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Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) has been hit with a class action lawsuit by a baseball card collector who claims that the appraisal company knowingly graded altered cards and sold them at auctions.
Plaintiff Eric Savoy, a baseball card collector says that he has sent his own baseball cards to PSA for grading and has bought graded cards from the company.
In fact, he believes that he has purchased at least one graded card despite the fact that it was altered.
According to the plaintiff, a card owner sends a card to PSA in order to get a rating for that card. PSA will then determine if a card is “authentic and unaltered.” If the company determines that the card is authentic, it will grade the card on a 1-10 scale, based on its physical condition. If the company finds out that the card is altered, it will not grade the card on the 1-10 scale.
The plaintiff maintains that the PSA grade will have a direct impact on the market value of the card and that a “step up” of one or two grade could increase a card’s value tenfold, depending on the value of the card.
“Contrary to its guarantees to consumers, PSA in fact graded a substantial number of altered cards on its 1-10 scale,” the PSA class action lawsuit alleges.
The plaintiff maintains that PSA knew that cards were altered when it gave them the grades on the 1-10 scale. The plaintiff states that the altered cards were then sold with their newly inflated ratings and, in July 2019, The Washington Post reported that collectors had identified $1.4 million in the sale of altered cards.
In fact, the Washington Post points to a Stan Musial card from 1952 which reportedly had a spray black print mark on a white frame and sold for $2,800 in late 2017. The article notes that, seven months later, another 1952 Stan Musial card without that print mark was sold for $28,100. Collectors are claiming that the two cards are the same item, which was allegedly altered to remove the blemish, thus inflating its value.
According to the class action lawsuit, other altered cards have stains removed and creases smoothed out in order to increase their value. Sometimes the cards are “trimmed” to create a gap between the card and the edge of the case in which it was placed, the plaintiff alleges. In addition, each card reportedly has its own distinctive characteristics such as how the image on the card is centered in the frame as well as patterns on the fibers on the cards which collect dirt or other debris. The altering of these aspects of the cards could result in a card getting a better grade than it actually deserves, the plaintiff maintains.
“Indeed, collectors were able to use PSA’s records to uncover the scheme, yet PSA contends that it continued to grade altered cards without noticing from its own records that it had previously graded those cards at a lower grade,” according to the class action lawsuit.
PSA’s fee schedule incentivizes the company to over-grade cards for consumers who are willing to pay more so that their cards can be graded, according to the PSA class action lawsuit.
“PSA charges based on the perceived market value of cards and requires consumers to self-appraise the value of their cards before submission,” the plaintiff alleges.
The plaintiff states that PSA knowingly graded cards at higher grading levels for preferred customers who gave the company a high number of cards in order to collect the fees that come with those submissions.
The PSA class action lawsuit claims that the company guarantees consumers that it will not grade altered cards and that if they purchased an altered card, they will “be made whole” for the lost value of the baseball card.
The class action lawsuit also states that the company defrauded consumers by grading cards that were altered and then selling those cards to consumers.
In addition, another defendant in this case, PWCC Marketplace LLC, is accused of knowingly selling cards that were altered that were purported to be unaltered.
“In fact, collectors identified instances in which PWCC sold PSA rated cards which were then altered, submitted to PSA, graded at a higher level, and sold through PWCC by the original buyer,” the PSA class action lawsuit states.
Potential Class Members in this case include: “Individuals who used PSA’s services to rate cards, who bought altered cards that were nonetheless rated by PSA on its 1-10 scale, and who currently hold altered PSA rated cards including, but not limited to, those purchased through PWCC.”
Have you had baseball cards appraised? Leave a message in the comments section below.
The plaintiff is represented by Marcus J. Bradley, Kiley L. Grombacher, and Robert N. Fisher of Bradley/Grombacher LLP, and Sahag Majarian II of Law Offices of Sahag Majarian.
The PSA Altered Baseball Cards Class Action Lawsuit is Eric Savoy v. Collector’s Universe, et al., Case No. 30-2020-01130892-CU-RI-CXC, in the Superior Court for the State of California, County of Orange.
