What are the limits of a remote opinion?
In short: A remote opinion is only as complete as the photographs and video you provide. Anything not shown, I cannot assess, and the report says so, including that no physical inspection was performed.
Remote work is useful and honest, as long as everyone understands what it can and cannot do. I would rather explain the limits up front than have a report relied on for something it cannot carry.
What I can do from images
Good photographs and a short tilting video show a lot: identification, centering, visible whitening on corners and edges, many surface scratches and print lines, and the print pattern and text on the card. That is often enough for a value opinion, a first read on condition, and in many cases an authentication opinion.
What limits it
The limit is the data. I can only assess what your photographs and video actually show. If a corner is out of frame, the back is missing, or the light hides the surface, that part of the card goes unassessed, and the report names it.
Some things no photograph can carry at all. Weight and thickness, for example, cannot be measured from an image, so the checks that depend on them need the card in hand.
Because of this, some remote opinions are narrower than an in-person one, and some checks come back inconclusive. That is a legitimate finding, not a failure; see what happens when I can't tell.
What the report says
Every remote report states plainly that it was prepared from photographs and video supplied by the client and that no physical inspection was performed. Insurers, buyers and adjusters can then weigh it accordingly. The same rule is in section 7 of the engagement terms.
When to choose in person instead
If the card is valuable enough that a narrower opinion is a real risk, or if authenticity is the whole question, a physical inspection is better. In the Yuma area that means an appointment. Outside it, the report states the shipping options if a card needs to travel for inspection, which is one reason I ask for your city.
Getting the most from a remote job
Follow the photo instructions on how to send photos and video, share links rather than files, and tell me the purpose. Your images are kept under the retention and consent policy.