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Glad to see that nothing has changed at NGC posted by THE HONEY BADGER

37 posts in this topic

  • Member: Seasoned Veteran

Turn around?

 

So, I am (somewhat) back from a 2 year lay-off from collecting. Before I took the break I had been sending in submissions for grading to NGC for about 6 years. But after endless problems with the whole process I couldn't take it any more. Whether it was a mis-label or over charging for the service or a coin bouncing around in its holder or orders held up because the "professionals" couldn't tell the difference between a regular British pound coin and a pieford British pound or on and on and on.

And now that I'm back, my first submission is still in grading after 18 business days. That's 24 days total. They still have to make it to the slab room and QC!!

What is the point of having the turnaround times listed if you don't even adhere to them?!

Anyone else having this problem too or is it always just me?

 

See more journals by THE HONEY BADGER

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Maybe you should send your coins to PCGS -- where the wait times are 2 - 3 times longer? ;)

 

What's your big rush? I never understand why people are in such a big hurry...are you planning to flip these coins? Are you a dealer? (shrug)

 

Patience, grasshopper, patience.

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Wow, do you work for NGC or something?

I mean, after all, the wait time is just one of the many problems with this company. As I listed in my original letter. But to answer your question, yes I am in a hurry. Is that not my prerogative?

I guess (maybe) you would have a point if it was day 13 and I was crying about it. But that's not the case at all. And besides, the question was not, "I am impatient?" it was "why have turnaround times if you can't come close to honoring them?".

Wow!

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Wow, do you work for NGC or something?

I mean, after all, the wait time is just one of the many problems with this company. As I listed in my original letter. But to answer your question, yes I am in a hurry. Is that not my prerogative?

I guess (maybe) you would have a point if it was day 13 and I was crying about it. But that's not the case at all. And besides, the question was not, "I am impatient?" it was "why have turnaround times if you can't come close to honoring them?".

Wow!

 

Since you indicated you'd asked a question ("why have turnaround times if you can't come close to honoring them?") why not ask NGC?

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Davis of Wales has built some of the best modern commemorative sets I have ever seen. I bought the 2005 Canada National Parks PF70 set off of you. I think you submitted 20 coins to get the 5 PF70s for that set. It seems to me, that the people who are quick to dismiss complaints here have very little skin in the game. I like NGC as a company, the services they provide, and their registry. That being said, it is not helpful for people on here to brush every concern under the rug. All it does is dismay people from remaining involved in the community. For some this is a hobby, for others it is a business.

If turn around times exceed expectations, then perhaps someone will have to pay an extra months worth of interest on the loans required to submit those items. For someone submitting 5 coins, it is no big deal. If you are submitting 200 coins, it adds up. Especially in a market where profits are paper thin right now.

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Thank you very much "ComeToCanadaNGC".

It's been many years now but I remember that set that you bought from me very well. I can, almost, remember all of the nearly 250 sets I built through the years.

I have no idea why a fellow collector would suggest that it is ok to be in a hurry or that you should get the service you paid for ONLY if you're a dealer.

I consider myself a collector that also happens to sell. I have no idea where this whole "dealer" vs "collector" thing started. I would like to blame it on MCM but that would be too easy. How about we just list us all as "customers"? I wonder if it would make a difference to a person like brg5658 if he knew just how much money I have spent in grading fees in the past 6 or seven years? But are there levels that we need to "buy up to" to receive good service? Whether you're spending $200 a month or $20,000 a month, it shouldn't mather.

And just so everyone knows, I did talk to NGC about this. I was told that they "are little" backed up. I then asked if that meant that the turnaround time would be longer and they said no. Now that I know my submission is going to take around twice as long as quoted in guess I will have to call again. But this is not something I look forward to. My last call was met with the type of attitude that I would expect if I was calling the White House for the nuclear launch codes. I just thank God that it wasn't Sarah from the past or she probably would have just hung up on me. And if any of you out there have no idea who I'm talking about then you have no business, at all, responding to this post!

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Thank you very much "ComeToCanadaNGC".

It's been many years now but I remember that set that you bought from me very well. I can, almost, remember all of the nearly 250 sets I built through the years.

I have no idea why a fellow collector would suggest that it is ok to be in a hurry or that you should get the service you paid for ONLY if you're a dealer.

