Authenticity Guarantee programme - good idea?

[paul*tribesandvibes*]

I'm not a seller of watches, sneakers or handbags, but when I read the ebay blurb about this new programme, my first thought was, 'will the Buyers be patient enough to wait for the proceess' ? I mean, will ebay add more delivery time on to a listing knowing that it's going to be sent to who-knows-where for who-knows-how-long? Buyers get pretty antsy when items dont arrive on time. Was wondering if anyone had been through this. Thoughts?

[*guinevere*]

I think most buyers are only too happy to have their goods authenticated. Items are usually only at the authenticators for a day, or two at the most, and are sent onto the buyer as soon as te process has been done.

The extra time is added onto the delivery time so buyers still get their items at the correct time.

[paul*tribesandvibes*]

@*guinevere*  Good to know, thank you

[jreg-fuchsias]

Back during covid we listed a few nice 'top end' collectibles on ebay as the 'proper' auction houses  that we would normally use were all closed .

Without fail our 'top end' listings were cancelled as counterfeits - none of the other listings were. They obviously weren't counterfeits.  When digging deeper as to why,with customer service , it seemed that the items hd been reported by a trusted trader , that ebay allowed to determine and report counterfeits. So either the 'expert' was incompetent or they were doing it to maliciously remove the competitions items (most likely). So I would have zero faith in this.

Selling top end collectibles on ebay is risky enough -  a well organised scammer will always win a refund from ebay no matter what the seller does.  Then you have to cope with the scam bidders, idiots and timewasters these listings always attract - its the reason we use 'proper' auction houses instead for anything rare and valuable.    Now to add into this the new steps that you send your item to someone else to check, who then repackages it and forwards it on, and quite frankly anyone that sells something under this scheme needs to give their head a good wobble.

[*guinevere*]

No one, least of all ebay,can identify whether an item is fake just off a photo. So any listings that were removed would mst likely have fallen foul of the VeRO programme which you can read for yourself from the link at the bottom of most ebay pages. The intellectual rights holder can demand that ebay removes any listings that violate this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/listing-policies/selling-policies/intellectual-property-vero-pr...

[paul*tribesandvibes*]

@jreg-fuchsias thank you for that. You've more or less summed up what I was thinking about all of this. My other concern - and call me an old cynic - is the idea of sending a valuable item to someone that I have never met, who will verify what already know to be true - who then might pocket my valuable item, and send a cheap knock-off to the Buyer who may or may not know the difference. Ooooh did I really say that out loud. Yes.

So does anyone know if this programme will become mandatory for all Sellers of high-end sneakers, handbags and watches, or is it something that you can opt into and out of (another mine field in my experience!)

[the_book_seekers]

No one, least of all ebay,can identify whether an item is fake just off a photo.

I had a book signed by a top american author removed some years ago as an 'expert' used by ebay deemed it to be a fake from an image. I'd queued for hours to get the book signed and was a bit miffed to say the least. The email I got at the time invited me to send the book to this expert in the US for verification for a fee. I sold it elsewhere without a problem.

[*guinevere*]

Did ebay actually say they removed it because it was fake? Or was it to do with the VeRO program?

[jreg-fuchsias]

Nothing whatsoever to do with VERO , an antique item removed due to 'counterfeit item policy'.

I'm not making this up, eBay really do have a number of 'trusted' sellers, mostly US based, whose reports about other sellers items are taken as gospel and these items are then removed without appeal.  

[the_book_seekers]

It was because the expert believed it to be fake no VeRo involved.  I was told the signature was 'cramped'. The author had been signing for hours and being one of the last to see him I wasn't surprised it was one of his best.

[pg_kicks · Accepted solution]

I only sell sneakers and I'd say around 30% of mine go via authentication, its done by a company called sneakercon, who were around before eBay started the process, its better than not having the scheme as it certainy stopepd a lot of the fakes being sold, but eBay basically gives a step by step guide on how to bypass the scheme which all the fake sellers now do, eBay know they have this guide up on the FAQ and know the sellers who are selling fakes by using the steps they tell but wont do anything about it, you can report as much as you like it doesnt actually help. Its the buyers who are screwed as they have paid £300 or so for a shoe which I know is fake by a picture but somebody who is buying as a gift maybe doesnt.

The other issue I have is that if he person who is doing the job is having a bad day they can reject the item due to being worn, when its never been out of the box, just because they didnt fancy passing it, I've had a few sent back and eBay then just ask for pictures and then send the buyer a message saying they made a mistake, slightly annoying as that buyer probably wont return.

I'm pretty sure I get cheaper fees as well as its only for over £100 and i think the fee's are 5% lower, could be wrong on that.

With regards to buyers being ok with the extra time, it add around 3 days extra, they take 24/48 usually but send on next day delivery, most buyers are perfectly happy, they know the item is genuine, but the issue is most buyers dont have a clue about said scheme so only know when I send the dispatch email telling them about it or when they get the royal mail eamil saying its delivered (to ebay) and message me saying they dont have it. not ure what else eBay can do to highlight it though as its shown on every listing that is included in the scheme.

