JSA CUSTOMER SERVICE : WHAT A JOKE !

[David Wright]

Hi Everyone,
I thought I would share this story with you all. In my collection I have a flag from the 2000 USPGA championships that has been signed by 17 champions and has been to JSA for examination and authentication. On Dec 4th 2013 I informed JSA that there was an error on the letter they issued in which they state the flag is signed by just 16 champions.

It's a full letter so a photo of the flag showing all 17 signatures is there on the letter itself.

Even though JSA had carried out the authentication they came back and still required further, detailed scans of the flag and letter. No admission of mistake.

After numerous e mails, that received no reply from the company, here we are SIX WEEKS later and only now are they admitting the mistake.

Now, wait for it, they will not issue a replacement (and correct) letter unless I pay to return their erroneous letter FIRST or pay a $25 re-print fee!
They want ME to pay to correct THEIR mistake and they write, and I quote :

"I am sorry sir but that is our policy"

How surreal, unfair and illegal is that?

Happy New Year to everyone and all best wishes for 2014 and successful collecting.

David

[Mike Shepherd]

They will not send you a replacement LOA until they receive yours first because they do not trust that you will send yours once you receive the new one.  Why should they?  I am sure that they have trusted people in the past only to have fake JSA LOAs circulate as a result.  Just send them yours and they will ship a replacement.  If you lived here it would not be an issue.  It would cost you 46 cents.  I am sure that they will not charge to ship the replacement LOA.  Who knows?  Maybe they will be willing to credit you 46 cents.

I do not believe that they are breaking any laws.  That is quite an accusation David.

[Tom Schwartz]

"Oh come on Randy - do you really believe that somebody is going to be able to take another 2000 Valhalla flag and forge EXACTLY the 17 signatures on the flag - the same size, the same place, the same ink so that it complies with the photo on the JSA letter?"

It only has to be done well enough to fool a neophyte autograph collector, whom are abundant. I know I've seen this exact type of forgery discussed on this forum before. That's why it's a smart policy on their part to try and minimize the number of orphaned LOA's out there. Not that you would do such a thing, but it's something that makes sense on their end.

"Then you're gonna have to take the JSA numbered sticker off the real flag to place on the "forged" flag or they have to forge a JSA sticker as well. Sorry mate but that line of argument just doesn't make any sense."

Again, if you're trying to sucker a neophyte collector, all that isn't even necessary. The letter may be enough to fool them. There are dozens and dozens of threads here about buyers falling for a lot more bogus provenance and horrendous COA's than a switcheroo letter from JSA.

"I would have had no problem with this matter but for JSA's intransigence and lack of response and continued requests for the same information and photos! As I said, after repeated e mails to JSA - a problem that should have taken 5 minutes to correct is nowhere near resolution 6 weeks later. What an absolute joke!!! All they had to do was send me a letter that corrected their mistake and I would have returned the original. What is so bloody difficult about that?"

Getting the runaround for so long certainly stinks, but you seem to be locked into some sort of Mexican standoff regarding sending this letter back. If all that's standing between getting this resolved is you sending the letter back first, I don't know what's so difficult about that either, but to each his own.

[Randy]

Well stated. Saved me 5 paragraphs of writing. Thanks

[David Wright]

G'day Tom, thanks for taking the time to post and I accept all the points you make and perhaps it reflects on the continuing, and incredibly sad, aspect of human behaviour that all AML members know all too well, the bandits who rip others off with fake autographs, LoAs etc :(

I also think that you are right that we have now got a "Mexican stand-off" (nice way to put it) and I would have done that immediately if JSA had responded initially with an acknowledgement of error or quick apology.

As I ponder your wise words I find myself having lost so much trust in JSA that if I send my letter back, I am not sure how long it would take ... if ever ... for them to send me a replacement.

As you say, it's not "so difficult" for me to just send the letter back, BUT my goodness I feel very badly treated :(

Thanks, once again, for your most salient points.

Cheers

David

[wascher]

Agree completely.

[Mike Kaminski]

I agree with David. JSA is entirely at fault here and even if somehow someone forges a near perfect replica of the item with the proper sticker it was JSA's carelessness that caused that. 

[Xwiesy]

i tell you, i hate to spend a dime anywhere becuase it's usually wasted.

[Mike Shepherd]

I recently contacted JSA by phone regarding a couple of items.  They were courteous and helpful.

[David Wright]

G'day David, thanks for that and your first idea was my original approach but got me nowhere :( Postage paid envelope, reimburse via credit card or credit against future fees received "not our policy" reply. As you say, all of that would seem "simple enough" but - apparently not :) Cheers, David.

[David Wright]

G'day Mike, thanks for that but ... fake this JSA letter? Hmmm - interesting idea but first I'd have to get my hands on some of their watermarked stationery, then forge James J. Spence Jr's rather unique signature and in the ink that he uses, then I'm going to have to fake Michelle C Cooding's (Notary Public) signature and then fake her official stamp that she has put on the LoA and then fake her official seal that she has also put on the letter.

IMHO - this is all impossible, I just don't see how you can fake this type of JSA letter and get anyone to believe it is authentic :)

In that context, I say again - what is so difficult for JSA. Tell me they've popped a replacement in the mail and I'll happily return the erroneous one that I have or destroy .. their choice :)

Now to just address your comment "why should they" ... simple - to correct a mistake that THEY made. An erroneous LoA issued after a PAID FOR authentication and even more basic ... it's just great customer relations. A simply apology, a quick re-print and mail. How to impress a customer and keep them on-side forever ?

Instead, all of this has just left a really sour taste and turned me completely off JSA.

Just sad :(

Cheers

David

[Mike Shepherd]

What are you talking about?  You would possess two official JSA LOAs if you were not to return the original.  That is the point.  You would not be required to reproduce anything.

[David Wright]

Sorry mate - I misunderstood ... duh ... old age BUT - one of the letters, the one I have now, doesn't match up to the flag. If you look at the flag itself and the photo of the flag on the LoA I currently have you can clearly count 17 signatures while this erroneous letter states "16 signatures".

So the LoA actually doesn't tie up with the flag!

Mind you, as Tom pointed out a few moments ago, that could still be used to get passed a neophyte collector.

Similarly, two LoAs are not much use unless you have two flags - so I come back to having to fake 16 or 17 signatures on another Valhalla flag and get them exact to match the photo on the LoA. Does that make sense ?

My apologies for being dumb in my earlier response :)

Cheers

David