ComplaintsforHybrid Grading Approach

• Initial Complaint

  08/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On June 14,2024 and July 06, 2024, I submitted two separate orders to HGA to have cards graded and placed in protective slabs. I did receive the cards back from them but noticed one of my higher end Autographed cards had been damaged in the process of them putting the card into a slab and was put into the slab with a damaged corner that is folded up. The card was absolutely not like that when I sent it to them. I have sent several emails and even messaged on their Discord but I can’t get anyone to respond. They have also shut down their website due to a “realignment” and I am unable to look up any past order numbers or anything. I do have credit card statements showing where I sent in the order and statements showing where I paid for return shipping.

• Initial Complaint

  07/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Paid 120+ shipping and got literally nothing in return, I feel as if they didn’t even look at my cards they just received the packed , packed it back up and took my money, no remorse no follow up , nothing. Asked for a refund and was denied, not even a partial refund, you guys take peoples money and don’t do anything, how is that fair ? Message says “all cards have been graded” nothing was graded. I just want my money back.

  Business response

  07/18/2024

  We are sorry to hear that the customer is upset regarding his order ID 142355. Per our policies and procedures which the customer did agree to when creating the order there is not a refund that is due. The customer was notified that the cards could not be slabbed as the autographs were deemed to not be authentic. Our office did provide a service to authenticate the cards which we did. The encapsulation could not occur due to the autographs being non-authentic. Therefore, HGA did provide the service that was provided when the customer submitted the submission. 

  Customer response

  07/18/2024

  
  Complaint: 22007806
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *******

• Initial Complaint

  11/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Haven’t spoken to or used their services in over a year. My bank account was charged by this company, once for *** and then again for *** on the same day. No explanation of why and no notification. I have never signed up for anything with this company nor did I know they had my account info, I would like refunded and for them to delete my information.

  Business response

  11/27/2023

  This customer did sign up for a free trial period with our Membership. When signing up there is an agreement clause that they must check prior to receiving the membership. The customer did agree to the annual fee renewing each year. Our customers have the ability to cancel the membership at any time through their online account. We have refunded the customer for the fees and proof is attached. 

  Customer response

  12/02/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I didn’t not sign up for the membership as they are claiming, it is a scheme they are running. Others are experiencing the same issue with this company. This is not the kind of company the BBB wants anything to do with.
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ******

  Business response

  12/13/2023

  The customer did agree to the terms when signing up for the membership. The agreement to the terms does indicate that the payment is on auto renew and the customer can cancel the membership or cancel the auto renew at any time. All customers have access on their account with HGA to do so at any time. HGA did provide a refund for the membership fees and the customer's membership was cancelled at the time of responding to the last complaint. The customer was notified of this as well.  

• Initial Complaint

  04/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I sent football cards in to be graded and in cased for protect and paid for these processes in advance, standard procedure… I received them back and the cards were incased but not graded. I have tried three different times to resolve the problem and the company will not respond to any attempts to contact them.

  Business response

  04/27/2023

  We are happy to assist the customer in having this issue resolved. Unfortunately, I do not have any record of him reaching out to us. When he created his order, he did submit for PC order which does not receive grades or authentication for the cards. Prior to creating the order, he has to personally choose and select PC option and then he has to check a box and agree that his cards will not be graded. I have provided proof of the email search, the details pertaining to the PC option via our website, what he must agree to when submitting an order and also the proof that his order is PC submission. Our PC option is a personal collection which just encapsulates the cards. The customer is welcome to reach out to Help@hybridgrading.com at any time to have the issue resolved. The PC option is less expensive and has shorter days for processing than our graded cards typically. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  08/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  see scanned doc.pf

  Business response

  09/14/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2022/08/30) */ Hybrid Grading did originally grade a card for a different client that matched the same type of card this client sent back to us. Due to the card being taken out of the HGA slab and then supposedly sent to PSA it does cause issues. HGA cannot within good faith state that the issue lied with the original grading process of HGA. The card could have been replaced with another one or altered after that time. We are not stating that this customer has falsely claimed any information either though. We are at a point where there is not an accurate determination for HGA to state 100% that is the exact card we originally graded or that there were no alterations done after taken out of the slab. Due to the issue of the situation HGA has provided the client a refund for the original cost of the card that was purchased. The client has already been contacted and the funds were processed.

