Current delays on submissions 1 1

[Nutmeg Coin]

I sent in a couple submissions overnight express last week and was waiting to have them logged in.  I was told that they did not pick up mail on Friday and were closed until today.   What kind of realistic turn-around times are people seeing on regular submissions?

[VKurtB]

On 7/5/2023 at 10:06 AM, Nutmeg Coin said:

I sent in a couple submissions overnight express last week and was waiting to have them logged in.  I was told that they did not pick up mail on Friday and were closed until today.   What kind of realistic turn-around times are people seeing on regular submissions?

NGC is downright speedy lately. The four-letter-word company is taking forever and a half. NGC has been staffing up. 

[Henri Charriere]

IN THE BEGINNING, according to a casual comment made by John Albanese during an interview, turn-around times went as high as eight months!  My understanding and experience with submission turn-around times is, as stated on the submission forms, merely ballpark figures. Guidelines. If Covid-19 comes along, the estimated times change understandably. The irregularity you have experienced very likely could be attributed to just a pro-looonged holiday weekend.

[numisport]

I was told 10 days for my reholder submission.

[Fenntucky Mike]

I don't think I've ever had a submission take longer that what was advertised? Maybe once and not by much? My experience has been that the submission normally ships prior to the advertised turnaround times, sometimes by several days. I have a couple of submissions over at PMG and they are clipping right along.

[berlineagle]

I must live under a dark cloud; my economy token submission is at about 30 days. I also have a standard there that was sent in together that was graded about a week and a half ago. I was told they are running behind schedule. so, i can't see my grades till the economy is done, as I asked for them to ship together. Guess I'll just have to wait a little longer.

.

 

[VKurtB]

On 7/6/2023 at 1:12 PM, berlineagle said:

I must live under a dark cloud; my economy token submission is at about 30 days. I also have a standard there that was sent in together that was graded about a week and a half ago. I was told they are running behind schedule. so, i can't see my grades till the economy is done, as I asked for them to ship together. Guess I'll just have to wait a little longer.

.

 

Yes, combined shipping does wait for the slowest part, and info does NOT precede the shipping. 

[Nutmeg Coin]

I've never seen such slow handling by this grading service. I sent express overnight and it has been over a week since arrival and nary a peep in the system having received my package though I was told it got to their po box based on my tracking, don't ask me how.  Presumably moderns are the bulk of their business now, but the delays have been going on for years now.  Serious profit making businesses adapt quickly.  They have expanded the call-in customer service hours but that does us no good.  Surely they have a lot of professional mail handlers that would be able to do order entry in a minute or two on my submissions.   Even had I sent in walkthroughs the delays would have been significant.  I'm thinking the foot-dragging or the back logs incentivize the submitters to bump up their submission tiers, but that is just encouraging a lack of rigorous order-entry and irresponsibility.  In the past 24-48 hours was standard on this part of the process.

Edited July 6, 2023 by Nutmeg Coin

[Fenntucky Mike]

On 7/6/2023 at 7:29 PM, Nutmeg Coin said:

In the past 24-48 hours was standard on this part of the process.

Pre covid yes, but since it seems to take about 5-10 business days. NGC use to post the backlog for receiving/entering submissions. I just took a look at the turnaround times and world modern is up to 42 days, , need to get rolling on my submissions if I'm going to beat the cutoff.

The way I look at it is if the packages were checked in sooner then they would have to increase the turnaround times, meaning, receiving/entering submissions faster might create the same or worse backup further down the line and we'd be in the same boat. What really needs to happen is for people to stop sending in "error" coins that aren't errors, fakes, damaged coins and learn how to fill out a form to speed things up. 

[VKurtB]

I wouldn’t know. I have never yet “sent coins in”. I “take them in” and drop them off at major coin shows. They always get logged in very quickly. I am always astounded by the alacrity. But using FedEx, or UPS, or USPS? That’s just asking for getting at the back of a very huge pile. I am led to believe that the incoming backlog, prior to system entry, is downright huuuuuge. If you haven’t somehow made your package stand out, you are pretty much scrod. There are over 700 people working for NGC, and space itself is getting scarce. 

Edited July 8, 2023 by VKurtB

[berlineagle]

Just wanted to know how others are doing with submissions. I'm at 34 days and counting on economy. In NGC's building 5/16/23, Received 5/23/23. I am using their receiving date, use to be that the date in the building was used in turnaround times, so it might be 39 days. I was told yesterday they are just a little behind, I asked why turnaround times are at 23 days, no real answer. How are the rest of You's doing?

