PSA Folded my Item to fit in their Holder?!
 

I just wanted to share my PSA return and get all of your thoughts on what happened because I am quite upset. This is a payroll check from the Chicago Cubs to Larry Doyle, for whom I am a big collector. This is the only autograph I have ever seen where he signed his full name. I was quite excited to get it returned to me, only to find that my item was folded to fit inside the holder. I was not asked if I wanted this done, and certainly would have elected for a larger holder or to have my item returned to me loose.
Why is PSA Folding over items to fit in their holder? This is not simply a cut autograph, but the item itself is an artifact.
Am I justified in being upset? Is this on me for not knowing holder dimensions?

https://i.imgur.com/qJB90Rh.png

Wow. That is actually pretty shocking.

Absolutely no way that should've been done without your approval.

This should not have happened.

If this is as it appears, I am stunned.

No way should PSA have folded that check; especially considering the fold essentially ruins the signature of Charles Weeghman, who was the Cubs' team owner who built Wrigley Field.

Steve

They must have a bunch of people there that don’t know what they’re doing

Max, this is insane. I would contact Nat Turner and Ryan Hoge via Twitter & Instagram if I were you.

Sorry this happened to you.

WOW!!! That's insane that they did that!! What were they thinking? That's causing damage to your check! I'm sorry they did this to you. I really hope that you jump on them about it. They shouldn't be able to do that and get away with it.

:eek:

This is hilarious. I’d crack that open asap.

Omg

WOW !!!

(P)erpetually (S)enseless (A)sswipes

Absolutely should not have happened. They intentionally creased an item in their care.... And I am pretty sure they do have a holder it would fit in. They should fix it by putting into appropriate case and compensate you for the damage. Sorry this happened.

Wow, don't let them get away with crediting you for the transaction. You deserve a full refund and more, cash.

Sent from my SM-S721U1 using Tapatalk

I literally just said out loud... "Well, that's f*ckin' ridiculous."

Yes. Contact a lawyer and sue PSA for damages.

Maybe contacting PSA first would be worth doing before spending money on a lawyer.

I can't believe they did that. They should have just sent it back and said, "could not holder".

Total and absolute bull$hit. I smell lawsuit.

What are the damages? $300,000? Or $75? I’m sure the lawyers will be lining up around the block for this case.

Awful. So sorry

Jeff, def hard to out a value on this. What would you recommend if this was your item given the 2 signatures & background

I thought your post was going to be about a T201 double folder! Sorry, folding over a check, shouldn't have happened

But where is he going to find a lawyer? (he says with a smirk)

Yes, that is definitely something that erased a good amount of value, imo. That is a total mistake on their part and you should be compensated. I say you should be given your full purchase price of the check and a refund on all grading/shipping fees.

eek!
 

Was there an existing crease/fold line where they folded it? Or did they add a new crease to the check?

Hopefully no new damage was caused and they will re-holder into an appropriately sized slab.

Re: PSA Folded my Item to fit in their Holder?!
 

PSA's stupidity is mind blowing.

that is really un professional. They should have contacted you to discuss options
But it is especially Odd because there are so many checks that are put in different types of slabs so it should not be that complex to put in the right slab

That’s just awful. This is one of the first subjects here that everyone seems to agree on too. Use that in the lawsuit!

Ridiculous! Just using basic common sense, one would definitely question folding the check, and then reach out to the owner first. Sorry this happened to you!

100% - some dummy selected the first check slab that popped up , it looks like one made for smaller modern checks

Correct!
This is horrible, I'd be pissed too!

Here's the larger slab, which should have been used
The slab is larger then my scanner bed

https://qualitycards.com/pictures/84563501.jpg

Out of all the words you could have chosen, you chose hilarious?

atrocious! sorry this happened to you!

What in the world!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!??! I am freaking flabbergasted. Who is working over there at PSA that thought this was A-OK to do!?!?!??!??!?!?!?!

Someone who’s not qualified to work with COLLECTIBLES .
“ duh it’s authenticated crunch crunch”
Authentication is important but presentation is the reason we collect this stuff

Presentation and how about simply not damaging an item any more than it already is??? I'm floored.

That's just unbelievable.

Silver lining - good they didn't cut the signature out and place it in a more convenient smaller holder... :p

Why isn't Charles Weeghman on the flip?


.
.
.

That's what the card companies are for.

My only question: Was this check purchased already folded and later submitted in this fashion? If it wasn't, the person responsible for this needs to be fired and the fate of the person responsible for hiring this individual should also be reexamined. There's no place for this level of ineptitude, even at a TPA.