• Initial Complaint

  07/11/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I paid $2,061.65 on 08/24/2021 for Order #XXXXX. It was for 60 Business Day Service and my cards were shipped back to me on 02/16/2022. I paid $517.03 on 10/06/2021 for Order #XXXXX. It was for 60 Business Day Service and my cards were shipped back to me on 05/03/2022. I paid $750.00 on 10/21/2021 for Order #XXXXX. It was for 60 Business Day Service and my cards were shipped back to me on 05/06/2022. On Order #XXXXX, card ID #XXXXXX was not graded or slabbed, which I paid in advance for. On Order #XXXXX, card ID #XXXXXX was not graded or slabbed, which I paid in advance for. I am unhappy with the year date labels on two cards. See attachments for front and back images of those two cards. I paid HGA for 60 business day turnaround. I could have sent my submissions to CSG and for 120 day turnaround I would have paid $12 a piece. I DID submit 15 cards to SGC on 10/25/2021 and they were returned on 12/3/2021, in less than 60 days! HGA had $3,328 of my money for over 6 months! Out of 153 submissions to HGA, I didn't get one grade 10, how is that possible? I've sent out orders of 100 cards and at least five or six out of the hundred came back graded 10. I do not want "free" submissions or re-submissions from HGA. I do not want to send my cards to HGA. I gave HGA a chance on three different orders and my money was tied up, my cards were tied up, and there were fulfillment problems with all three orders. One of the things a customer pays for is turnaround time and HGA has proven to be a company that does not take that end of their commitment seriously. Despite not being able to keep up with their backlog of cards to grade, HGA continued to offer 60 Business Day turn around knowing they could not fulfil orders timely, and they also continued to encourage new submissions. I could have sent ALL cards to SGC and had fulfillment much faster for a lesser price. I have communicated to HGA, my desire of a $1,414 refund back to me.

  Business response

  08/10/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/07/12) */ This customer was informed of the delays that occurred during the process of his orders. We experienced three mandatory quarantine periods which had a majority of our staff out of the office each time. We did implement new protocols, streamline systems, and even lowered our weekly submission intake. At one point we stopped our weekly submissions for over five weeks to ensure we could provide all customers with the service. I have personally spoke to this client on the phone at least four times, and each time I did provide our terms and conditions. Per our terms and conditions that the customer agreed too when creating the order, we do not provide refunds for cards that were not graded/slabbed. Our website provides full details regarding the policies of the cards we can accept and which we do not. The client was notified that we could offer a replacement for each card that was not slabbed due to reasons like being deemed unauthentic, showing evidence of trimming or due to the size. We also have a standard we go by for all descriptions and labels for the cards. We had a research agent go through his orders and confirm that the cards were labeled correctly. HGA is not providing a refund to the customer. We are not responsible for any compensation that results in the difference of our prices to another company. We do not provide a lowest price guarantee on our grading fees and the client knew the exact amount he would have to pay to create an order. The client did receive the service he paid for and has refused our offer for a credit. The customer has been made aware he will not receive a refund due to the difference in pricing, and that our timeframes were not guaranteed especially considering the delays were enforced regulations due to covid. I have attached the pdf emails that have occurred to provide full proof we tried to work with this client to have the issue resolved. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/07/19) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) One fact of the matter is that HGA did vastly overpromise and under-deliver their service to me. Again, one of the things a customer pays for is turnaround time and HGA has proven to be a company that does not take that end of their commitment seriously. Despite not being able to keep up with their backlog of cards to grade, HGA continued to offer 60 Business Day turn around knowing they could not fulfill orders timely, and they also continued to encourage new submissions. It's a consistent issue among existing customers, that HGA has failed to remedy. HGA continued to accept new submissions under the pretense of a 60 day turnaround knowing they wouldn't satisfy their obligation. HGA even raised prices during this time. I