PCGS Frustration

[HawkeEye]

I guess I am just venting to be venting, but the slowdown at PCGS on grading and imaging is getting worse not better with my orders. I was cutting them a lot of slack during COVID, but the fun goes out of a lot of the collecting when a coin sits for three months. Heck, sometimes I cannot even remember what the submission was by the time it gets back.

For items like medals the wait seems to be even longer, and I am starting to question some of the more obscure items that are sent back ungraded. Is anyone here in the know to see an end to this?

Also frustrating is trying to reach anyone with any authority to do something. I had an idea I was going to pass along to them for free and was told the new president does no talk directly to anyone. In my business experience that is a real danger sign.

[Brabjohn]

I share the frustration. In addition, I have seen quite a few QC issues. Forgetting to assign VAM’s, forgetting to capture the true view photos, missing obvious overmintmarks, wrong VAM designations, etc. Have seen these issues over the years but as of late I have yet to get an invoice back without some issue.

[LateDateMorganGuy]

Just curious why folks continue to be loyal to a company that is obviously in a tail spin?

[alefzero]

It is not consistent either. Here are 3 orders I currently have there: 15 2022-W SAEs, 2 raw early dollars (regular service), and 3 2022-W Burnished SAEs. The last of them went from the coin prison intake exactly a month later. However, I got the grades for them a week ago. The others are slowly working through. But these orders are not subjects of excessive waits (so far) unlike others out there. It does illustrate some structural inconsistency nonetheless.

PCGSorders1.jpg (26.81 KiB) Viewed 2663 times

[vamnuke]

I submitted 3 coins, separate orders; 4/14 process date.

I got the 1st back in a little over 3 weeks; simple re-slab as the original rattler holder encountered the bank vault floor

Next was a PCGS graded and slabbed 1878 as MS 62 I wanted slabbed as an error due to a dropped letter on the reverse; still in Grading status.

Last was an old ANACS soapbox AU 55 weak strike (trial strike) I also submitted as an error; it’s in Encapsulation status.

Yep, slow.

…and I’ve decided to. Let VSS add variety numbers, savings if both cost and time!

[messydesk]

My world submission just went to grading this week after over 2 months in "received." Thinking I'm not getting grades before the June 30 registry deadline.

[DHalladay]

My Regular Service order (not economy) for crossovers was logged into the PCGS system on March 23, so I think it's been 69 business days of waiting so far. Sure makes the website's stated 50-day turnaround time look like a joke.

[colwillys]

Maybe i should try NGC . I would hate to over work the BOYS at pcgs .

[DarksideVAM]

I have a regular service grading order with attribution that was logged in on 2/16/2022 and finally shipped on 6/24/2022. It has been my experience that the TrueView images get published 20+ business days after the orders ship lately.

[Vam-mysterio]

No comment about my orders
Pcgs definitely needs new management?
For instance in football soccer
If the players/manager,etc
Are doing a terrible Job
They get replaced at a minimum
The manager gets fired,
Is 2022!
And they still work and move
As if they were in the 90’s
I’m always shocked at the speedy service
I get from messy desk at Vss!
My two cents

[alefzero]

I had heard that NGC was also slow lately. But I have no firsthand knowledge of that, as I have not submitted to them in probably 20 years or more. JR is probably still hammered. I did an ICG submission (my first) this year and was surprised how fast they were. They do Potty Dollars. So I gave them a whirl. I think the services got clobbered because of not just Covid shutdowns and reconfiguring office space and redesigning protocols, but idle dealers and collectors during the pandemic took more time to submit. But that's just a WAG.

[vampicker]

Just to confirm what John Coxe said, I am backlogged. Doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon either. It's both a blessing and curse. Before COVID hit, there was real talk of our industry dying out

[morganman]

These type issues is why i am so happy to be in my final yrs as an active investor/
collector. Frustration runs galore across many various issues.

Cant imagine trying to develop/maintain a coin business in todays enviroment.
Like blind leading blind.

Good luck guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Brabjohn]

I have a 20 piece US silver invoice that was received by PCGS 3/23/23. 70 business days/99 calendar days later and it is still just scheduled for grading.
Quality and OTD are the generally accepted metrics of success. PCGS can’t hang their hat on either right now. Not a formula for success.

[HawkeEye]

Here are my hanging orders right now

PCGS.jpg (27.2 KiB) Viewed 2376 times

The bottom one is several Comitia Americana medals and they seem to really struggle with them
My guess is that the number of graders for them is very low and this is probably outsourced to someone
The top one is nothing more than Silver Eagle Proofs, but it has been in this status for a month

[pup_picker]

everyone checking their slabs for a solid seal?

lot of reports over months now of slabs coming back unsealed which means you can access your coin(s).

need to contact CS to have them shipped back.

[vamnuke]

Progress!

Both remaining orders are in Encapsulation status!

BTW, took advantage of a slab error not noticed by the dealer; bought a ‘62 1878 V203 slabbed as Rev of 1878. That happens quite often IMO.

[messydesk]

Progress!

Both remaining orders are in Encapsulation status!

BTW, took advantage of a slab error not noticed by the dealer; bought a ‘62 1878 V203 slabbed as Rev of 1878. That happens quite often IMO.

That's probably the most common mislabeling that comes back from bulk grading, although 1878 is typically overrepresented in those orders.

[mark]

LOL.. the PCGS site was showing 50 days for regular grading orders just a day or two ago.. Tomorrow is day 50 for my regular order. I went to check the turn around times and it's now 65 days!! Was hoping for my grades next week but looks like I can add 3 more weeks.

[vamnuke]

Progress; PCGS MS62 1878 dropped letter reverse dollar received 4/14 is on its way back; but it is now in an ERROR holder as I wanted!!

One more 4/14 submission to go…it’s trying to cross and get into an ERROR slab…