[Henri Charriere]

On 7/7/2023 at 7:01 AM, Fenntucky Mike said:

.... What really needs to happen is for people to stop sending in "error" coins that aren't errors, fakes, damaged coins and learn how to fill out a form to speed things up. 

Pretty tall order. Reminds me of the quote by Orben: "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." Only problem is addressing obsessions, debunking disinformation and myths, developing literacy and education are all labor-intensive, time-consuming, very often life-long pursuits.

Edit:  A classic bit of advice from a member as applicable today, as the date it was written...

@Woods020 ...read more, submit less, and question everything."  (12/15/2020)

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Henri Charriere
Insert quote

[VKurtB]

On 7/19/2023 at 7:53 PM, Henri Charriere said:

Pretty tall order. Reminds me of the quote by Orben: "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." Only problem is addressing obsessions, debunking disinformation and myths, developing literacy and education are all labor-intensive, time-consuming, very often life-long pursuits.

But worth every second.  As for what @Fenntucky Mike wrote, YES, take a little responsibility and learn how to fill out a form. Yes, there's a lot there. DO NOT PANIC! Take it sequentially. Do number 1, then 2, etc. Nothing there is all that impossible to understand, and if it IS too much for you, maybe submitting coins for grading just isn't for you. And also, STOP THINKING EVERY DARNED THING IS AN ERROR! 99% of "errors" are nothing of the kind. You've been snookered by your previous information sources.

Edited July 20, 2023 by VKurtB

[zadok]

On 7/19/2023 at 9:01 PM, VKurtB said:

But worth every second.  As for what @Fenntucky Mike wrote, YES, take a little responsibility and learn how to fill out a form. Yes, there's a lot there. DO NOT PANIC! Take it sequentially. Do number 1, then 2, etc. Nothing there is all that impossible to understand, and if it IS too much for you, maybe submitting coins for grading just isn't for you. And also, STOP THINKING EVERY DARNED THING IS AN ERROR! 99% of "errors" are nothing of the kind. You've been snookered by your previous information sources.

...snookered, ah theres a word that brings back memories much like snoggled or snooded not to mention snookered n snoggled at the same time, the good old days...but u r correct, a few minutes just reading the form n following the directions it provides n of course not submitting dreg in hopes of hitting the lottery would lessen the backlog immensely...perhaps ngc welcomes the volume, read $s, but i imagine having a well run n on time machine weighs heavily in their over-all vision...the only thing i fail to understand is in viewing submission tracking, one day it will state encapsulation/imaging n the next it will state grading/quality control or even scheduled for grading?? which is it? the coins arent starting over, r they just shifting the status around to show activity for activity's sake? otherwise i mostly pleased with their process....

[VKurtB]

On 7/20/2023 at 8:15 AM, zadok said:

...snookered, ah theres a word that brings back memories much like snoggled or snooded not to mention snookered n snoggled at the same time, the good old days...but u r correct, a few minutes just reading the form n following the directions it provides n of course not submitting dreg in hopes of hitting the lottery would lessen the backlog immensely...perhaps ngc welcomes the volume, read $s, but i imagine having a well run n on time machine weighs heavily in their over-all vision...the only thing i fail to understand is in viewing submission tracking, one day it will state encapsulation/imaging n the next it will state grading/quality control or even scheduled for grading?? which is it? the coins arent starting over, r they just shifting the status around to show activity for activity's sake? otherwise i mostly pleased with their process....

Folks with a serious problem with ADHD ought to take their meds and have a break before taking on a grading form for the first time. No ADHD? Fine. Sit in the lotus position and do deep breathing for 5 minutes. Do some yoga maybe. One hard and fast rule. DO NOT clog up every chair at NGC’s booth learning how to fill out a form. There are people behind you who have their forms completely filled out and just need 10 seconds with the person whose time YOU are wasting. 

[VKurtB]

On 7/20/2023 at 8:15 AM, zadok said:

...snookered, ah theres a word that brings back memories much like snoggled or snooded not to mention snookered n snoggled at the same time, the good old days...but u r correct, a few minutes just reading the form n following the directions it provides n of course not submitting dreg in hopes of hitting the lottery would lessen the backlog immensely...perhaps ngc welcomes the volume, read $s, but i imagine having a well run n on time machine weighs heavily in their over-all vision...the only thing i fail to understand is in viewing submission tracking, one day it will state encapsulation/imaging n the next it will state grading/quality control or even scheduled for grading?? which is it? the coins arent starting over, r they just shifting the status around to show activity for activity's sake? otherwise i mostly pleased with their process....