dispute the statement that I received the service I paid for because, while I received graded and slabs cards back, it was not in the reasonable amount time that I believed I was paying for. HGA took my money upfront to perform a service they didn't provide within the advertised time frame. HGA offers different service levels at different prices. I chose the service of a 60-business-day turnaround. If someone pays for that service and it takes HGA six to seven months, HGA did not meet their own Terms and Conditions. A consumer looks at your site and determines what they want to pay for a certain turnaround time. In essence, HGA broke their own Terms and Conditions while forcing the customer to uphold their agreement. There is a continued lack of accountability on HGA's part. If HGA experienced three mandatory quarantine periods that had a majority of their staff out of the office each time, why did they continue to offer 60 Business Day turn around and continue to encourage new submissions? I submitted my cards during a time that HGA was having management and financial problems and apparently experienced a company buy-out. So I highly suspect delays were not entirely due to Covid at all, but an all-too-common hide-behind excuse. As far as HGA not not providing refunds for cards that are not graded/slabbed, and regardless of terms and conditions, I find it unbelievable that a company can keep money for services that are not provided. AGAIN DESPITE Terms & Conditions. I paid for products and services that I did not receive. HGA did not provide the goods and service that I paid for, they were months behind a reasonable timeframe, and claims it is their policy to keep my money. HGA's response is that, essentially they will keep your money and return your property without rendering service. HGA didn't provide the goods and services I paid for and then want to keep my money. HGA's Terms and Conditions should not translate into "HGA can and will do anything they want". HGA has ALL the bargaining position and the customer has NONE. There is a significant imbalance in the parties' rights and obligations under the contract, to the detriment of the customer. Now my fear is that HGA's poor reputation due to poor performance as a grading company is going to affect my graded card resale value. I still demand a refund of $1,414. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/07/20) */ Our office has tried to resolve the customers complaints and concerns. We have communicated to him via phone calls and emails. He has stated numerous times he will never do business with HGA again and will not accept our resolutions. We have numerous emails with him that were provided and can provide many more where we made him aware of the situation. Our office decreased drastically our weekly intake and even stop submissions all together for a period of time. We provided every step available in order to have the orders sent back to our customers. We have offered the client the re-slab option if any changes were needed outside of the description of the card. Our research manager reviewed his order and deemed they were accurate. I also offered him replacements for his cards that were not graded and slabbed. Our terms and conditions are listed and agreed upon before creating an order. He also has full access to our website which will indicate the size, brand, and any other details needed. Most of his cards that were not graded were due to questionable authenticity or the size of the card. The size of the card we accept is listed on our website as well. HGA will not refund him the difference due to another company being less expensive than us. He knew the cost of the submission before he submitted the order. Consumer Response /* (3000, 14, 2022/07/22) */ This is not right what that company is doing to people somebody needs to look into this case you guys just close the case don't even ask I never even got a call or nothing we try to call and and email them a hundred times I paid for a 60-day turnaround if I wanted to wait 8 months for my cards I could have got them done a lot cheaper with a better company that company has no idea what it is to do business take some weeks and weeks to answer your back on emails and you you call him and they got the phone line cut off but they took my money up front Business Response /* (4000, 16, 2022/07/25) */ HGA has tried to rectify the issue with the client. We have offered replacements for any card that was not graded and also reviewed the cards that he had concerns for. He continues to contact us via email demanding and threatening if we do not provide a refund. HGA will not provide a refund as the fees were made known when creating an order. We do not offer lowest price guaranteed and will not provide a refund of the difference between our pricing and another company's pricing.

