How CGC SCREWED Me on a HUGE GRAIL!!! 😡 

Damn, this sucks. If what you say is true, I'm with you. How could the restoration not improve it at all? There's a problem somewhere on their end, and Matt has the ability to fix it, he just doesn't care enough,. Maybe CGC will make it right in the end - I hope so.

My hope is that no one ever submits another book to CGC. They damaged my ASM 1, and TOS 39 and took no responsibility. They also over charged my hundreds of dollars, and it was up to me to show them line by line how much they owe me. I also just bought a 9.8 that was in no way was a 9.8 (see my recent video) . No they will be flooding the market with 9.9's which will reduce the prices we all paid for 9.8's.

I had a 9.6 that I sent in for SS. After dropping it off in the mail, realized I forgot to add cleaning and pressing with CCS. So I called customer service and was told sorry can’t add it. Fine, get my signed book back, and resent it for CCS and regrading (book was perfect, only graders notes were finger print on the back, and a small indentation) Took me a while to even find it. I put sticky notes all over indicating what I needed out, attached a copy of the graders notes. Book came back same exact grade and same exact graders notes. I’m 100% certain they didn’t regrade the book and slabbed it with the same grade and grader’s notes. Called customer service and was told sorry you aren’t satisfied. Will never have any restoration work, clean and press with them ever again. Those graders are lazy. CCS passes them the label.

the book was likely over graded the first time so the improvements later bump it to the "right" grade...reality is ...CGC grading at best is inconsistent over the years.

Thank you for your video! I appreciate your story and how transparent you were. I have only sent in about 10 comics to be slabbed with CGC. I've not yet had problems but I haven't sent in anymore because I would not want to experience my luck running out!

A very interesting video! I really do admire you for your patience that you've kept for such a long time. The behavior of the CGC manager is absolutely disgraceful! I myself wil lactually never comprehend why people are submitting their comic books for slabbing/grading, though: the main purpose of comics is to read them! And, by the way: what difference would it make for a slabbed book to complete it (like you did with your two pages that had been missing before)? You can neither see nor even check if CGC really attached them to your book, as you would have to crack the slab! You have my full sympathy, though.

And I think you handled it with class.

It's unfortunate that Matt Nelson got your hopes up, but absolutely crazy to me that he would even work with an inexperienced individual on such a personalized basis for a book. You admit that you are pretty new to all of this so your response after not getting the grade that you were expecting is understandable up to a point. It also sounds like the main issue with the delay was with the conservation. Frustrating, but not really CGC's fault and/or responsibility. Not trying to be insensitive, but why should your book/ submission be treated any differently than the thousands of others in line for grading? You already received special treatment by having a direct line of communication with one of the heads of the company. For you, an admitted amateur in the hobby, to question his qualifications because you were disappointed with the outcome did come across as entitled and arrogant. You win some but usually lose more when it comes to grading. Anyone that isn't new to the hobby will attest to this.

Great video, I’m sorry this happened to you. Pretty much confirmed my plan of never submitting a book. Ridiculous stuff like this happens while someone else gets gifted a 9.9

CGC does not guarantee their grades. But, you're welcome to resend for re-grading, till you get the grade you want.

Karen would like to speak to the manager.

CGC doesn't care about the little guy. If you're not a big gun like Metropolis comics , who gets 9.9s , they don't care

Sounds to me like the original 3.5 grade was a huge mistake. A huge spine role, tanning, missing pages and whatever other issues are present and a 3.5 should not happen. Matt should have admitted that they screwed up with the original grade. I am not surprised it got the 3.5 with the tanning. They are brutal on tanning.

I have limited experience with submitting books for grading, and only did that through CBCS. I suspect that my experience was in the "norm" for them, but was pleased with the outcome and customer service and would submit to them again. That said, early in your video the synopsis of the grading notes seemed to suggest that CGC has different grades for the different tiers of books (restored, conserved, etc). Am I off the mark? While it doesn't excuse the poor customer service experience you had, it may explain the grading outcome for your book. If that was the case, CGC would do well to be transparent about such things. Candidly, with the controversies CGC has had over the past year, I'm not planning on taking business to them. Thanks for sharing your experience!

…but it looks like a 3.5? So I’m just confused. Are you hoping they gift you a higher grade so that you’re happy?

Since the book was not officially graded it was most likely a 2.5 or maybe 3.0. Grading is subjective especially on buying raw comics for sellers. The individual you purchased the book from could have thought the book was a 3.5 in his eyes. Always look at both sides of the coin before fully blaming someone.

Is it possible that it wasn't a 3.5 before and now it is? To be honest grading is very subjective. I have some 9.6s that look flawless and don't know why they aren't 9.8s or 9.9s (lol)

You were completely reasonable and deserved way better service than this. I don’t own any graded comics, I like them raw and this only reaffirms me keeping it that way!