People with moxie are seldom snookered. (Two in one sentence.) I have determined that the responsibility for interminable delays in grading lies ONE AND ONLY ONE PLACE. It is with people who submit coins that have no business being submitted at all, PARTICULARLY American gold, silver, platinum, and palladium Eagles. Yup, all of them.

Edited July 20, 2023 by VKurtB

[zadok]

On 7/20/2023 at 2:34 PM, VKurtB said:

People with moxie are seldom snookered. (Two in one sentence.) I have determined that the responsibility for interminable delays in grading lies ONE AND ONLY ONE PLACE. It is with people who submit coins that have no business being submitted at all, PARTICULARLY American gold, silver, platinum, and palladium Eagles. Yup, all of them.

...i remember Moxie as a soda drink, QDB is a big fan by the way...i personally do not maintain my Au,Ag,Pt,Pd in coins hence no submissions my Pb i maintain in 00...virtually all of my US submissions r in the pre-1900 series, foreign r bit helter skelter but classic....

[VKurtB]

On 7/20/2023 at 5:25 PM, zadok said:

...i remember Moxie as a soda drink, QDB is a big fan by the way...i personally do not maintain my Au,Ag,Pt,Pd in coins hence no submissions my Pb i maintain in 00...virtually all of my US submissions r in the pre-1900 series, foreign r bit helter skelter but classic....

I straddle 1900 as a center point. My usual later line is 1930-ish, maybe. Standers and sick nice Mercs.

Edited July 20, 2023 by VKurtB

[zadok]

On 7/20/2023 at 6:29 PM, VKurtB said:

I straddle 1900 as a center point. My usual later line is 1930-ish, maybe. Standers and sick nice Mercs.

...i could be arm-twisted into matte finish proofs....

[VKurtB]

On 7/20/2023 at 5:50 PM, zadok said:

...i could be arm-twisted into matte finish proofs....

Who couldn't?

[Crazy Mtn Coins]

I sent in two submissions that tracking shows were delivered August 10.  NGC has not even opened them yet (almost one month).  Their site says they are presently opening submissions received the week of July 31.  So my standard grading submission will probably be done sometime late November.  Glad I did not pay for express grading.

[VKurtB]

On 9/4/2023 at 5:07 PM, Crazy Mtn Coins said:

I sent in two submissions that tracking shows were delivered August 10.  NGC has not even opened them yet (almost one month).  Their site says they are presently opening submissions received the week of July 31.  So my standard grading submission will probably be done sometime late November.  Glad I did not pay for express grading.

These are EXTRAORDINARILY popular services, overburdened by submissions that were never anticipated. NGC is very carefully but rapidly staffing up to help the situation. But until submitters regain their heretofore lost minds, delays will persist.

[Henri Charriere]

I believe members will have to factor in Idalia, and bear in mind too, that submission times are mere estimates and not something chiseled into granite.

[VKurtB]

On 9/4/2023 at 9:20 PM, Henri Charriere said:

I believe members will have to factor in Idalia, and bear in mind too, that submission times are mere estimates and not something chiseled into granite.

Chiselers? I am told that there is literally a huge garage-like room at NGC with incoming packages stacked floor to ceiling awaiting entry into the computer system. About half of it is from gimongous wholesale dealers with pallets of ASE’s awaiting their three seconds of examination and their 69 or 70 “flip of the coin”.

Every time the Mint issues a new item, the wholesaler glut of submissions repeats. 

Edited September 5, 2023 by VKurtB

[Thomas Little]

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Edited September 6, 2023 by Thomas Little

[Nutmeg Coin]

On 9/4/2023 at 7:38 PM, VKurtB said:

These are EXTRAORDINARILY popular services, overburdened by submissions that were never anticipated. NGC is very carefully but rapidly staffing up to help the situation. But until submitters regain their heretofore lost minds, delays will persist.

Sounds like a propagandist for their irresponsible business operations!  Maybe their current management should have their minds checked out for soundness and then hire some competent processing clerks so they can run their business properly!

Literally a month waiting for packages to be just opened?  And I've seen turn around times jump all over the place from 23 business days to 20 to over 40 to back to 35 or so....after the packages get opened which could be many weeks! And they tell us these are merely estimates.  How would you feel if your priority mail item with a target time of 2-3 days ends up taking 10 days??

