many things with my credit card, because I get 2% cash back. Before I start charging for things, I make sure that I have quick access to the money that I need to pay off that credit card charge.

I just paid $900+ for two books using Venmo, and I don't expect to see them until next week. I would like to receive my books instantaneously, but until physicists invent the transporter, I am just going to have to wait for them to be delivered. You know, that brings an interesting philosophical question - if you were to receive books through the transporter, would they still be considered for a blue label?

From what I understand, once you get billed, you should expect to see your books relatively soon. I can't speak to the amount of time that "relatively soon" represents, as my most recent submission is still at my presser. I submitted these books to my presser in August, 2021, and I have decided that if I get them back by August, 2022, I will consider it a moral victory. Don't get me wrong - I would love to get my books back sooner. However, when I sent them in, they had been setting on my bookshelves for years, and I had not touched them for years. When I get them back, they will be stored on another set of bookshelves that I built to accommodate CGC slabs. If they had been setting on shelves before I submitted them, and they will be setting on shelves after they are returned, does it really make any difference where they are right now?

Yes!