A clean and press does not guarantee a grade bump. The book could have been overgraded the first time around. This is why all grading is subjective. You didn't get screwed. You gambled.

Send the book to CBCS.

why I do cbcs. they are more accurate, with less mistakes. when I grade do cbcs...when I buy graded comics....make sure its cbcs

This is why monopolies don't work. CGC are not by default the best in the industry if they happen to be the only one in the industry, and that is why they behave in such a slipshod manner. CGC has a psychological stranglehold on the comic book grading business, and that is to our collective detriment as collectors. If anyone still thinks this company is in any way professional they are just being willfully blind. Their lack of integrity speaks volumes. Then again, seeing as they only spend 10 seconds grading a book, it's astounding that the grade of your book didn't decrease.

Great video. I have a question …. What would have made you happy with them after the fact? I’m just curious. I don’t think you’re wrong for being annoyed. I would be too. But they are never going to change the grade.

My only confusion is that you say you’re new to this, yet you’re literally sitting in the midst of a dozen or so graded slabs.

What an infuriating story. If you didn't email in September, how long would it have been "forgotten".?

Just watched this after watching your most recent vid. This really is a quite a story -- but as far as I can tell quite typical of CGC in terms of the complete refusal of accountability, even when this could easily have been reframed as a small error and quickly fixed. To go from a pleasant initial interaction to being dismissed, simply because MN could not admit that error had OBVIOUSLY occurred (either with the original grade or the regrade) must have been infuriating. And it wasn't even *his* mistake, if the last customer service person you spoke to was correct -- just an accident that could easily be corrected. There was no need to be defensive about it! Still, if this negative experience got you back into enjoying raw books, which can be displayed in much better (and more archivally protective) ways than those ugly plastic cases, that's a silver lining ...?

Wow. It’s clear they’ve washed their hands of the situation. And I agree,he’s confirmed that the work done has increased its appearance and condition of the book so……not even a half grade bump? Ridiculous!!!! No accountability especially after giving you advice that potentially cost you more money,more wait time and more frustration. And to not even meet you halfway and offer to regrade your book(even if the grade doesn’t change) for free or even a discount price. I’m sorry you had such a horrible,customer service experience.

That’s really unfortunate. I thought you were very diplomatic. The absolute right thing for Matt to have done would have been to say “Hey I’m sorry this hasn’t been a pleasant experience for you. Why don’t you send it back (I’ll cover shipping) and I’ll have my team double check the grade.”. But he really didn’t sound like he cared at all. Very disappointing. But then again they’re a monopoly, hence their arrogance. Hang in there though. You have a great book. Protect your love for the hobby.

Dude. .. ..That's crazy!!! That is an insane wait and miscommunication on their end.. .just wow!!! Also, grading is tricky....I think it depends on the grader as an individual, how many books they graded that day, their mood, what books you sent in with it because they can't help but compare them together so unfortunately it's kinda a coin toss. The first grader for that book could have been more lenient. .. .so many things could have happen. Also after they fixed up the book if it sat for months all that work was slowly coming undone.. ..like the spine roll started coming back, the old wrinkles would start to re surface. If they graded it a couple days after fixing you might have got the 4.0

Try the clean / press and re-grade. I bet it gets a MUCH better score. Try it. If you clean / press with CGC, it will get higher. Trust me.

Again….like many others have said, Send this to CBCS

Do you have pictures or scans of the book as it looked prior to you submitting it?

CGC is very inconsistent. I love the hobby - reading comic books. The grading aspect of it, not so much. Since the comic book bubble during COVID, they have shown their true colors. Arguably even before that. I am glad I got out in 2021. I sold my entire collection except for one bin and a few slabs. It does not feel right sending comic books to CGC when I cannot trust them. At this point, CGC feels like a college professor that is told my the administration to give out a certain number of As, Bs, Cs, Ds, and Fs. They do that at most schools.

Could you please tell me the CGC # of the Wonder Woman #6 and then I can look up the Grader Notes on the CGC site. Possibly CGC included enlargeable scans of front and back covers at the bottom of the notes as well. Three books I just got back all had them, not as good as Heritage Auctions, but not bad. I understand how upset you were but I would have liked to have seen a closeup of your rare book as well! Hope you get a satisfactory resolution offered from CGC. Sure deserve one! Rod

Sadly, cgc is the only game in town. If you want to lose money on your books submit them to cbcs or pgx. I feel you

