PTS Expertising

Formed in 2012 following an initiative from Members of the PTS, the brief is to provide a rapid and cost effective expertisation service for the stamps of Great Britain. We do not, as yet, offer a service for the stamps of any other country.

Our flat charge is based on the actual work done; we take the view that it rarely takes any longer to check out a stamp cataloguing £10,000, than it does one cataloguing any other figure and that it is not logical to base the charge on the catalogue value alone.

Our procedures are anonymous; a well-known specialist dealer will receive exactly the same impartial treatment as a newcomer to the hobby. Our flat fee structure means that we can have no financial interest – real or theoretical – in the opinion given.

Our target is to provide an opinion within 8 weeks of receipt of items (This may vary in the summer due to holidays).

WHAT WE ARE

A body of both dealers and collectors, forming an independent company acting under the auspices of the Philatelic Traders’ Society Ltd, London, to offer expert opinion on the stamps of Great Britain. What we do to examine items sent to us and for a fee, and based on those examinations, identify against Stanley Gibbons catalogues, stating the Stanley Gibbons catalogue number and provide a written statement of our opinion of the item’s (or items’) genuineness and condition.

SERVICES NOT AVAILABLE

We cannot at present offer opinions on:

Specialised shades of values up to and including the 1/- KGV, other than those major shades listed in the Stanley Gibbons “Concise” catalogue (same as the Stanley Gibbons “Commonwealth” catalogue, also known as “Part One.”)
KGV shades that are listed in the SG spec catalogue excluding 2d intense bright orange and toned papers.
Specialized Machin series

KEVII 3d Grey on Lemon

Please send submissions to:

PTS Expertising Ltd
PO BOX 155
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE20 2BB
UK
Email: gemma@thepts.net
Please include your name, postal and email addresses and whatever covering information you feel is appropriate. We thank you to keep covering notes as brief as possible.

If sending to the UK from overseas
Declare the content as “Collectibles for expert opinion – not a commercial import – value uncertain until opinion obtained”
Goods should be suitably insured. We accept no responsibility for loss or damage during transit.

Communication will be mainly by email, if you do not provide an email contact, we may make a small extra administration charge.

How to pay for expertising

Our Expertising rates are:

PTS Members - £60 per item
Officials incur an additional £20 fee per item.
For submissions of 10 items of more, a 20% discount is applied.

Non Members – £70 per item
Officials incur an additional £20 fee per item.

Please note, all transactions have postage costs for carriage both ways which need to be factored into any request for Expertising.

Our bank details are:
Sort Code: 09-02-22
Account Number: 10425929
We also accept payment via PayPal

Alternatively, you can send a cheque in GBP (£ Sterling) drawn on a UK bank, payable to:
'PTS Expertising Ltd'
PO BOX 155
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE20 2BB
UK

Sorry but we currently do not accept credit or debit cards.

We do not expect payment before your item(s) are ready as we do charge for postage and different weights of a package can effect this.
All item(s) are sent back via Special Delivery and International Signed For (Abroad).

Terms & Conditions

Stamps or other philatelic items submitted to PTS Expertising Ltd are sent at owner’s sole risk and neither the Company, the Secretary, nor the members of the members of the Expert Committee can accept liability, either collective or individual, for loss or damage however caused. Their owners should adequately insure all goods sent to us.

PTS Expertising Ltd provides an “opinion only” and not a statement nor representation of fact. Neither PTS Expertising Ltd nor the members of the Expert Committee accepts any liability, either collective or individual, for any opinion expressed.

A request to re-examine an item on which an opinion has already been given, will normally be treated as a re-submission and a second charge will be payable. Such a second charge may be waived at the sole discretion of the committee.

Front and back high-resolution scans will be made of all items. Scans will be stored on a hard drive. Duplicate certificates will not be issued. Replacement certificates will be issued on payment of a further standard charge, provided the item is still in the same condition as when originally examined. The item will have to be inspected to verify this.

Matters arising not covered by other stated terms and conditions will be adjudicated by PTS Expertising Ltd, whose decision shall be final. In the case of a dispute arising from such an adjudication, the person or body submitting the item shall be at liberty to request the return of that item (or items) and shall owe us nothing, save the costs of their return. Following their return, PTS Expertising Ltd shall owe no further duty to the submitter.

The submission of any item will be taken to mean acceptance of these terms.

Disclaimer
PTS Expertising Ltd uses the services of recognised expert collectors and dealers. A certificate will not be issued until all those who have examined the item agree that the wording to appear on the certificate is an accurate reflection of all their opinions. At no time do we provide, nor do we offer to provide a statement of fact. Nor should our opinion be taken to be a statement or representation of fact. It is a statement of our opinion.
Neither PTS Expertising Ltd nor the members of the Expert Committee accepts any liability, either collective or individual, for any opinion expressed. If this condition is unacceptable, please do not use our services.

The word “committee” in the text, which follows, has a variety of meanings including PTS Expertising Ltd, its expertising committee, or a single member, the company secretary or director, or anyone acting with the authority of any of the foregoing, according to context and should be read and understood accordingly.