I consider myself a collector that also happens to sell. I have no idea where this whole "dealer" vs "collector" thing started. I would like to blame it on MCM but that would be too easy. How about we just list us all as "customers"? I wonder if it would make a difference to a person like brg5658 if he knew just how much money I have spent in grading fees in the past 6 or seven years? But are there levels that we need to "buy up to" to receive good service? Whether you're spending $200 a month or $20,000 a month, it shouldn't mather.

And just so everyone knows, I did talk to NGC about this. I was told that they "are little" backed up. I then asked if that meant that the turnaround time would be longer and they said no. Now that I know my submission is going to take around twice as long as quoted in guess I will have to call again. But this is not something I look forward to. My last call was met with the type of attitude that I would expect if I was calling the White House for the nuclear launch codes. I just thank God that it wasn't Sarah from the past or she probably would have just hung up on me. And if any of you out there have no idea who I'm talking about then you have no business, at all, responding to this post!

 

I have spoken with Sarah on a number of occasions and she was always polite and helpful. Ditto for anyone else there that I've spoken with. Based on that and your posts in this thread, my guess is that you weren't especially polite when you called.

 

The above notwithstanding, if turnaround times are noticeably slower than posted, it would bother me if the estimates weren't updated.

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Based on your entitlement complex (apparently every one should stop everything they are doing and grade your coins yesterday), I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

And, I guess I have just come to the point in my life where complaining is reserved for things that I can actually change. Complaining for the sake of complaining doesn't accomplish anything.

 

If you want EXPRESS service, then pay for the EXPRESS service tier. As I asked in my first post, what's your big hurry? The only people I usually hear complain this fiercely about turn-around times are dealers or vest-pocket dealers who want to flip something "while the getting is good"...

 

(shrug)

 

 

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<<< what's your big hurry? >>>

 

 

I am really beginning to embrace this "what's your big hurry" concept for expecting accurate grading turnaround times as well as a returned lot credit from Heritage.......and perhaps I should test out this new concept on the IRS next April 15th. or with Chase on my mortgage due date next month, or I'm pretty sure that would work on Capital One when my CC payment is due. And I'm sure there wouldn't be any late fees, penalties, or interest on top of interest involved either....right?

 

 

 

BTW......now going on 3 weeks since Heritage received my returned lot and still no refund, and the person I need to speak with is always mysteriously 'away from their desk right now'. But hey, what's my big hurry? :-)

 

 

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Sadly my experience similar to that of The Honey Badger.

 

The list of my issues is long and the forum members responding don't seem interested.

 

I have two observations.

 

1) Mark Field gets a prompt and courteous response because, just maybe because, he is representing the largest coin auction house in the world. He represents NGC's largest single client. Of course he gets red carpet treatment.

 

2) The Honey Badger is not being impatient he is participating in a HOBBY for FUN! When I send my coins, off I anxiously await the grades. My most recent ancient submission sent at the "Early bird" level took 2.5 months! When the submission of coins becomes no more stimulating than paying bills then why bother?

 

NGC and PCGS are in a position of power at this time. They are the portal to the registry sets. When it becomes more of a hassle than FUN then I will quit. I would venture to guess that so will others of us pesky collectors that just are a waste of time for the Big Boys (NGC and PCGS). But when that happens, and it will, unless NGC and or PCGS can find a way to keep us INTERESTED AND HAVING FUN.

 

Said a different way: take the fun out of it and you have nothing NGC!

 

This is not the first thread about poor customer service on this site. Like your teeth if you ignore them they will go away if NGC ignores us we will go away.

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In my opinion NGC is doing a swell job and a little extra wait is worth it. I have sent in over 100 coins each month since February and the timing has been close enough on completion that I have never called in to complain.

You just gotta roll with the process. I don't think complaining actually makes a good difference in the final outcome.

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While the OP is being a little less than understanding, I can appreciate where he's coming from. If the orders page says 20 "working days" your order should be handled in that time frame (give or take a few days, at most).

 

Across the street the orders page said 21 working days when I sent in my (Economy) submission. That number has now ballooned to 40 working days. In my opinion that's completely unacceptable. The Regular and Express submission times have grown as well.

What that means is that even paying extra for prompt service doesn't get you prompt service.