I do sympathize with you. I really do. If the top guy at CGC used the words he did, I would have fully expected a grade bump as well. But at this point I have enough experience to know that isn't how it works, and anybody can say anything until they actually get down to working on your book. Then all bets are off. Maybe I misunderstood what you were asking from CGC as recompense, but I very much disagree with the idea that CGC should feel compelled to regrade / review / bump the grade of a book with a promise that it would lead to more business and positive recommendations. The grade should be the grade no matter who sends the book in -whether a massive dealer that sends in hundreds of books, to the budget collector who submits a couple at a time. CGC's grading should be free of any bias or pressure. Is that realistic? I don't know.. To play devil's advocate for one more moment - imagine being in CGC's shoes. Imagine what could potentially happy if word got out that one customer pushed and pushed for a free regrading his book after not initially getting the result he wanted? All of the thousands and thousands of customers out there who feel that their book was too harshly graded, or didn't get a grade bump after their CCS pressing service worked on the book? It would be bedlam at CGC as their customer service gets flooded with angry calls and emails - more so than it already is with all of their scandals. But I would have also been irate had I gotten the email(s) from Matt Nelson that boil down to a more polite version of "too bad so sad". I do sympathize with your experience. I understand what it's like to have hopes riding on a big book getting a grade bump in order to provide a ROI, and validation that you're doing things "the right way" in this very labyrinthine hobby. To bank on the advice of "THE" expert, only to have it end in a big nothingburger would leave a sour taste in my mouth as well. I wish things had turned out better, but I think in the end it's a very expensive lesson for you, and by extension, the rest of us. A grade is not guaranteed no matter who gives the advice.

Unfortunate situation for you. Imho the expectation that someone's (Matt's) opinion would translate into what a different grader would assign was optimistic. The work performed as you described on your book should/could have garnered a grade bump, but the grader makes the final call. Blaming Matt for a different grade than he predicted vs what you got reeks of entitlement. The customer isn't always right, but they weren't rude. They just didn't give you the answers or outcome you wanted. I hope you submit it to CBCS and I hope you get a better grade. Please update if thats the case and good luck!

I mostly side with Matt on this. If he really said it could achieve as much as a 5.0 I think that is the real problem because it left you with very high expectations. Looking at a book inside a plastic case and imagining the potential results of clean/press/conservation I think is still a crap shoot even for the guy that literally wrote the book on grading. If he was going to get you excited about the potential, he should have been underlining it with a heavy dose of "but don't get your hopes up". Grading is subjective. Perhaps it was originally a nicer 3.0 that got a gift grade, and now it is perhaps a weak 4.0 that got graded a little harshly. Awesome book nevertheless.

Anyone that sends their comics to this company are screwy... waste of money people ..

I can see why youd be disappointed, but it was probably overgraded in the first place. Inconsistencies in grading are very frustrating though. 7 months may seem long, but i waited an entire year for 10 modern books to come back during the height of submissions a few years ago, and they werent being pressed or anything

This situation totally sucks. The timing and expectation setting is terrible. It seems to be a running theme I see and hear all the time, it all seems fixable? As was mentioned in another comment, does the accumulation of defects that are still present mean that this book is capped at 3.5? If so Matt should have plainly said that. With all the back and forth and what you likely paid he could have sent a couple of screenshots from his own grading book to squash the issue if the grade cap was the case. I think generally they don’t want to own up to anything in order to not be legally responsible, which sucks…

You probably havent worked in a corporate structure before, but the figurehead of a large company isnt necessarily the most experienced or informed. In our company some CEOs have been hired based on nepotism and not ability. If you're able to look past the opinions or evaluation of a upper management individual, who probably isnt a expert in his field, you might realize the grade is appropriate and perhaps the pervious grade was too high. At the very least you recieved a blue label.

He can't explain the difference since grading is subjective. He won't throw the grader under the bus since that calls into question the entire operation. They know you're only other option is CBCS so they don't really care when people say they'll stop submitting.