• Initial Complaint

  06/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I agreed to a 60 business day transaction for them to grade some of my sports cards on 12/23/2021. Payment was sent and cards were received on 12/27/2021. 60 business days later would be late March 2022. As of today, we are on business day 119. I have reached out multiple times for my cards to be processed with no success. Ive also tried to cancel and get a refund but they refuse. They have broken their terms and conditions and have made no progress other than showing my cards have just been "received" at their location. On their website it claims they are only 32 days behind on backlog. This is not what I agreed to with them. I just want my cards and money back so I can send my cards to another company that will follow through with completing a paying customers' order. If that isnt possible, I want them to finish grading my cards AND give me a full refund. If they agree to either, I will not post any negative Yelp or BBB reports against them. If not, I will file negative reviews on every site I can find. Ive already lost money on those cards. I agreed to work with Hybrid Grading because my cards were going to be done before Opening Day of baseball. Sadly, Ive lost out of selling them at that high point of the sales market.

  Business response

  06/17/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/09) */ HGA has fulfilled their service to the client and the tracking number was provided to the client as of yesterday. He would have also received a verification email of the steps after grading for each stage. The tracking number is 1Z0FXXXXXXXXXXXXXX and the package was received by UPS. The client is correct that his order is delayed and did not meet the 60-business day turnaround. Our timeframes are not guaranteed, and they do not state they are anywhere at this time. We did have three mandatory quarantine periods that did cause our company to fall behind. At the beginning of this year after we were able to evaluate the issue of the delays, we did start responding to all clients with the delayed information. We also started to post on social media platforms and along with updating our website. We have been in full conversation with the client, and he has not been ignored. I have provided conversations just from the last two months and even as of this week to the responses. This is not even all email correspondence that we have available. Our office will continue to work diligently to provide quality slabs to our customers. We are becoming more caught up every day and will continue to process the orders until we are back to our normal timeframes. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/06/09) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I do not accept their response. The only email I got yesterday was about being charged a second time for shipping and them saying they refunded my first payment (which they did not). I have not received an email that my cards/order have even made it to the second step of their multiple step process. I grant they have been in contact with me but have not been truthfully, honest, or forthcoming. I could totally understand if the company was a little past due but for my cards to just be "Received" aka their first step for over six months yet they started to receive new orders even after mine set collecting dust. At this point I want my order cancelled, my cards returned, and a full refund. No other option will be accepted. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/06/10) */ I have attached the proof of tracking with UPS to show that the cards did receive our service and have been shipped back to the client. I have also provided proof of the refund for the estimated shipping cost. The client has been provided truthful information and the service he paid for. We are now accepting new orders due to where we stand on our delayed orders. We are almost caught back up to current and we are only accepting 60-day turnaround times. We started our submissions back once we knew a timeframe it would take to complete in order to maintain our streamline system. The new orders **** not go before any delayed order. Your shipment XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2022/06/13) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I cancelled my order on June 3 and demanded a refund. After waiting 120 business days for a 60 day service, I was done. As for their claim of them being "processed", I have not received an email that they have moved to the third step OR of any tracking, shipping, or completion number. I have been extremely patient in giving HGA a chance but Ive reached my limit. I want my cards back, a full refund, and a negative mark placed on HGA by the BBB. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  06/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I used HGA to grade some sports and trading cards. They said it would take 60 business days from when they received the items. That order was revived on 1.20.22. I still have not got the items back, or any update on their website other then they received the items. I paid over $600 for this up front for 60 days service and nothing. I want my money back and my cards shipped back. They are refusing to process my request and refund and I feel they are taking advantage of customers. I know I am not the only person this has happened to, but these poor business ethics have me extremely frustrated and at a loss of what to do.

  Business response

  06/15/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/06) */ HHA did receive the clients order on 1/20/22 and the original due date was 4/15/22. Per our terms and conditions that all clients must agree to before creating an order does state that once the order is received in our office, they are no longer provided a refund. Our timeframes are not guaranteed which is also listed in our terms and conditions. The client has received updates from our office and his order will be scanned and moved forward within the next 1-2 days. There will be little to no delays through the process once the scanning stage is finalized. We did fall behind due to three mandated quarantine periods that occurred end of last year. HGA has provided numerous policy changes, protocols and even closed our submissions for a specific amount of time to accommodate our past due orders. We are working to have the clients order process and sent back to him as soon as possible. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/06/07) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The time table set originally has been missed by months not days. This is poor business practices only impacting the customer. In good faith I want a refund and my cards returned. If HGA knows they cannot complete a window posted, they need to have updated time frames posted. If it said 7 months, I would not have used their service. The original time line was two months, and it's been close to seven now. This is not a way to operate a business holding customers prized possessions, charging up front, and setting unreal expectations. Blaming the pandemic is a poor Excuse when the cards were sent in months after a full return to work had taken place. They sold the business because they didn't know what they were doing and knew they couldn't meet the time frames set. Terrible experience! Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/06/07) */ After our three quarantine periods and after careful review of our situation the information was updated. We did notify any clients who contacted us, we provided updates on all of our social media platforms, and we also updated our websites. The client created their order on 12/21/21 and we did not receive it until 1/20/22. When the client created the order, we did not know the situation we were in as it was the beginning of 2022 once we were able to recover with full staff from the quarantine periods. Due to the terms and conditions that the client agreed to, we are unable to provide a refund. Our staff is working diligently to have the order completed and sent back to the client as soon as possible.

• Initial Complaint

  06/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My son submitted cards to this company. When questioned why my order was over 60 days past due, I was insulted, ignored, disrespected, treated poorly, ignored again, and then my items were sent back and I was charged. I could do on but this company is not worth my time. They harassed me, my 11 year old, and my family for months. Their customer service manager is now blaming the customer for her lack of communication and professionalism. The reviews speak for themselves. I have plenty of phone of my house on fire, the condition of the cards prior to shipping, and the condition that the cards arrived in. The first order was damaged, the second was not graded. I was charged in full for both orders and need to wait 10 days for the order refund (yes i had to pay for insurance and shipping...twice)

  Business response

  06/15/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/06) */ This client has been assisted in a professional manner. We have numerous emails where the client requested his second order sent back to him. HGA did make the decision to provide his cards back to him with a full refund on the second order after numerous emails that were out of line to the staff at HGA. The client's second order was also submitted and paid for by client as a PC order which is what he received. Per the terms and conditions all customers are responsible for their return shipping fees. The client has provided unprofessional statements in emails and also accused of false statements by the staff. Our office has provided updates repeatedly to the client and we have attached only a sample of the communication. As you can read the client even went as far as calling the manager vulgar names and speaking about sending a dead animal by a package. HGA has responded to the emails that were necessary about the communication for the orders however we have stopped due to the content of the emails at this point.

