Terms of Service

Last Updated: 5/23/2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing our website, joining our queue, or using Triple Cities TCG services, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use our website or services.

2. About Our Services

Triple Cities TCG provides a Buying Service (purchase of trading card collections for cash), an Evaluation Service (detailed reports of market values for trading card collections), and related services such as collection sorting and consulting. Specific service terms — rates, turnaround times, and exclusions — are published on our website and may be updated from time to time. The terms in effect at the time of your submission apply to that submission.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to use our services. By using our services, you represent that you are at least 18 years of age, that you have the legal authority to enter into transactions, that you legally own all cards you submit or have explicit authority to sell them, and that you are submitting cards from within the United States.

4. Submission Preparation Requirements

Before shipping cards to Triple Cities TCG, you agree to pre-filter and pack your collection properly.

Pre-filtering means removing all cards intended for professional grading (PSA 9+, BGS 9.5+, or equivalent), all cards excluded from our services (see Section 5), all card sleeves, top loaders, and protective casings, and all rubber bands, paper clips, and other non-card materials.

Packing properly means using card-specific boxes (5-row boxes are recommended for larger collections), orienting all cards in the same direction when possible, separating foil and holo cards from non-foil if known, and securing cards in rowed containers rather than leaving them loose in shipping boxes.

Failure to follow these requirements may result in delays in processing, additional processing fees ($20 per 100+ sleeved cards, $25 for collections requiring significant re-sorting), rejection of submissions that cannot be safely processed by our equipment, or return of unsafe cards at the customer's expense.

5. Excluded Items

We do not accept the following items, and submissions containing them may be processed without them, with the excluded items returned to you at your expense: sealed product (booster packs, ETBs, decks, boxes); graded cards (PSA, BGS, CGC, TAG, or any third-party grading service); basic energy cards (Fire, Water, Grass, Lightning, Psychic, Fighting, Darkness, Metal, Fairy); damaged cards (creases, water damage, ink marks, heavy edge wear, mold, foreign substances); cards that may damage our equipment (sticky residue, foreign substances, severely warped cards); counterfeit cards; non-English cards; and items other than trading cards.

6. Cards as Received

The condition of cards as we receive them is the basis for all offers and reports. We are not responsible for damage occurring during shipping to our facility, cards lost in transit to us, discrepancies between what you believe you sent and what arrives, or subjective disagreements about card condition that our standardized grading does not support. We strongly recommend shipping with tracking and insurance for collections of significant value.

7. Machine Processing and Irreversibility

All submissions are processed through automated card sorting and imaging equipment (PhyzBatch). You acknowledge that cards are mechanically handled during processing — they travel through rollers, conveyor systems, and imaging plates — and that while our equipment is engineered for card-safe handling and is used by major retailers worldwide, no automated system is risk-free. You are responsible for removing grade-relevant cards (PSA 9+, BGS 9.5+) before submission. Processing is irreversible: once cards have been processed through our equipment and a report has been generated, we cannot return them to a pre-processed state, and we are not liable for grade-relevant changes to card condition resulting from automated processing.

If you have hesitation about machine processing — particularly for collections you believe contain potentially grade-worthy cards — please contact us before shipping. We can discuss whether our service is the right fit for your collection.

8. Service Commitments

We commit to providing transparent rates as published on our website, communicating promptly about offers, reports, and any issues, treating your cards with reasonable care during processing, and returning cards promptly if you decline an offer or after evaluation completion.

Triple Cities TCG operates on a queue basis. Card processing begins when our processing facility opens in 2026; we will provide shipping instructions when we are ready to receive your collection. Once processing is active, we commit to processing submissions within published turnaround times — 3 business days for buying service and 5 business days for evaluation service, measured from arrival at our facility.

9. Pricing and Payment

Service rates are published on our website. Rates may be updated; the rates in effect at the time of your submission apply.

For the Buying Service, payment will be sent within one business day of your accepting our offer, by PayPal or check.

For the Evaluation Service, per-card processing fees are charged at the time of submission via PayPal. Submissions over 7,000 cards require custom quotes.

10. Report Review and Offer Acceptance Windows

After we deliver your evaluation report or purchase offer, you have 48 hours to review the results and flag any specific concerns, such as incorrect card identification, missing cards, or calculation errors. Concerns flagged within this window will be reviewed and corrected at no cost. After 48 hours, the report is considered accepted and final.

For the Buying Service, you have 7 days from offer delivery to accept or decline. If you accept, payment is sent within one business day. If you decline, we return your cards with return shipping paid by the customer. If you do not respond within 7 days, the offer expires and your cards are returned at the customer's expense.

11. Cancellation Policy

For the Buying Service, you may cancel a submission before processing begins at no cost. After processing, you may decline our offer, and cards are returned with return shipping paid by the customer.

For the Evaluation Service, you may cancel before processing begins for a full refund of all fees paid. Once processing has begun, the per-card processing fee is non-refundable. Cancellation after report delivery is governed by Section 10 (review window).

12. Evaluation Disclaimer

Our evaluations are based on TCGplayer market pricing data and our standardized condition assessment methodology. Our evaluation reports reflect estimated market values at the time of the report, do not guarantee sale prices, are based on objective market data, and do not constitute formal appraisals. They should not be used as the sole basis for insurance claims, tax filings, estate proceedings, divorce settlements, or other legal or financial matters, and should not be considered financial or investment advice.

For purposes requiring a formal appraisal (insurance, tax, legal proceedings), please obtain a formal appraisal from a qualified appraiser. We can recommend resources upon request.

13. Disclaimers

Our services are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

We are not responsible for damage during shipping (either direction), cards lost in transit, subjective disagreements about card condition or valuation, market price changes between the report date and any subsequent sale, grade-relevant changes from automated processing (see Section 7), or errors in customer-provided information.

14. Limitations of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our liability for any claim arising from our services is limited to the lesser of (a) the amount you paid for the specific service, (b) the market value we assigned to the cards in question, or (c) $5,000 per submission. We are not liable for indirect, consequential, incidental, or punitive damages; for market price changes between our evaluation and any subsequent sale; for shipping carrier errors, delays, or losses; or for damage to cards resulting from automated processing as described in Section 7.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations of liability. To the extent prohibited by law, these limitations do not apply.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Triple Cities TCG, its owner, employees, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, or expenses (including reasonable attorney fees) arising from your violation of these Terms, your violation of any law or third-party rights, cards you submit that you do not legally own, counterfeit cards you submit (whether knowingly or unknowingly), or inaccurate information you provide during intake.

16. Dispute Resolution

If you have a concern about our service, first contact us at info@triplecitiestcg.com — most issues can be resolved directly. If we cannot reach a resolution, disputes will be resolved through binding arbitration in Broome County, New York, under the rules of the American Arbitration Association. You agree to bring disputes individually, not as part of any class action, and you waive the right to a jury trial for any dispute arising from these Terms or our services.

17. Modifications

We may modify these Terms at any time. Updates will be posted on our website with a new "Last Updated" date. We will notify active customers of material changes via email. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

18. Termination

We reserve the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, or cancel submissions at our discretion, particularly in cases of violation of these Terms, submission of counterfeit cards, abusive or threatening behavior, fraud or attempted fraud, or repeated submission of excluded items.

19. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of New York State, without regard to conflict of law principles.

20. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full effect.

21. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and Refund Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Triple Cities TCG regarding our services.

22. Contact Us

For questions about these Terms, contact Triple Cities TCG at info@triplecitiestcg.com, Triple Cities, NY area.