I can understand your disappointment since you thought all these actions would result in a higher grade based on Matt's initial assessment. However, looking at the photos and graders notes on the CGC website, I would agree that the book is accurately graded as a 3.5. It's hard to be totally sure without seeing the book in-hand, but based on the notes and photos, I'd say the grade is correct. As someone else mentioned... the book was probably over-graded the first time. You keep saying that you are new to collecting and don't know how to grade. The best thing you can do is learn to grade. There are tons of resources that can help you do this--not the least of which is the grading forum on CGC's website. You are DEMANDING that the president of CGC teach you how to grade. That seems to exude a sense of entitlement on your part. I think Matt Nelson went above and beyond the call of patience with you. Also, you have a large collection of books on your wall. How does it compare to books that are near the same grade? Just do the leg work that it takes to learn to grade. That way, you won't submit books for grading with unreasonable expectations, and you won't get disappointed. For someone who has worked in customer service himself, I'm a little surprised at your response to this--and your emails to Matt. Matt gave his opinion on a book that needed work and thought it could get a grade bump. If the accumulation of defects still present after the conservation work still warrants the 3.5 grade, there is nothing Matt can do about this. Your statement in the email to Matt that "I know you'll make this right" is baffling. What is he going to do to make this right? Give it a grade it doesn't deserve just to satisfy you? You paid for a service, you got the service, but you aren't happy with the outcome. The service was completed as contracted... they graded the book, incapsulated it, and returned it to you safely. They completed the work exactly as you contracted them to do. If they damaged the book while in their possession, then that would be a different story. The estimate gave you a free estimate that the grade would be. Unfortunately, you got what you paid for there. You paid for a certain amount of conservation work that was performed... fixing the spine roll, reattaching the pages, and cleaning & pressing the cover. You got those services, and they didn't improve the grade to your liking. But, you still received those services--even though they didn't improve the technical grade. Did you also pay to have the piece added to the back through leaf-casting, the spine split fixed, the tape residue to be removed, and stain removal? If you didn't pay $5,000 for this work, then those things weren't included in the conservation. Extensive restoration of comics is big bucks. Take a close look at the book--without comparing it to what it was before--and see if you feel it warrants a higher grade. If so, you have other options for grading companies. You could do a full restoration on it with leaf-casting of the missing piece from the middle of the back cover, have it aqueously cleaned to try to remove the tape residue, make tear seals on the spine split, and try to fade the stains with blue light treatment. But, is it really worth the cost of all of that restoration work to go from a 3.5 to a 4.0 or 4.5? You know the saying about putting lipstick on a pig. I am no CGC apologist--as I've had plenty of issues with them myself. However, in this case, I just don't see you have a valid gripe. I just think your expectations here were way off. The only thing that is going to satisfy you is to have this in a 4.5 or 5.0 slab. That's just not going to happen unless you fork over big money to a comic book conservationist. Sorry for the long comment, but I think a 34 minute video expresses your disappointment over your experience deserves a thought out response. Take it or leave it. By the way, here are the graders notes: married page(s) 16-19 piece out right center of back cover spine split bottom of spine tape stain bottom of spine creasing to cover interior spine reinforced leaf casting page 14-19 Conserved staining to cover tear seals bottom page 17 & 19 Conserved wear to cover

Took them 5.5 months for me to get my Jim lee signatures back.. it was in grading since Jan 3. I yelled at lady saying this is not excusable when comics that came out 2 weeks ago are already on the market! They shipped out same day and gave me $50 credit. Barely got books back April 2 2024

CGC and Larsen are full of s*** Supremely unprofessional on their part.

You are just a drop in the bucket and they don’t care and cgc service is horrible and eventually they will run out of books to grade and dry up

I sent in a triple cover and it took them 3-times to get it right. the 2-times earlier they never saw the other 2-covers after I wrote in large letters on the plastic sleeve, 3 COVERS ON THIS COMIC!!!! LOL! Best to go over Matt's head and get him fired! Terrible Service!

This is a great metaphor for th problm w/comic nerds and why CGC is fkkng everyone on a daily basis. Nerds are such a kind and affable demographic that soulless entities w/out real competition take advantage of. There needs to be a new DEMAND-SIDE mkt rather than being told what th supply will be. Take it or leave it... our sht don't stink. Nerds have got to pick an agenda and go with it. Either decide yer in th hobby bc ya love th nature of th collectible, OR bc ya wanna do business. Ya gotta either be OK takin th loss at ebay, or OK just smellin th pulp. Ya can't have both and be happy about th hobby.

Matt sounds pretty scummy in this whole interaction... Wow.

I’ve never pressed mainly because it says potentially could improve your grade which is from what I guess refers to anything non color breaking Or have the book look more presentable I don’t understand either how the spine looks better and fits a standard case but isn’t improved enough to get a better grade 😕 That doesn’t make sense why even do the service really sounds like he was trying to get you to pay again just for him to say sorry we tried but couldn’t improve anything There’s definitely a type of smugness with CGC they never used to let free accounts send them books which was always dumb you want to give them your business but couldn’t unless you paid money Now free members can send books but I don’t want to now after everything currently going on with them Also guarantee is in their name how you going to lean on the grade being an estimate Matt Nelson you’re not Certified Estimate Company 😂 as many books as he’s probably seen he shouldn’t have been as far off as he was the guy wrote a whole book about grading and couldn’t get your book correct

Comic grading is a bit like religion….even if they grade a book , it’s still subjective. Money for old rope .I’ll pass . Good video.

Well there is alot there. You were talking to the head of the company and you didn't listen he was trying to tell you the grades are opinions and he couldn't grade it him self because that not his job anymore but the rest of the advice he gave you was right. Now is he a ass hole most likely but he did his best yes you should have ask anthor collector what to do as well they would have told you after submitting the book go through customer service I use cgc but don't get my hopes up good luck

Story of my life!!!! 🤔