 

In my opinion this is strictly a customer service issue. Regardless of what level of service a submitter is paying for, they should get what was promised. Each of the major grading companies know full well their show, holiday and vacation planning schedules well in advance. It just makes good customer relations sense to plan some contingencies to keep to their corporate promises.

 

If you went to a fancy restaurant expecting your order to hit the table in a timely fashion then, after you ordered and waited a while someone got around to communicating the news to you that the cooks were all on vacation, you'd be ............. displeased.

 

The grading services should plan for these things as professionally run businesses and communicate with customers on a timely basis at the very minimum.

 

Note: Can't post this ATS due to thin skin.

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Sadly my experience similar to that of The Honey Badger.

 

The list of my issues is long and the forum members responding don't seem interested.

 

I have two observations.

 

1) Mark Field gets a prompt and courteous response because, just maybe because, he is representing the largest coin auction house in the world. He represents NGC's largest single client. Of course he gets red carpet treatment.

 

2) The Honey Badger is not being impatient he is participating in a HOBBY for FUN! When I send my coins, off I anxiously await the grades. My most recent ancient submission sent at the "Early bird" level took 2.5 months! When the submission of coins becomes no more stimulating than paying bills then why bother?

 

NGC and PCGS are in a position of power at this time. They are the portal to the registry sets. When it becomes more of a hassle than FUN then I will quit. I would venture to guess that so will others of us pesky collectors that just are a waste of time for the Big Boys (NGC and PCGS). But when that happens, and it will, unless NGC and or PCGS can find a way to keep us INTERESTED AND HAVING FUN.

 

Said a different way: take the fun out of it and you have nothing NGC!

 

This is not the first thread about poor customer service on this site. Like your teeth if you ignore them they will go away if NGC ignores us we will go away.

 

My numerous interactions with personnel at NGC have been over a period of many years and long before I joined Heritage.

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While the OP is being a little less than understanding, I can appreciate where he's coming from. If the orders page says 20 "working days" your order should be handled in that time frame (give or take a few days, at most).

 

Across the street the orders page said 21 working days when I sent in my (Economy) submission. That number has now ballooned to 40 working days. In my opinion that's completely unacceptable. The Regular and Express submission times have grown as well.

What that means is that even paying extra for prompt service doesn't get you prompt service.

 

In my opinion this is strictly a customer service issue. Regardless of what level of service a submitter is paying for, they should get what was promised. Each of the major grading companies know full well their show, holiday and vacation planning schedules well in advance. It just makes good customer relations sense to plan some contingencies to keep to their corporate promises.

 

If you went to a fancy restaurant expecting your order to hit the table in a timely fashion then, after you ordered and waited a while someone got around to communicating the news to you that the cooks were all on vacation, you'd be ............. displeased.

 

The grading services should plan for these things as professionally run businesses and communicate with customers on a timely basis at the very minimum.

 

Note: Can't post this ATS due to thin skin.

 

If turnaround times are actually "promised", then I agree with you. However, in most cases that I'm aware of, they are not promised.

 

As I mentioned in a previous post, if turnaround times are known to be taking noticeably longer than estimated on a grading company website, the information should be updated.

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<<< what's your big hurry? >>>

 

I am really beginning to embrace this "what's your big hurry" concept for expecting accurate grading turnaround times as well as a returned lot credit from Heritage.......and perhaps I should test out this new concept on the IRS next April 15th. or with Chase on my mortgage due date next month, or I'm pretty sure that would work on Capital One when my CC payment is due. And I'm sure there wouldn't be any late fees, penalties, or interest on top of interest involved either....right?

 

Dragon, you have offered an apples to sailboat comparison there. The things you listed are all contractual relationships or legal relationships that require payment on certain dates. NGC is not in any contractual relationship with coin submitters to guarantee turn-around dates for economy submission tiers. If you want 72 hour turn-around, then pay for the EXPRESS tier of service. If you pay for EXPRESS tier of service, and turn-around times are not as advertised, then I think you have a valid complaint that NGC would likely honor with some discount from the submission fees.