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190 thoughts onPSA Card Class Action Says Altered Baseball Cards Graded and Auctioned
They should shut them down,knowing that
They are scamming people,trust Beckett 100%,PSA trust 0%,bunch of scammers like
A lot of sportscards people in the grading
PSA industry,crooks,thieves.
They should shut them down,knowing that
They are scamming people,trust Beckett 100%,PSA trust 0%,bunch of scammers like
A lot of sportscards people in the industry
Shut them down,crooked thieves.
Wonderful lawsuit! I sent a submission to PSA, it got handled by one of their security team in CA and two of the cards were missing when it got to the grader. It has been 6 months and PSA keeps telling me they are going to have someone from their resolution team contact me, but no one has.
Add me as well. Sent a beautiful lamelo prizm rc, counted the dots etc. They sent it back with a huge scratch and gave it an 8. Paid express 300.. ready to sue.
Add me please. psa sent me N5 altered without explanation. Then I submitted to sgc and came back 7.
I want to be added to this lawsuit against PSA! They have given my brother and I very unfair grades for cards that are in excellent condition!
Literally how can we join in I just submitted 35 cards with minimum grades of 8 only 2 graded out of all of them on the express tier- 1 card was my Larry bird Erving johnson 81 scoring leader, came back rejected i was literally expecting a 9 on it It was pulled and placed in a top loader dead mint dead center 0 edge ware- and there is a PSA 9 on eBay now with a black ink stain under johnson near the top – and they denied my dead mint card! I have pics to prove it too
I have same thing happen to me. Also today. Right now. How I found this news page ! Rejected 4 out of 10 cards saying there trimmed , recoloration another trimmed on a perforated lebron rookie. It is impossible to trim a perforated card. When all the ridges are there. Then they gave me psa 4 and seven on 2021 Herbert prizm ?? Like impossible. Other cards were Kobe rookies ! This isn’t fist time. I’ve resubmitted before and gotten 3 grades higher. How is that possible. I’ve been documenting it all. I’m gonna sue. Also. These were done three super express. 300$ per card. They literally just robbed me !!!
“It is impossible to trim a perforated card. When all the ridges are there. ”
Are all 4 sides perforated? Because i would think it depends on the card as some cards are only perforated on side of 4.
Please add me. Lots of issues with PSA.
Same story only with a lot lower grades than expected. I didn’t expect 9’s or 10’s but 5 is pretty low for a 2000 card put straight into a top loader from a pack. Also, I see what a 5 looks like on their site. On ebay there are cards clearly off center graded 9. I’m sick over it.
I’m confused….why is PSA UNDERGRADING legit cards ? Is that because they would expose the lousy overgraded cards they gave 8’s and 9’s to ?
I understand gradeflation for mediocre cards, but I am at a loss as to all of you with untouched cards getting altered or low grades.
Count me in as well! I Just received an N5: ALTERED STOCK for my bird/Irving/johnson RC card i just received back and this card was pulled from a wax pack back from 1980 and hadn’t been touched since…paid the $1000 for the premium and should be a 9 grade or higher. I want a refund for that WASTED $1000 i sent! Feel like i was totally scammed by PSA.
Seriously? So I am not the only one!!! I sent 4 of the exact same card in, with all 3 signatures on all 4 cards. Corners are PERFECT, surface is PERFECT. But yes, my cards are off center and have the usual blue dots that most cards from the 1980 set have. I got all the cards back after paying $800 for the super express. 3 cards graded a 6 and one graded a 5, with all cards except one of the 6’s getting DNA grades of 10, and one getting a DNA of 9 (I’d love an explanation of how one got a 9!). These grades they gave me DESTROYED the value of my cards. So I contacted PSA and asked if they can at least remove the card grade because that is what destroyed the value of my cards. They told me I’d have to pay the newly increased price for each card to be REGRADED!!! REGRADED? They are already graded. I just want the card grade removed. PSA is a SCAM.
Wow guys I just got scammed too! I have a super mint bird Erving johnson rookie card set a minimum of 8 on it, and got rejected, it is dead mint center front and back 0 edge ware I was expecting an 8 or 9 on it and they rejected it! There is a PSA 9 on eBay now with an ink mark on it under johnson at the top of the card on right side and it graded 9! And they rejected ours? Mine was pulled from a pack literally in 82 from my dads baseball card shop and put away for years!