Terms of Service — HSA Grading

Effective: 27 August 2026 · Last updated: 27 August 2026

1. Agreement

These Terms of Service ("Terms") form a binding agreement between you ("you") and HSA Grading ("HSA", "we", "us", or "our"), the operator of the HSA Grading website and services.

By creating an account, submitting cards for grading, listing items on the marketplace, placing bids, purchasing advertising, or otherwise using the Service, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy and Refund Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. Definitions

Service — the HSA Grading website at hsagrading.com, our grading intake and authentication services, the marketplace, auction house, advertising platform, and any related APIs and services we provide.
Account — the credentials you use to sign in.
Submission — a request to have one or more cards graded, authenticated and slabbed by HSA.
Slab — the tamper-evident encapsulation case containing a graded card.
Marketplace — the multi-vendor shop and auction area where users may buy, sell and trade cards.
Inputs — card descriptions, images, values, listings, bids and any other content you submit to the Service.
Outputs — grades, authentication results, slab labels, certificates, marketplace listings and any other materials we generate for you.

3. Eligibility

To use HSA Grading you must be at least 18 years old (or the minimum age of digital consent in your country, whichever is higher) and legally capable of entering into a binding contract. If you use the Service on behalf of an organisation, you confirm that you have authority to bind that organisation to these Terms.

You must not use the Service if you are barred from doing so under applicable laws (for example, sanctions lists), or if your account has previously been suspended or terminated for a serious violation of these Terms.

4. Your account

You are responsible for everything that happens under your account, including the security of your sign-in credentials. Do not share your account, and let us know promptly at gradinghsa@gmail.com if you suspect unauthorised access.

You agree to provide accurate information and to keep it up to date. We may suspend or close accounts that contain false, misleading, or fraudulent information.

5. The Service

HSA Grading provides card grading, authentication, encapsulation, graded certification, a collector marketplace, live auctions, and advertising placements. We work hard to keep the Service available, accurate and high-quality, but we do not guarantee uninterrupted access or that every grade, authentication result or marketplace outcome will meet your expectations.

We may add, change, or remove features at any time. We may also impose reasonable limits on usage (for example, submission volume caps, file-size limits, or rate limits) to keep the Service stable for everyone.

6. Grading submissions

Submissions are accepted through our online intake. You must accurately describe each card, including player or subject, year, set, card number and declared value where requested. HSA reserves the right to reject any card that is counterfeit, altered, damaged beyond grading, or prohibited.

Our standard grading fee is a flat $15 per card. Additional service levels may be offered from time to time. Each order is subject to a single $25 insured return shipping fee and a 2.99% payment processing fee, calculated on the grading subtotal plus return shipping. Fees are displayed in the order summary before payment.

Turnaround times are estimates and begin when we receive and check in your cards. Delays caused by shipping carriers, high volume, customs, or force majeure events are not guaranteed.

7. Marketplace and auctions

The HSA marketplace and auction house connect buyers and sellers. HSA may operate the platform, process payments, and authenticate graded items, but we are not a party to individual sales between users unless we are the listed seller.

Sellers must accurately describe items, ship sold items promptly, and comply with all applicable laws. Bids are binding. Auction winners must complete payment within the time shown at checkout. Failure to pay may result in account suspension and forfeiture of any deposit.

We may remove listings, cancel transactions, or suspend users for fraud, misdescription, counterfeit goods, or violations of these Terms.

8. Advertising

Advertisers may purchase placements such as homepage banners, newsletter slots, podcast reads and livestream sponsorships. Ad content must be truthful, lawful, and compliant with our content guidelines. We reserve the right to reject or remove any advertisement that violates these Terms or applicable law.

Ad packages and rates are described on the Advertise page and may change. Payment terms are set out in the insertion order or invoice accepted by both parties.

9. Submissions, billing and payment

Grading fees, marketplace purchases, auction wins and advertising orders are charged at checkout. Subscriptions or recurring plans, if offered, renew automatically until cancelled. We may change prices for future billing periods; we will notify you before any change takes effect. Taxes are calculated and added at checkout where required by law.

