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There is a reason that Siegel will not accept a return on any lot that has a PF certificate 5 years or less than 5 years old. ... A PF certificate carries a whole lot of weight.
It's true that there is a prime reason for having that limitation in their terms, but you haven't identified it. Siegel does indeed have great respect for the PF, as do most knowledgeable philatelists, but they don't take that where you are. Here is their term of agreement on certification issues:
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8. All lots are sold as genuine. Any lot accompanied by a certificate issued by The Philatelic Foundation or by Professional Stamp Experts within 5 years of the sale date is sold "as is" and in accordance with the description on the certificate. Such lots may not be returned for any reason, including but not limited to a contrary certificate of opinion. Buyers who wish to obtain a certificate for any item that does not have a P.F. or P.S.E. certificate (dated as above) may do so, provided that the following conditions are met: (1) the purchase price must be paid in full, (2) the item must be submitted to an acceptable expertizing committee with a properly executed application form within 21 days of the sale, (3) a copy of the application form must be given to the Galleries, (4) in the event that an adverse opinion is received, the Galleries retain the right to resubmit the item on the buyer's behalf for reconsideration, without time limit or other restrictions, (5) unless written notification to the contrary is received, items submitted for certification will be considered cleared 90 days from the date of sale, and (6) in the event any item is determined to be "not as described", the buyer will be refunded the purchase price and the certification fee up to $800.00 unless otherwise agreed to in writing.
This isn't about raising the flag for the PF (or the PSE), it's about lowering the boom on resellers who only want to offer material with fresh certs. (Certs have a shelf life.) In addition to the cost in money, getting those certs takes time and holds up settling with consignors. That hurts the auction house. This is how the house is fighting back. Did you notice the "as is" status they impose on the offering of certified material within the 5 year window? The "as is" requirement gets around the "undescribed damage" problem which some resellers would use to justify seeking a fresh cert.
Realistically, everyone knows that a klutz with tongs can wreck a stamp in a lot less than 5 years. Scott, John, and Corey are standup guys who are not going to turn their backs on real damage, described or not, but the clause is there to prevent nuisance calls for certification. That started to become an issue already in the late eighties when the whole certification craze was just beginning with the first certified stamps resellers. Nothing new here.
Posted 01/28/2018 7:25 pm