 

With regard to your other baggage that you seem to be carrying around from thread to thread, YES, we have all heard (a dozen or so times now) about your gripe with Heritage regarding a returned coin. But, if you read the fine print for their return policy I'm quite sure they are following their rules of returns for you just like they would with anyone returning a coin. Everyone thinks they deserve to be the exception to the rules, but life just doesn't work that way. It seems the "entitlements" that the younger millennials are always being accused of demanding have seeped into the older generations a bit.

 

Anyone with reasonable expectations does NOT get bent out of shape if a coin might take a month or even 6 weeks to get graded. I'm serious when I ask "what's the big hurry?" Really, are you going somewhere? -- are you sitting by the door waiting for the post man with nothing else to do? It seems much of the time people are in a big hurry to get back grades so they can move on to complaining about how the grades they thought they deserved didn't pan out. It's a revolving door of one complaint to the next -- it just makes for a miserable life if all one can find to do is complain about things over which they have no control. (shrug) The real madness of it all becomes when one gets back the newly graded coins, they then put them in a safe-deposit-box in a bank somewhere and never look at them again for years at a time. Gosh, I'm sure glad the grading happened quickly, so my coins could make it to their dark storage places in the shortest amount of time possible. hm

 

:makepoint:

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If the answer is that you're waiting for thousands of common modern coins to be graded every day....... That's okay. My coins are important so I can wait. I'm also pleasantly satisfied with the quality of the reholder program recently. It just takes a while.

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<<< I'm serious when I ask "what's the big hurry?" Really, are you going somewhere? >>>

 

 

 

I have no doubt whatsoever you are serious, and that you are a very patient individual who just cannot comprehend why these seemingly unreasonable, complaining, always in a big hurry to go nowhere "entitlement generation" people actually have this insane notion of something called -customer service- and also have this foolish expectation that a company will actually grade your coins within (or even close) to their stated published time frames, or that a mega auction firm will actually tackle the insurmountable task of issuing a refund on a single inexpensive coin for a client in less than 3 weeks...... I know, I know, crazy talk.

 

Strange as it may seem to you, some people actually ARE in a hurry for reasons which are no one else's concern, nor is it anyone's else's place to make judgements on such.

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Most of the complaints over the years on SLOW grading is usually on FOREIGN coins.

We all send our coins to Fla. of the U.S,A, --- even though that is not due to the FACT that there is an adequate grader for a British, English, or other foreign specialty in your series in N.G.C. of Sarasota, Florida.

I would imagine that the coins are then sent overseas to the specialist that can give the proper grade for such rarities that otherwise would be misplaced in U.S. grading. Remember that N.G.C. is world based ---- not just Fla, U.S. and there are other graders for specific coins overseas that work for N.G.C. that are better certifiable for such rare coins. That would greatly add to timing on grading.

Proper grading is more important than timing of grading!!

 

Think about it. ;)

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<<< I'm serious when I ask "what's the big hurry?" Really, are you going somewhere? >>>

 

 

 

I have no doubt whatsoever you are serious, and that you are a very patient individual who just cannot comprehend why these seemingly unreasonable, complaining, always in a big hurry to go nowhere "entitlement generation" people actually have this insane notion of something called -customer service- and also have this foolish expectation that a company will actually grade your coins within (or even close) to their stated published time frames, or that a mega auction firm will actually tackle the insurmountable task of issuing a refund on a single inexpensive coin for a client in less than 3 weeks...... I know, I know, crazy talk.

 

Strange as it may seem to you, some people actually ARE in a hurry for reasons which are no one else's concern, nor is it anyone's else's place to make judgements on such.

 

Well, then, I'd say to you "Get a Life". (shrug)

 

I hope you don't give yourself a heart attack over coins...

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We are here because we like NGC, but all of you with the "whats the rush" and "everything is just fine" in my opinion are missing the point.

 

The NGC web site says CURRENT TURN AROUND for each level. I pick the level based on how long I want to wait. I pay for that level based on the CURRENT TURN AROUND. When I get a time 2.5 to 3 X longer, I have not gotten what I have paid for.

 

To MF you have prominently listed that you are with heritage, of which I am a legacy client. You made a bold statement that your experience has been very different than THB, that your experiences have all been good, fine. Now it is all good and it was all prior to your affiliation with heritage.... Okay...sure

 

with all of the ridiculous animated emoji and apologist commentary what I am hearing is that mediocrity is fine in numismatics. Just sit, down shut up, and wait, wait wait your turn it is only a hobby.