• Initial Complaint

  05/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  I sent 16 cards to HGA to be graded, using their 60 day guaranteed turnaround time, on 11/13/21. I paid upon submission, and they indicated they received the cards on 11/19/21. I checked the status on 3/22/22, well after the cards were supposed to be graded, and they were still marked as "received", indicating that they hadn't even been scanned into the system at that point. I contacted the company asking why the cards haven't moved, after 86 days. The response back stated that they had fallen behind due to Covid, and acknowledged that my cards were supposed to have been completed no later than 2/18/22. They said they were 45-53 days behind. I checked the status again on 5/6/22 and my order is still sitting in the "received" status, and still hasn't been checked in yet, let alone graded. At this point, I sent a message asking for the cards to be returned to me and a full refund to be issued, as they are WAY over their guaranteed date and still haven't even touched the cards yet. On 5/9/22 I received an email stating that they would return my cards, ungraded, but would not issue any sort of refund. They said it is in their terms and conditions that they won't issue refunds if you request your cards back. Apparently, they believe that's acceptable, even if they don't come remotely close to holding up their end of the agreement. This can't possibly be legal, as they could just hold the cards forever saying they're "working on it" and never send you your cards or your refund. I just want my ungraded cards back, along with the money they took from me back in November when they promised to ship my graded cards to me by February. Attached, find a screenshot of my order status, as well as the email exchange with HGA

  Business response

  05/24/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/05/09) */ The order was due on 2/18/22, and the client was made aware of the delays that we have encountered. At this time, we are processing orders with due dates from the third week of February and his order will be scanned within this week. HGA has not intentionally had any order delayed and the causes were out of our hands. The delays did occur due to the covid mandated quarantine periods that we cannot ignore. When clients create an account with us or submit an order they do agree to the terms and conditions. The timeframes that are provided are not guaranteed and it also states that on our terms and conditions. We have no intention on holding cards as we are simply making sure we provide the service that our customers pay for. We do believe that outside of the clients order we will have our delayed orders caught up within 4-6 weeks. Then we will be back to our normal processing times. The client will stay updated as the process continues and there will be little to no delay once the order is scanned. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/05/10) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) There is absolutely no acknowledgement of any wrong doing whatsoever, nor any offer whatsoever of restitution. At this point, I do not want any service provided by HGA, I simply want my cards and my money back. There has been absolutely no communication on HGA's part unless I have specifically reached out to get an answer as to why my cards still haven't been processed. The "client" was only "made aware" of delays after I contacted HGA to see why my cards weren't being processed and shipped back to me. I do not care what HGA will be doing in the future, or whether or not they will experience delays again. That doesn't impact me. What DOES impact me is that they've had my cards for 7 months now and haven't done anything with them, yet refuse to return them for a refund. I'm appalled at the customer service, at the current business process, and especially at the provided response. HGA has accepted literally zero responsibility for ANY issue that their customers have experienced. I do not want empty reassurances of better outcomes in the future, I do not want ridiculous comments about how "the client was informed" when I was the one that had to track them down for answers, I ONLY want my cards and money back. This is not a difficult request. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/05/10) */ The client is welcome to send in an email to ****@** to request the cancellation of his order. The order will be cancelled per his request and again per our terms and conditions he will forfeit the refund. All agents of HGA are working diligently and efficiently in order to provide all services to our customers. We understand how frustrating the delays are and again this issue was out of our hands. We are very sorry for the delays, and we are working to provide the services to all customers as soon as possible. All customers have full access to our website which did provide details of the delays, and they also are provided our contact email on the website. We also made weekly post regarding the delays on our social media accounts. Anytime a customer has a question regarding an update they are provided answers to their questions. We did not have the resources to email every client while trying to process delayed orders. We did make the decision to provide full focus on delayed orders except for responding to customers inquiries and also providing the updates for all to see through social media. The website was updated as well. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2022/05/10) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) REFUND MY MONEY!!!! It's not that difficult. This is the most incredible thing I've ever seen. There is no way I will ever do business with HGA again, and I can see from all of the complaints that I'm not alone. I wish I never would have sent a single card in, and absolutely will discourage everyone else in the community from sending cards to HGA as well. Who in the world would accept a "resolution" of "we keep your money for doing nothing, and send back your ungraded cards"? That doesn't even make any sense. I'm absolutely incensed over this, and can't believe the continued lack of accountability. Again, the only acceptable resolution here is that you refund my money and return my cards. Nothing short of that is acceptable.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