In short its a great addition, a few slight changes could help but isnt that the case with everything. I'm much happier with it than without.

[paul*tribesandvibes*]

@pg_kicks good to know, thank you.

[pg_kicks]

Forgot to add, it also stops anyone sending back with INAD or not authentic, also any returns have to go via them so if the person has worn them you arent in a situation where ebay say sorry we never see the item, they just refuse the return for you.

[bittyboy101]

Definitely not a good idea.

1) It delays the item reaching your buyer.

2) It may actually put off some of your buyers.

3) It puts you out of control as to how your item is packed and what postal service you want to use.

4) There is a chance that the person working in eBay Authenticity Guarantee department may steal the item. (seriously)

5) It genrally is a bad idea because it puts eBay inexperienced staff in control who may reject a perfectly authentic item by misjudgement.

Whilst I can understand the concept behind eBay's  Authenticity Guarantee is desiigned to safeguard people, it  can also have a negative side effect in otherways, especially on the seller, delaying things and and making buyers frustrated and edgy ! as no one likes waiting and delays.

[pg_kicks]

As a seller who sells in the market, I've only had 2 buyers who were put off with the process, due to them going away on holiday in 2 days and wanting the shoes, so that was basically down to them leaving it till last minute. 

I know for a fact that more people purchase due to the scheme than buyers who are put off as due to being a very boring sneakerhead who goes on forums for such things eBay was never a destination that any collectors and buyers used as it was full of fakes, easy to return but highly annoying, now with the scheme it is a suitable place to purchase from.

When you say inexperienced staff, do you know the company behind the scheme? They dont just get somebody off the cs team who has been reading off the script to deal with them, its the same as stockX, GOAT, fightclub, its the way the sector is going and without it eBay would be left behind.

with regards to reason 4, do you just never send a parcel as somebody within that organisation could steal your item too, if you have tracking showing it got to the company then you are covered unless you have proof that they are stealing products making the claim is a bit weak.

With regards to 3, they use UPS as the final delivery company, not sure who has ever said theyd not want UPS delivering the parcel, if they used one of the cheap companies like GSP use then I would agree but UPS are one of the better ones they could use.

This I agree makes me look like im sticking up for eBay before anyone suggests I'm working for them, I rarely do on these threads but as a member who sells in the category and buys/sells on other sites in the same category I just wanted to counter some of the points you made.

[the_book_seekers]

I read a yesterday concerning the authenticity programme. A buyer purchased an expensive £3000 designer bag which went through an aunthencity check. A year later she has been told by the manufacturer the item is a fake. There's nothing in ebay's blurb about what to do in the circumstances. It will be interesting to see how the thread plays out. If ebay doesn't make sure the buyer isn't out of pocket by what ever means - what confidence can buyers have in the authenticity checks.

[pg_kicks]

I've followed that thread, but all we know is that the user purchased a bag off ebay that passed the authenticity scheme, she then took a bag into the store who told her/him/they it was not authentic. Unless I have missed any replies they have not told us if it still has the authencity tag attached or if they actually sent it to the brand to be confrimed or just took the shop assistants word for it.

I am in no way saying the OP in that thread is lying or anything but they need to be able to prove its the same bad that went through authencity.

[litp*records]

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@*guinevere* wrote:

No one, least of all ebay,can identify whether an item is fake just off a photo. So any listings that were removed would mst likely have fallen foul of the VeRO programme which you can read for yourself from the link at the bottom of most ebay pages. The intellectual rights holder can demand that ebay removes any listings that violate this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/listing-policies/selling-policies/intellectual-property-vero-pr...

---

Not true - I can identify plenty of fake Game Boy games just from the photo (there can be numerous visible clues).  But sadly no one ever takes my reports seriously as I'm not the IP owner and Nintendo aren't interested in hearing from me either.

Back to the subject at hand - personally I very, very rarely buy or sell anything worth over £100 on the internet.  It's far too risky, too much can go wrong including items being nicked by the courier (I imagine if Ebay authenticators repackage your trainers in their own special packaging it's like a big sign on the box saying "I am worth stealing" - and individual courier/mail workers are seldom held personally accountable for the missing item).

As the saying goes, don't sell anything online that you can't afford to lose.

[litp*records]

Yes or could have been something along the lines of:

1. Buyer buys Hérmes bag off Ebay (not from Hérmes directly or their supplier).

2. Buyer takes their bag into Hérmes store where no doubt they cost a lot more than what they paid for it, and tells the shop assistant she got it off Ebay and for how much.

3. Shop worker dismisses it as obviously being fake without really looking at it, because no one would be able to get a real one for that price.  Designer brands don't like their goods being sold cheap - ever.   

So that is one possible scenario.

[pg_kicks]

eBay do repackage but its just in a boring brown box, inside has the advertising, its like theyve turned the box inside out. They do love to use bubblewrap too.