PSA/DNA “Autograph Collector says…
it can’t be trusted…”
The following is an email received from a collector in New Zealand. Only a few lines of the email have been deleted because of repetition. This is a wonderful educational story for those who are still foolish enough to waste their money on high profile companies who “claim” the can authenticate autographs with an opinion, (guess) or (psychic authentication).
Subj: Hung Out To Dry By PSA
Date: Mon. October 4, 2010 2:39 pm
“G’day from New Zealand
I hope this finds you fit and well.
If you have a few moments of spare time…here’s a story that you might like to read and then you can have a good scratch of your head.
If this doesn’t convince us all that the only people who suffer from PSA Quick Opinions are collectors and sellers of memorabilia then nothing w ill.
I recently submitted a “Quick Opinion” request to PSA as I’ve long been a fan of KISS and one of their early albums, signed by all 4 original members of the band came up on the website of a VERY reputable US auction house.
The Quick Opinion came back as “likely genuine” and based upon that I went after the album and outbid all-comers to get it.
I sent the album off to PSA for the full letter and they sent it back to me as “NOT AUTHENTIC” with one of their usual, mass-produced letters saying that the album “did not pass PSA/DNA authentication.”
I went back to PSA and said…
The problem I’m having here is that I forked out quite a lot of money for this album based upon the PSA opinion and now I’m left holding something that PSA now a couple weeks later says is worthless!!!
…I have to ask the following:
a) What is the point of “Quick Opinion”? You tell me one thing then do another?
b) How can you justify saying on the website….
Likely genuine: Our expert believes that the item, if physically submitted to Collectors Universe, PSA/DNA division for examination, would likely receive a PSA/DNA certificate of authenticity.
If this is the way that “Quick Opinion” can work then PSA can, potentially, take my money and then leave me hanging out in the wind to dry. My point is…what am I now supposed to do with this album? I can’t add it confidently to my collection cuz you say it’s fake. I can’t knowingly sell it on to someone else…cuz you say it’s fake. The auction house XXXXX won’t give me a refund cuz they don’t recognize PSA/DNA “opinions“.
You see - the only person who loses is the PSA/DNA customer…me! To make matters worse I lose no less than three times:
1) You take my money for the Quick Opinion.
2) The auction house takes my money for the item I buy based on “Likely Genuine.”
3) You then take anothe r slice of my money for the physical examination.
You see my point? So - just WHAT is the point of “Quick Opinion?????
From the customer point of view I now really have SERIOUS doubts as to the validity of this service.
It appears that Quick Opinion cannot be relied upon by a customer.
Therefore it follows that Quick Opinion serves no REAL purpose for a collector.”
SOLUTIONS
www.autographalert.com has no sympathy for this collector. With all the information on the Internet and posted by individual autograph collecting clubs, those who still at this late date use these high profile so-called authenticating companies deserve what they get. The authenticating company gets the last laugh all the way to the bank.
Can this collector or anyone tell us “who” at PSA/DNA is capable of authenticating KISS autographs???
This collector has two options:
1) He can contact a PSA/DNA authenticator John “the psychic authenticator” Reznikoff. This guy thinks he can authenticate an autograph without seeing it. If he does and thinks he can change PSA’s original guess, he is well known for saying: “I’ll call the authenticating company and fix it.”
2) Wait a few more weeks and send the authenticating company more hard earned dollars and have it re-authenticated. Send it in using a different name. Chances are you could possibly get the album back authenticated “as genuine”. This has proven to work. When John “psychic authenticator” Reznikoff purchases autographs from a seller PSA does not approve of, Reznikoff in the past has told the seller to send the items to PSA using Renikoff’s name and return address.
The collector didn’t utilize the information he already had. He clearly stated he was purchasing from a “Very” reputable US auction house. What made him think that paying money for a “guess” from an authenticating company would trump the professionals at the auction house?
The auction house has more experience than any “guesser’ who works for the authenticating company. The experienced at the auction house clearly stated that they did not respect a guess from this authenticating company so no refund would be issued. Most of the professional dealers and auction h ouses have the same policy.
The collector by wasting his money on a worthless “guess” from an incompetent at an authenticating company only put himself in this predicament.
