Submission issue 4 4

[SoCalComics]

Recently, We submitted a warehouse find of unsold/boxed TMNT Last Ronins. We selected out about 260 copies because of their 9.8+ quality. Rather than individually bag and board square-bounds, we bound them into bundles of 10-12. We completed the process according to the standards accepted by CGC in the past. We;ve repeated this process with warehouse finds since 2015 with CGC's complete acceptance. Then we received this e-mail:

"HELLO, JAIMIE

I HAVE YOUR ORDER, BUT I NOTICE THAT YOU DIDN'T BAG AND BOARD THEM... AND BECAUSE OF THAT IT CAN'T BE PROCCESS. I CAN GIVE YOU TWO OPTIONS ; THE FIRST OPTIONS IS THAT WE SEND THEM BOOKS BACK TO YOU FOR YOU TO BAG AND BOARD.... THE SECOND OPTIONS IS THAT WE BAG AND BOARD BUT WE HAVE TO CHARGE YOU $2 PER BAG. PLEASE INFORM ON WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO.

ANGEL RAMSEY 

Certified Collectibles Group
p. 941-360-3990 | f. 941-360-2553
collectiblesgroup.com  Receiving Clerk"

We've complained to Customer Service. We re-read the submission directions and noted these instructions:

"When using a Shipping Kit, CGC recommends taking the following steps to ensure that your submission is received securely and expediently.

 Important Notice: The customer is responsible for safely and securely packaging the collectibles. Any instructions from CGC on how to package collectibles are only suggestions. The customer, in its sole discretion, must determine how to package the collectibles to prevent damage during the normal handling process. The customer assumes all risk of loss or damage to collectibles until collectibles are received and inspected by CGC."

According to CGC these instructions are only recommendations and we accept responsibility if damage occurs from our packaging.. Has anyone else dealt with these $2.00 CGC bag and board submission issues?

Jamie

Southern California Comics

[theCapraAegagrus]

I'm not sure that their email makes any sense. From their own website (How to Submit -> [4] Package & Ship Your Collectibles, "How to ship comics >"):

Edit: You already found this exact wording.

 

Edited June 13, 2023 by theCapraAegagrus

[Lightning55]

Seems like a money grab. They must be swimming in bags and boards, since people send them in and never get them back. So they want $520 to bag 260 comics. Good work if you can get it. 

If they sent them directly to page counting, after counting they could be bagged in their massive inventory of once-used bags. You even saved the counter the trouble of removing them individually from each bag, and they want to charge you to put them in. Ridiculous, especially for the size of the order, almost $6k.

[SoCalComics]

AND the receiving guy should not have the ability to pad the bill. Billing is the money department

[Gaard]

Hey Angel...

 

[Lightning55]

I'd escalate this to a supervisor at CGC.  Given the size of the order, your probable history of large volume, etc., they could do you the courtesy of handling this on their own.  Someone needs to apply a good dose of common sense.

At the "other guy", someone dropped off 2000 comics in long boxes at their front door for grading.  For such a massive order, they did whatever it took to get that through, and with a smile on their faces.

Edited June 13, 2023 by Lightning55

[Galen130]

Simple solution…stop submitting to CGC.

[Lazyboy]

On 6/13/2023 at 12:44 PM, SoCalComics said:

Recently, We submitted a warehouse find of unsold/boxed TMNT Last Ronins.

On 6/13/2023 at 12:44 PM, SoCalComics said:

YOU DIDN'T BAG AND BOARD THEM... AND BECAUSE OF THAT IT CAN'T BE PROCCESS. I CAN GIVE YOU TWO OPTIONS ; THE FIRST OPTIONS IS THAT WE SEND THEM BOOKS BACK TO YOU FOR YOU TO BAG AND BOARD.... THE SECOND OPTIONS IS THAT WE BAG AND BOARD BUT WE HAVE TO CHARGE YOU $2 PER BAG.

[CGC Mike]

On 6/13/2023 at 1:44 PM, SoCalComics said:

Recently, We submitted a warehouse find of unsold/boxed TMNT Last Ronins. We selected out about 260 copies because of their 9.8+ quality. Rather than individually bag and board square-bounds, we bound them into bundles of 10-12. We completed the process according to the standards accepted by CGC in the past. We;ve repeated this process with warehouse finds since 2015 with CGC's complete acceptance. Then we received this e-mail:

Hi Jamie

Let me double check on this for you.

Mike

[SoCalComics]

Mike,

That will be a very welcome assist

[CGC Mike]

On 6/14/2023 at 5:15 PM, SoCalComics said:

Mike,

That will be a very welcome assist

Hi

I have sent e-mails.  Please give me 1 to 2 working days to try and get this resolved, as you have shipped us books this way in the past.