10. Refunds and cancellation

You may cancel a grading submission before it has been checked in at our facility for a full refund of grading fees, excluding any payment processing fees and shipping costs already incurred. Once grading has begun, refunds are at our discretion.

Marketplace and auction sales are generally final. Refunds for damaged or misdescribed items are handled according to our Refund Policy and the seller's stated return policy.

11. Shipping, insurance and risk of loss

You are responsible for safely shipping cards to HSA. We recommend using tracked and insured mail. HSA is not liable for cards lost or damaged in transit to us.

Return shipping from HSA to you is insured up to the declared value you provide, subject to carrier limits. Cards remain at your risk after delivery to the carrier for return shipment. Higher declared values may require additional insurance at your expense.

12. Acceptable use

You agree not to use HSA Grading to:

Break the law, infringe third-party rights, or facilitate fraud.
Sell, trade or submit counterfeit, stolen, altered or misrepresented cards or items.
Harass, defraud, spam or mislead other users.
Manipulate auctions, shill bid, or interfere with marketplace pricing.
Reverse-engineer, scrape, or systematically extract our Service to build a competing product.
Bypass rate limits, technical safeguards, or account restrictions.
Resell or sublicense your account or access to the Service.
Upload content you do not have the rights to use, including copyrighted works, trademarks or personal likenesses.

Violations of this section may lead to suspension or termination of your account, with no refund of fees or credits.

13. Your content (Inputs)

You retain all rights to the Inputs you submit. You grant HSA a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, store, process, transmit, and display your Inputs strictly for the purpose of operating the Service, providing it to you, and securing it.

You confirm that you have the rights necessary to submit your Inputs and that doing so does not infringe anyone else's rights.

14. Generated outputs

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, you own the physical graded cards and any certificates or labels we produce for them. You may use marketplace listings and related materials for personal or commercial purposes, including resale.

Grades and authentication opinions represent HSA's professional judgment at the time of inspection. They are not a guarantee of future value, marketability or authenticity to third parties. You are responsible for reviewing outputs before relying on them.

15. Our intellectual property

The Service itself — including software, design, brand, copy, documentation, grading standards and slab designs — is owned by HSA or our licensors and is protected by intellectual property laws. We grant you a limited, non-transferable, revocable right to use the Service for its intended purpose, in accordance with these Terms.

Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership of our intellectual property to you. You may not remove or alter any proprietary notices.

16. Privacy

Our handling of personal data is described in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms.

17. Disclaimers

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available". To the maximum extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied — including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, accuracy, completeness, and uninterrupted operation.

Grading and authentication are opinions based on inspection. The Service is not a substitute for independent professional valuation or legal advice. Verify any output before relying on it for important decisions.

18. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, HSA and its directors, employees, and affiliates will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages — including lost profits, lost data, or business interruption — arising out of or relating to your use of the Service, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Our total aggregate liability for any claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service is limited to the greater of (a) the total fees you paid us in the twelve (12) months immediately before the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) USD 100.

Some jurisdictions do not allow some of these limitations. To the extent a limitation cannot be enforced where you live, it will apply to the maximum extent allowed.

19. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless HSA from any claims, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of (a) your Inputs, (b) your use of the Outputs, (c) your violation of these Terms, or (d) your violation of any third-party right. We may take exclusive control of any matter for which you are required to indemnify us, and you agree to cooperate.

20. Termination

You can stop using the Service at any time and delete your account by contacting us. We may suspend or terminate your account if you breach these Terms, if your use creates risk for us or other users, or if we are required to do so by law.

Sections that by their nature should survive termination — including ownership, disclaimers, liability, indemnification, and dispute resolution — will continue to apply after your account ends.

21. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make a material change, we will update the "Effective" date at the top of this page and notify users where appropriate (in the app or by email for active users). Your continued use of the Service after the change means you accept the updated Terms.

22. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. The state and federal courts located in Pennsylvania have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service.

Nothing in this section limits any mandatory consumer-protection rights you have under the law of the country where you live, including the right to bring a claim before the courts and consumer authorities of your home country where applicable.

23. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Contact us:

Email: gradinghsa@gmail.com
Website: hsagrading.com