 

But it isn't is it? NGC makes a lot of money in grading fees and more for those of us impatient A holes who don't want to wait. And Heritage makes.... Mark any comment? This is a business and when you set expectations as a business you have an obligation to live up to them i.e. CURRENT TURN AROUND TIMES.

 

I have a life and for brg5658 resorting to a stupid personal attack, it just shows the limit of you intelligence.

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So how about NGC just posts the turn around times as 90 days for all tiers except express. Would that make you happy and then give you warm fuzzy feelings inside when they finish your grading in 1/2 of that timeframe?

 

What's your alternative? Are you going to use ANACS or ICG if NGC and PCGS have longish wait times? That's my point JTO and dragon...it's all complaining for naught. Either you like NGC and are willing to wait for their services based on current demand or you take your business elsewhere. I don't see the purpose of lamenting on a public forum about it.

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Wrong complaining on NGC's web site should stimulate a response from NGC. And if not, now they know or should know that there may be a problem. Change can lead to improvement. Yea brilliant, make them all 90 days for all tiers except express, that is a true critical thinker. So what about the express tier is that okay to be 6 months?

 

Maybe North Korea where everything is perfect. No complaining there and no change either, that must be a happy place.

 

 

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I think that if Mark Feld says that wait times have never been a problem for him, then it is just proving the OP's point. Perhaps commercial clients do not experience the same wait times as the OP.

 

BRG, I doubt you would patiently stand in a bank line-up as other patrons walked past you and straight up to the teller? All the meantime the person behind you whispering in your ear that you are entitled, and what is your big hurry, and if you don't like it then stop coming to the bank.

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I think that if Mark Feld says that wait times have never been a problem for him, then it is just proving the OP's point. Perhaps commercial clients do not experience the same wait times as the OP.

 

BRG, I doubt you would patiently stand in a bank line-up as other patrons walked past you and straight up to the teller? All the meantime the person behind you whispering in your ear that you are entitled, and what is your big hurry, and if you don't like it then stop coming to the bank.

 

I said nothing about my own "wait times". But since you brought it up and in order to try to clear up any possible confusion - In the several years I had my own business prior to joining Heritage, I was a small submitter. And I don't recall any long wait times when I submitted coins to NGC. However, I (have been with Heritage and) haven't submitted coins for more than three years, so I understand that things might be different now, with respect to wait times.

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We are here because we like NGC, but all of you with the "whats the rush" and "everything is just fine" in my opinion are missing the point.

 

The NGC web site says CURRENT TURN AROUND for each level. I pick the level based on how long I want to wait. I pay for that level based on the CURRENT TURN AROUND. When I get a time 2.5 to 3 X longer, I have not gotten what I have paid for.

 

To MF you have prominently listed that you are with heritage, of which I am a legacy client. You made a bold statement that your experience has been very different than THB, that your experiences have all been good, fine. Now it is all good and it was all prior to your affiliation with heritage.... Okay...sure

 

with all of the ridiculous animated emoji and apologist commentary what I am hearing is that mediocrity is fine in numismatics. Just sit, down shut up, and wait, wait wait your turn it is only a hobby.

 

But it isn't is it? NGC makes a lot of money in grading fees and more for those of us impatient A holes who don't want to wait. And Heritage makes.... Mark any comment? This is a business and when you set expectations as a business you have an obligation to live up to them i.e. CURRENT TURN AROUND TIMES.

 

I have a life and for brg5658 resorting to a stupid personal attack, it just shows the limit of you intelligence.

 

This is what I posted :

 

"I have spoken with Sarah on a number of occasions and she was always polite and helpful. Ditto for anyone else there that I've spoken with. Based on that and your posts in this thread, my guess is that you weren't especially polite when you called.

 

The above notwithstanding, if turnaround times are noticeably slower than posted, it would bother me if the estimates weren't updated."

 

And this: "My numerous interactions with personnel at NGC have been over a period of many years and long before I joined Heritage."

 

I hope that your "Okay...sure " regarding my reported experiences wasn't facetious. And I'm not sure what your "Mark any comment?" pertains to. But I will repeat what I've already posted in this thread: If turnaround times are noticeably slower than posted, it would bother me if the estimates weren't updated.

 

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