Mike

[CGC Mike]

On 6/14/2023 at 5:15 PM, SoCalComics said:

Mike,

That will be a very welcome assist

Hi Jaime

I have asked that we rescind the $2 per book bagging charge, and you will not be charged for this.   One of the head graders is bagging them up for you now.  The grader did say the books received damaged in transit.  He suggested that you may want to consider bagging them going forward.  I am currently looking to see if this is some sort of requirement going forward.

Mike

[SoCalComics]

Mike,

They are heavy books to ship. If there is damage, it can't be to all of them. We packed them too well for that too be a reality. Any damage would not have been prevented by flimsy bags and thin boards.

Jamie

[SoCalComics]

On 6/15/2023 at 9:30 AM, CGC Mike said:

Hi Jaime

I have asked that we rescind the $2 per book bagging charge, and you will not be charged for this.   One of the head graders is bagging them up for you now.  The grader did say the books received damaged in transit.  He suggested that you may want to consider bagging them going forward.  I am currently looking to see if this is some sort of requirement going forward.

Mike

Mike,

I would appreciate more information on the damage sustained as this conflicts with another policy of CGC we encountered last year when we received a box back from your handling center due to damage. They claimed they would not open the box if it appeared to be damaged in anyway, so it was sent back, even though the books inside were completely fine and undamaged. This was extremely inconvenient for us as we were forced to pay for shipping and insurance on the package for a second time with no help from CGC or the post office. 

The books you are now stating are damaged were packaged with thick layers of bubble wrap encompassing all sides of the books in question, if damage did occur during transit there must have been some visual damage to the outside of the box as well.

Why was the box not sent back? Why was it opened if severe damage was present? Why did we receive an e-mail claiming we owed money before we were informer our books were damaged? This is not adding up.

[Gaard]

The box must've sustained heavy damage ... how else would CGC know that they weren't sent with damage already on the book(s)?

[Lightning55]

Grading comics that are perceived by CGC to have arrived damaged is even more ridiculous than the original topic of this thread.

Why would anyone want to pay to have damaged comics graded? Someone at CGC has to wake up.

Edited June 15, 2023 by Lightning55

[CGC Mike]

On 6/15/2023 at 4:50 PM, SoCalComics said:

Mike,

I would appreciate more information on the damage sustained as this conflicts with another policy of CGC we encountered last year when we received a box back from your handling center due to damage. They claimed they would not open the box if it appeared to be damaged in anyway, so it was sent back, even though the books inside were completely fine and undamaged. This was extremely inconvenient for us as we were forced to pay for shipping and insurance on the package for a second time with no help from CGC or the post office. 

The books you are now stating are damaged were packaged with thick layers of bubble wrap encompassing all sides of the books in question, if damage did occur during transit there must have been some visual damage to the outside of the box as well.

Why was the box not sent back? Why was it opened if severe damage was present? Why did we receive an e-mail claiming we owed money before we were informer our books were damaged? This is not adding up.

I have passed your concerns on to the team, Jamie.

[Gaard]

On 6/13/2023 at 1:44 PM, SoCalComics said:

 

 

I HAVE YOUR ORDER, BUT I NOTICE THAT YOU DIDN'T BAG AND BOARD THEM... AND BECAUSE OF THAT IT CAN'T BE PROCCESS.

 

 

Regardless of the outcome of this particular case, I was wondering if this is an actual policy at CGC. IOW, are bags a requirement when submitting? And if they are, why isn't this documented somewhere?

Edited June 17, 2023 by Gaard

[Axe Elf]

On 6/17/2023 at 1:49 PM, Gaard said:

Regardless of the outcome of this particular case, I was wondering if this is an actual policy at CGC. IOW, are bags a requirement when submitting? And if they are, why isn't this documented somewhere?

"When submitting books for grading, you are also required to donate one bag and one board of your choice to CGC.  If you do not have a bag and/or board to donate, CGC will provide the requisite materials at a cost of $2 per book."

I just made that up, but it's probably in the fine print somewhere.

[SoCalComics]

You know you've been kicked to the curb by CGC when they stop responding. Right now we have one of two boxes that have been opened, although a claim by CGC has stated that the contents are damaged. If so, then the shipping box must have been damaged. If that is the case their past policy has been to refuse the package and notify me. This time, that notification came after the fact and the comics are scheduled for grading.  I was told I would receive a call from a supervisor which never happened. I hate going over worker's heads to get a job done, but I'm now in CGC communication limbo. First time in the two decades I've been a dealer member.

Unfortunately for me, there is a second box containing similar Last Ronin bundles. BTW, we have found from experience that the odd-sized IDW Last Ronins ship safe and more efficiently in bag-wrapped bundles of 5-10 issues. They are too tall for Regular through GA bags. Mag bags, the next size up, are too wide to squeeze the books and prevent them from shifting in the bags in transit. We seem to be getting reamed for this knowledge.

The status of that box shows arrival at CGC per USPS. Nothing confirming the arrival of the box has surfaced on CGC’s site and it has been three weeks. All this nonsense is over packed books with no individual bags and boards.