PSA should at least offer to authentic both halves of Weeghman's signature. One wonders if both halves would pass if it goes to the same grader. :eek:

As Leon suggested the *least* they should do is pay the purchase cost of the check and refund all fees. I'd also suggest a huge credit towards future submissions but I have a feeling that may be moot. It would be if this was my item.

That's awful but not unprecedented. PSA did the same thing to a rare Joe Louis appearance card.

This:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi.../louis%201.jpg https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi.../louis%202.jpg

Is supposed to look like this:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...igned%201.jpeghttps://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...igned%202.jpeg

It looks like a first-grader put that check in that slab, but you gotta give PSA a break. They're still breaking in their summer staff. But seriously, that's just gut-wrenching. I hope they make it right, somehow.

Attachment 665118

Yeah, I will take on contingency for 1/3 of the $75. Huge piece of new business.

Ya'll can laugh it off but it's still effed up.

.

Nat Turner is not only a crazed collector like all of us, but he seems to be a decent guy. I suspect he’d work with the OP on this towards a fair result. Other than the idiot who slabbed the check, no one wants to see this happen to a collectible.

When PSA accepts an item submitted to them, they become under law a bailee. As such, they cannot change or alter any item without the permission of the consignor. IMO PSA is clearly negligent when they so carelessly stuffed your beloved Doyle check into a holder too small for the job. The Bailees Liability Law in your state backs you up.
PSA has failed you and you should seek restitution.

To the OP, if you're not mad at PSA, I'm mad at them for you. I saw this last night and it angered me that they would do that. That hasn't changed today, I'm still angry with them.
I find it hard to believe that a company that grades items would think this is OK to do. If you sent a card or postcard with a fold or wrinkle, it gets a lower grade, making it worth less money. Yet, here they are intentionally folding your check and therefore making it worth less. Not to mention the presentation really suffered too.
Absolutely terrible!!
I really hope there's some way to make this right with you. Like Leon said, you should get back all fees, shipping and original price of the check, at least.

All that and also put in the correct slab

Absolutely brutal! How does anyone trust these clowns with historic items? Its just one horror story after another lately with them.

That was the first word that came to my mind, too.

I'm not sure how you guys came up with "hilarious'. I don't find something being ruined by a third party very funny. I feel bad for the OP. I'm sure he spent a lot for that and it's an uncommon item that has been devalued due to PSA's stupidity.

If it was something you sent in and they did that, would it still be "hilarious"? It just seems kind of like an inappropriate response.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just don't understand why you would think it was
hilarious. I don't see the humour in it.

He can speak better than most on this forum, and for himself, but I don't think he meant it as Hilarious like it's funny, more like it's hilarious because of their ignorance. I said something about that comment above but then thought about it. There is no way in heck any smart, vintage collector would think that is funny. If the do they are an idiot.

If that's the case, I apologize. Hilarious was the description that was probably the farthest thing from my mind when I saw this.

No comment, except to say that I find much (most? all?) involving the opinion sellers hilarious.

I would assume that part of why this thread exists in the first place is due to the negligence of the OP who MUST have forgotten to check the "do not randomly fold my item" box on the opinion seller website when initiating his opinion purchase.

That is truly terrible, OP. I hope they compensate you fairly.

I am surprised to see how many people are surprised, though. It's been clear to me for years that PSA doesn't care. How many times have we seen tobacco cards put in holders where they just bounce around inside (sometimes hugely expensive cards)....

In addition to the OP and his check, I also believe Adam should be fully reimbursed by PSA for ruining that Joe Louis signed item.

It is completely unbelievable, and unacceptable, that PSA, or any grading company, would do that to an item entrusted to them.

Steve

Thanks, Steve, but I bought it that way. I was not aware that the card unfolded until I got it, then I was faced with the dilemma of cracking it or not. I chose to keep it in the holder (and annoying) until a second example of the card surfaced years later and I was able to buy it and sell the slabbed (annoying) one. Still pending is removing that (annoying) GAI sticker...

Yea, I saw that sticker; I honestly don't know which is worse in my view.....the card being folded; or that stupid "in your face" sticker.

Steve

Not to mention that the autograph appears to be secretarial.

Yeah, there's that too. Honestly, though, the card is so rare that I bought it for the card regardless of authenticity of the signature. How someone got a secretarial at an appearance is an interesting question.

We've certainly seen other instances of promotional premiums that were pre-(ghost) signed and given out in the presence of the athlete.

