Completely awful experience and unacceptably poor customer service by CGC...and why should they care, cause where else would I send my books? 5 5

[joeypost]

On 1/25/2024 at 6:50 PM, revat said:

honestly, this whole situation seems like it deserves a personal phone call and apology from one of the big bosses at CGC with a full explanation of what happened and how processes will be improved, with a full refund, free press and grading of this book, and at least one full free CGC SS submission (max value of $xxx) for a CGC SS private event in the future.  And literally every single employee who was contacted should have to call and apologize and say what they could have done better.

If they do it for one, they would have to do it for all. If that were the fact, the bosses would never get off the phone apologizing to people. 

[Axe Elf]

Live look-in at the CGC Apology Center:

[DougC]

I hate to be snarky but you should also be thankful they didn't just "lose" your book as has become uncommonly.... common, given all the posts about it in the forums over the last 3 years.

Also; just refunding your money doesn't make whole. They knowingly mailed you someone else's book that you had to return only for them to not complete the service on your own book. Refunding your money just makes a null transaction; there should be some type of account compensation.

[Gaard]

I'm wondering to myself if it's SOP for this kind of ignoring over there, or if it was a 'perfect storm' scenario (multiple employees dropping the same ball). I've seen numerous posts by people (in the Ask CGC section) informing them of books being entered into the system with the wrong title, issue, printing, whatever. They are ALWAYS told the same thing ... it'll get fixed down the pipe. It's hit or miss if it is.

[Nick Furious]

On 1/26/2024 at 5:06 AM, Gaard said:

I'm wondering to myself if it's SOP for this kind of ignoring over there, or if it was a 'perfect storm' scenario (multiple employees dropping the same ball). I've seen numerous posts by people (in the Ask CGC section) informing them of books being entered into the system with the wrong title, issue, printing, whatever. They are ALWAYS told the same thing ... it'll get fixed down the pipe. It's hit or miss if it is.

I heard a Stanford alum tell a story about having a possible heart attack on campus.  When he got to the medical center, they were very calm and not very concerned.  When he asked why they said, "you're not having a heart attack, you're having a panic attack...we see it all the time".  I think one possible explanation is that CGC customer service sees so many "panic attacks" each week that they may not take it seriously when it is an actual heart attack.  Another more likely explanation is that the system is just too complex for a customer service representative to be able to get definitive solutions to problems like this, so they create a "note" and hope that works.  

[csaag]

On 1/25/2024 at 6:50 PM, revat said:

honestly, this whole situation seems like it deserves a personal phone call and apology from one of the big bosses at CGC with a full explanation of what happened and how processes will be improved, with a full refund, free press and grading of this book, and at least one full free CGC SS submission (max value of $xxx) for a CGC SS private event in the future.  And literally every single employee who was contacted should have to call and apologize and say what they could have done better.

Reminds me of an episode decades ago when I had a Gateway 486PC that I bought my, then toddler, son PC games for (shout out to anyone who ever played Putt Putt Saves the Zoo with their kid).      The game came with a rebate where you had to register it & clip out the bar code and send it in with the receipt. I ended up going thru a long series of emails and excuses why I wasn't eligible for it.   I got so fed up with the run around that I researched the executives of the company , printed out the email chain and included it when writing a marketing executive a letter. I told them I wasn't writing about the lack of the rebate but more about the infuriation from how their reps handled the situation, especially for a long time customer who bought & registered all of their games.

A month or so later I got a hand written response from that executive apologizing for the experience and that they wanted me to know they hand walked the letter to that department to show them.  I imagine they must have given me the rebate but all I remember is the apology letter.

[thehumantorch]

On 1/25/2024 at 10:37 AM, dbcn said:

That is * awful - sorry to hear about it but good on you for documenting every step of failure.  

I've found that CGC's customer service is above average, but the QC is rock bottom terrible - I've sent over 20 books back in the last few months for blatantly obvious mechanical errors - like, taking a passing glance at the book should have set off a trigger to stop the process - but nah, let's ship it out anyway. I mean sure, people are human and mistakes happen, but I don't see any action being taken to address the mistakes.

I'm actually in the process of sending an SS book back to CGC because they sent me the wrong SS book - another submitter noticed that the book they received wasn't theirs, and was honest enough to reach to CGC and they determined that they had sent the other submitters book to me. The kicker is that I sent in a 7.5 book with minimal grader notes, got a 7.0 back with additional notes, and the QC is so terrible that I just figured that CGC just mishandled by book so badly that the grade got knocked down - didn't even cross my mind to check if it wasn't actually the right book.

I'd be livid about the signature though - that should 100% be on CGC to track down the creator and have them sign it, special in house signing, convention, whatever.  They should also be fully refunding your money and giving you a credit for another signing rather than you fighting about $5 with them.

I understand that mistakes happen but mixing up submitters books is unforgivable

[fast eddie]

I have so many nice books I want to send in,,,,,,,, but stories like this are keeping them in the box,,,,,,

[Heronext]

On 1/25/2024 at 6:56 PM, joeypost said:

If they do it for one, they would have to do it for all. If that were the fact, the bosses would never get off the phone apologizing to people. 

I got one of those calls

After asking for it

[joeypost]

On 1/29/2024 at 6:18 PM, Heronext said:

I got one of those calls

After asking for it

That’s good to hear. What level of management got back to you?

[Heronext]

On 1/29/2024 at 6:42 PM, joeypost said:

That’s good to hear. What level of management got back to you?

MN

[erikdj79]

In the most stunning turn of events ever, I received my book back today...signed by Kevin Eastman on 11/20/23.  Which means they were completely incorrect when they told me it never got signed.  They had it signed and then lost it somewhere.  I got exactly what I had wanted in the first place, albeit taking a long time to do so.  Unbelievable.

[Paul Kosnik]

On 2/13/2024 at 5:17 PM, erikdj79 said:

In the most stunning turn of events ever, I received my book back today...signed by Kevin Eastman on 11/20/23.  Which means they were completely incorrect when they told me it never got signed.  They had it signed and then lost it somewhere.  I got exactly what I had wanted in the first place, albeit taking a long time to do so.  Unbelievable.

Wow what a frustrating turn of events, but i'm really happy to hear in the end you got your book, signed, pressed, and it was free.  I'm sure you'd rather have your time and frustration back than the free service, but at least you got your book back, and signed!  After reading all of the drama, i for one want to see the final result!

[Gaard]

what a cluster