COMC has released a new update outlining operational improvements and changes to the platform — but buried within those updates is something collectors have seen before:
Higher costs.
And it’s happening while the platform is still trying to recover from years of delays and service issues.
COMC Admits Ongoing Problems
To their credit, COMC openly acknowledges that things haven’t been good enough.
They specifically call out:
- Slow customer service response times
- Large ticket backlogs
- Ongoing fulfillment delays
They claim improvements are already in progress, including:
- A new customer service system
- A 65% reduction in backlog
- Increased same-day response rates
That all sounds good on paper.
But here’s the issue…
Fees Are Increasing — Again
While pushing these improvements, COMC is also continuing its trend of raising costs across the platform.
This isn’t happening in isolation either.
They’ve already:
- Increased shipping-related fees in the past
- Adjusted auction fees
- Raised various service costs over time
And now, collectors are seeing additional increases tied to platform usage.
The Timing Is the Problem
If COMC had fully fixed:
- Shipping delays
- Processing times
- Customer service issues
…then fee increases would be easier to accept.
But that’s not the current reality.
COMC themselves admit they are still in the middle of fixing these problems, not past them.
That creates a bad dynamic:
Collectors are being asked to pay more now for improvements that may come later.
Collector Sentiment Is Shifting
Across the hobby, frustration is building.
On Reddit, one collector summed it up bluntly:
“A stupid time to increase fees… tone deaf.”
Others point out that rising costs are:
- Changing what cards are worth submitting
- Reducing profit margins
- Making the platform harder to justify
There’s also a growing belief that COMC is moving away from:
- Low-end bulk submissions
- Budget-friendly collecting
…and toward a model focused on higher-value cards only.
Why This Matters
COMC built its reputation on:
- Cheap storage
- Low-cost consolidation
- Easy flipping of lower-end cards
That model only works when fees stay low.
Once costs increase:
- Bulk submissions stop making sense
- Cheap cards become unprofitable
- Buyers become more selective
At that point, the entire ecosystem starts to shift.
This Isn’t a One-Time Change
This latest update fits into a larger pattern:
- 2025: Shipping fee increases
- 2026: Operational overhaul + more cost pressure
- Ongoing: Delays, backlog, and service complaints
Individually, each change might be explainable.
Together, they point to a clear trend:
More expensive to use, with inconsistent service.
Final Thoughts
COMC says it’s improving — and some of that may be true.
But from a collector perspective, the situation is simple:
- Delays still exist
- Service is still recovering
- Costs are going up anyway
That’s a tough combination to sell.
COMC is still a useful platform, especially for certain types of collectors. But the gap between what it used to be and what it is now continues to grow.
And for many in the hobby, the question is no longer “Is COMC useful?”