Louis was notorious for having many different hands signing for him. There are so many secretarial versions. He was the Ted Williams of the ring in that regard.

Sue.

To the OP:
It's crazy that someone folded your check and I hate that it happened. As a couple of other have mentioned, your fastest and best recourse would be to reach out to Nat Turner on Instagram. He runs PSA and is very receptive/responsive to messages on that platform. If you try to go through PSA's customer service you could be waiting a week or more for an initial response.

I hope they make it right for you.

I was horrified first reading this thread. This morning, I was horrified again when the YouTube algorithm suggested your video:

https://youtu.be/NuCQY7D-Sag?si=gwbdYkypbniXiGht

I’m very sorry this happened to you, and I hope you are made whole.

That was like watching a horror film

Also, back your original post, I do not think it is up to you to know all their slab sizes.

The folding is extraordinarily bad in itself, but the choosing to fold through the signature is a special kind of stupid. As a business owner, that person would be immediately let go for such horrible judgment. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.

This is one of the most egregious hobby-related things I've ever seen.

Question to the OP. It's been 3 days since your original post. Have you actually tried contacting PSA about this? If so, any response from them or attempt by them to make things right?

I will say that the wheels are in motion, I will be sure to update when I have a firm and complete understanding of what will be happening.

I would think a paper conservatory service could fix that. PSA should pay for the repairs. It was folded before, bad on whoever at PSA did it, but it was previously creased. The damage is done, try to make it better. I would be mortified, I would expect better, but hey, some workman started Notre Dame on fire. At least this can be salvaged.

Has OP said it was previously creased? If so, I missed it.

Based on the crease lines already visible, I’d wager it was.

Not to excuse the hack job of a slab job they did on the piece.

I’d guess whoever slabbed it, spied the crease in the check, and took the lazy way out, and folded it over instead of looking for another properly sized casket, to lay the check into its final resting place.

This has been a hotly contested point about this item. Yes it is not in mint condition, and yes it did already have creases in it but they created a new one. The new crease goes in between he two Ls in "Ball". I'm of the mind that even if they had folded over an old crease it still would have been a big deal. This is a fragile item and you can only fold a paper so many times in the same spot before a tear starts. Bottom line it should have happened especially when they have a check slab that is 3 inches longer to accommodate this style of old check.
That being said here is a photo of it raw when it was sent in and you guys can all see for yourselves

https://i.imgur.com/5gfY5NV.jpeg

So what do you believe is a proper remedy for this PSA screw-up?

“So what do you believe is a proper remedy for this PSA screw-up?”

Unfortunately there isn’t one.

It was a unique piece and will never be the same. Would hope to see the idiot who graded it get terminated. Nobody with judgement that poor should be working in the field of authentication… even for a company as corrupt as PSA.

PSA should ask the victim to name a cash price he feels is fair… and NOT a PSA credit towards future business (as there shouldn’t be any). If they can’t meet at a cash number that’s satisfactory to the victim, then sue.

As has been mentioned but also danced around, the value of this piece, even if pristine, is not very high. It's not even worth an hour of what a lawyer charges. Depending on the lawyer in question, it's not even worth a few minutes of their going rate! Therefore, a lawsuit would be ridiculous. The value of the item is immaterial. PSA really lucked out in that regard, but that doesn't make the customer happy, does it? I wouldn't want to see this happen with a 1989 Fleer Rick Schu, either. Someone was paying for a service and basically received the complete opposite of what they were paying for. Imagine the uproar if someone took their car to a mechanic and were handed back a crushed cube.

The OP particularly appreciated this item due to it being signed "Lawrence Doyle". If you're a fan of Doyle, then that is assuredly to be appreciated, as there exists a sea of Larry Doyle autographs, but "Lawrence Doyle" is a different story. Rarity doesn't always equate to a huge bump in value, but finding a replacement may pose a challenge, as the OP is well aware. I am glad for his sake that the piece isn't entirely destroyed, but again, that's not the issue.

I'm sure the person responsible for folding the check is a lowly worker on the slabbing assembly line rather than an authenticactor, but yes, they need to be terminated. If they can't grasp the most basic of things you don't do...

Maybe we should all send an email to PSA telling them what we thought of their fine work here. Shame them into a compromise. If enough of us do it, they'll take notice and maybe settle up with the op.

Contact PSA ASAP, they will try to come up with a solution, possibly some compensation, and properly slab for free. They have for me in the past. It wasn't your job to put your check in the correct slab. We all could have lawsuits for one thing or the other, see what PSA will do to ease the pain, the check has already been folded, but it can be restored--good luck!