And what business charges when they log in a submission? Hardly any business charges prior to a service being rendered.

[VKurtB]

On 9/5/2023 at 6:59 PM, Nutmeg Coin said:

Sounds like a propagandist for their irresponsible business operations!  Maybe their current management should have their minds checked out for soundness and then hire some competent processing clerks so they can run their business properly!

Literally a month waiting for packages to be just opened?  And I've seen turn around times jump all over the place from 23 business days to 20 to over 40 to back to 35 or so....after the packages get opened which could be many weeks! And they tell us these are merely estimates.  How would you feel if your priority mail item with a target time of 2-3 days ends up taking 10 days??

And what business charges when they log in a submission? Hardly any business charges prior to a service being rendered.

Not a propagandist, just someone treated to a presentation called, “A Look Inside NGC” during Week 1 of the ANA Summer Seminar, in Colorado Springs this past June. I get away from my keyboard and go listen and learn things. You can pretend all you like that staying online and griping is as good as traveling and interacting personally with NGC’s management personnel, but it just isn’t. There are now over 700 personnel at Sarasota, and many more are coming, IF they have the space. The problem is that Sarasota is a high living expense town and starting salaries are modest, so getting people to come is a challenge. Now if they’d just open a Northern Alabama branch office…

What they typically get is youngsters, whose work ethic is already questionable.

Edited September 6, 2023 by VKurtB

[Crazy Mtn Coins]

I guess after settling down I can wait for my coins to be graded.  These are uncirculated Franklins so not overly valuable.  I have just started collecting Franklins and was hoping to get them back in a reasonable amount of time so I can see how well I can grade these.  For the enormous stacks of coins to be graded at NGC, my concern is if there is some sort of unseen pressure that could occur to grade coins quicker that occurs and as such, not as good of quality.  I want mine graded with the quality I am used to.  I do not want to trade the wait for quality.

I am throwing in one of my new Morgan dollars. One of my favorites (MS 67+).

[VKurtB]

On 9/6/2023 at 1:08 PM, Crazy Mtn Coins said:

I guess after settling down I can wait for my coins to be graded.  These are uncirculated Franklins so not overly valuable.  I have just started collecting Franklins and was hoping to get them back in a reasonable amount of time so I can see how well I can grade these.  For the enormous stacks of coins to be graded at NGC, my concern is if there is some sort of unseen pressure that could occur to grade coins quicker that occurs and as such, not as good of quality.  I want mine graded with the quality I am used to.  I do not want to trade the wait for quality.

I am throwing in one of my new Morgan dollars. One of my favorites (MS 67+).

VERY nice '99 there. Nice clean fields.

[Henri Charriere]

On 7/5/2023 at 11:30 AM, VKurtB said:

.... The four-letter-word company is taking forever and a half.... 

Let's be fair about this. You know my position on "Orange County," which one member years ago condemned as bashing (for excellent reasons) and I would imagine regular viewers know yours.  But in a court of Law, your comment would be characterized as "third-hand hearsay."  What is the source of your info? I cannot recall your having ever said you attended any of their functions, expos, shows, what-have-you. Even if you (doubtful) or someone you know (equally doubtful) submitted something to them, I don't believe you have enough data (insider tips?) upon which to base an informed opinion. I know next to nothing about them personally for no other reason than I am no longer a member and have nothing requiring their special brand of opinionated expertise, vis-a-vis technical vs. marketing grading.

Now, a warehouse full of pending submissions is very specific information and something your average member would not be aware of.  What I can state with certainty, without drawing any conclusions -- which can be confirmed by anyone so inclined is -- allow me to phrase this as a question: To what can the average collector attribute the fact that NGC has certified three times as many MS-67 gold "restrike" roosters than has the four-letter acronym, 182 vs. 63?  There are 48, or over four times as many certified by NGC for the date 1912, as there are for the four-letter service: only 10. A quote attributed to Mark Twain -- "There are 3 kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics" -- is inapplicable. Neither TPGS is lying, but the compilations of statistics (one calls a census; the other, population) suggest one of two things. One is grading strictly. The other not as much. Another way of looking at it is a matter of practicality... maybe the one with submissions piled to the rafters is taking things on the good foot and "expediting" the process.  I don't know and, lacking a Speed Graphic to worm my way thru crowds, I doubt anyone will confide in me any time soon. But I wonder... how do you know?  🤔