Question About PSE

Hi,

I had a tough experience with PSE recently, and I'm wondering if other people had similar experiences with them. I bought an OGpH #229 last November, with a clean 2010 PF certificate graded 90 stating "previously hinged at bottom right". I submitted the stamp to PSE for recertification a few weeks later; they kept the stamp for almost 3 months and returned it to me last week with significantly damaged gum. The pictures are below: the first picture is the nice stamp before I submitted it to PSE, the second picture is the stamp I got back last week, with almost 1/3 of the gum missing and gum-soaked perforations at upper right.





It is pretty clear that the gum of the stamp was damaged significantly at some point during certification. Could somebody tell me if they had a similar experience with PSE? Any advice on how to deal with them? I thought they were a reputable company but I'm not sure what to think anymore.

Thanks,

Alex

There are other possibilities here. I have never heard of PSE damaging a Stamp before, not to say it's never happened but perhaps somewhere in between PSE & your destination it might have been in a humid environment or something along those lines. What shipping method did they use to return the item ? What type of envelope did they use ? Have you contacted them about this ? How that stamp graded out at a 90 is beyond me. It's a lovely piece but it has a couple of nibbled perfs and a couple of nibbled corners.

Thanks for the reply. I sent the stamp by registered mail and got it back by registered mail as well. I'm pretty sure it didn't get damaged on its way back, since there were no traces of gum on the holder. Also, I submitted it with 2 other stamps, which came back fine as far as I can tell.

The PF certificate number is 485738. I have a few other stamps from this set, and my feeling is that's pretty much how a stamp graded 90 from that period looks.

Alex

Have you contacted them regarding this ?

I emailed them the 2 pictures, but didn't get a reply yet. I'll try calling them tomorrow, but I was wondering if somebody on the forum had some advice on how to deal with this.

PSE's Guarantee; •No guarantee can be offered regarding the mint or used status, grade or condition of non-encapsulated stamps.

'Ambiguous point' giving PSE a back door regarding returned condition of sent item(s).


Alex3791, I see and agree with your concern, 'assuming' you scanned the bottom image in exactly the same spot regarding position on your scanner plate etc.

That being said, the bottom stamp IS lighter front and back, noticeable easily on Gentleman's hair.

Under PC Mag's exposed/lone perf hairs appear significantly reduced in bottom scan indicating the stamp has been subjected(dipped/sprayed) with a evaporative fluid, causing VERY FINE paper fibers to stick/bond/lay/reposition onto stamp.

IMO, PSE have devalued your stamp - more than it cost you for the service. To take almost 3 months it's appears they are far too busy to dedicate adequate care to collectors possessions.

I finally got to talk to PSE and they offered reasonable compensation: they will reimburse me about 60% of what I had paid for the stamp and allow me to keep it. The somewhat disappointing part is that somebody there probably knew that the gum of the stamp had been damaged in the process, but decided to send it back to me anyway without mentioning it.

I guess it's a good idea to keep good records, such as good photos, of any submissions, even to reputable companies such as PSE.

Thanks to those who replied.

Alex