82 Topps Traded Ripken PSA mistake?

[robsbessette]

I am currently trying to obtain one on another forum and came across someone who had two of them. One is PSA, the other was submitted, but got rejected because the card was supposedly "altered". Here is the message he sent me...

i have one i would trade, its not graded....actually....i sent it in - it looks nicer than my 9 oc, i thought i had an easy clear 9.... it came back as evidence of altering....NO IDEA - they mentioned NOTHING in specifics of what was altered... it wasnt trimmed, it wasnt bleached, NO CLUE.... its a beautiful card - again i was very frustrated, they didnt slab it, just put it in a flimsy case that you send it in....i could have just taken it out and traded or sold it this way because noboody would know the difference, BUT ....i want to be honest with people....i am honestly interested in trading it, i woudl give someone a good deal on it....i seriously have considered sending it to beckett or someone else b.c i got this from someone very reputable who i know owned it for a long time.... i fully disagree with the psa mention of alteration - especially with no mention of what is altered - regardless, if ur interested i can get you a picture of this card and i would trade that for nongraded stuff.... itd look great in a collection and again if i didnt tell you about this i dont think anyone would ever know - but its not how i operate, i want to be upfront.

My question: Is this something that could just be a fluke? Does PSA ever get accused of turning down a good card? What if it were submitted again and got a case and a grade? I have a scan coming to me later this evening. I will update and post later tonight. If I can get it for a good trade, I might go for it, but I have serious doubts.

[bbcard1]

It would not stop me from trading for it. But I think all grading companies are idiots.

[grainsley]

And credit where credit is due.....nice to see the honesty showing through.

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by robsbessette

if i didnt tell you about this i dont think anyone would ever know - but its not how i operate, i want to be upfront.

Kudos to the seller for being so honest, but I am again astounded that the (partial) opinion of some schmuck at a grading company is taken as the gospel so frequently in our hobby.

Send it in (and pay) again and the card might get a 10, or at 5, or a... really?

Buy the card, not the holder.

Doug

[David W]

Back when I was a PSA member I submitted a t206 Mullen twice, both times it came back altered.

I've owned it 10 years, the guy before me owned it 30 years, I'm sure none of us altered it, in fact I can't find anything wrong with it.

The maddening thing is they don't tell you what they think is altered, which might be nothing at all

[robsbessette]

I'm more or less curious as to why they don't say what is altered. If they are so-called "experts", shouldn't they have no issues with sharing their conclusion? You are paying for it, after all. I don't have much dealing with PSA and normally prefer ungraded cards. This just happens to be a unique situation for a card that I am trying to obtain.

[jthorst75]

I recently sent in a pack pulled 1993 SP Jeter to get graded only to have it returned "evidence of trimming". That was awesome because they took my money to "grade" it and never sabbed it or nothing. Just a flimsy card holder with a stupid sticker on it. PSA blows! I never bothered to have it regraded only to spend more money on an "expert" opinion.

[WillBBC]

Does anybody know how that process works? If Grader A deems the card as altered is it sent up chain to a senior grader to verify/deny Grader A's claims?