Authenticity Guarantee - authentication centre made shipping mistake

[fueled-by-fire]

Hi guys,

I bought some trainers through eBay's "Authenticity Guarantee" and received a shipment this morning but they've sent me the wrong trainers. This is definitely an error from the authentication centre and NOT from the seller, as I have found the listing for the pair I've received, and it's from another buyer. In short, the Authentication Center have put the wrong shoes in the wrong outer boxes, or labeled them wrong.

Ebay's customer service are no help, ignoring the facts I'm presenting to them and telling me to "wait 3 days for a reply from the seller". The seller knows, the other seller knows, I contacted both, and neither of them can do ANYTHING because ebay won't give me a contact number for the authentication centre.

Has anyone else had an issue like this and how was it resolved? These trainers are rare and expensive and I want what I paid for!

Thanks,

SC

[zoomingmouse]

I found this page which you may want to read if you haven't already.

https://pages.ebay.co.uk/authenticity-guarantee-sneakers/ 

''eBay has partnered with Sneaker Con, a long-established authenticator of sneakers, whose services and capabilities have been thoroughly vetted to ensure a high standard of service to eBay users.''

It's a strange choice of name... not sure it installs confidence, however...

You may be able to find a phone number for them but be careful that you don't lose the trainers & your money.

Ideally you need to get Ebay to sort this mess out for you.

[bobandcharlies]

That's an awful situation to find yourself in 

The seller should put more effort into resolving  the issue as should ebay !

One solution is to open an item not described correctly return and reorder the correct shoes 

It is sad that a simple mistake like this one cannot be resolved instantly by the seller sending the correct shoes and a return label for the incorrect shoes

It seems like a typical response of it's not my fault it is someone else - on behalf of the seller and ebay who both have responsibility for the centre's actions !

[zoomingmouse]

As I read it, it is not so simple to rectify this particular situation, as I don't think the 'system' has accounted for this type of error.

The seller has not sent the trainers directly to the buyer, but to the middleman. 

A return would go back to the middle man.

You would be relying on the middleman to admit/believe their mistake in putting the wrong trainers in the wrong box. 

You can see where this could go t**s up...

This is something forced upon the sellers &, although in principle a good idea, in practice it does not seem like all angles have been covered for a seamless SNAD return when the items have been swapped by the middle man.

Both parties have to be careful too:

Section 7 of the T&C's ...

Party Roles

a. Your Role as Seller.

By listing an Eligible Item for sale on the eBay platform, you agree and acknowledge that eBay will require you to send the Eligible Item to the Authentication Partner to perform the Services in accordance with the buyer’s instructions and you authorise its inspection by the Authentication Partner subsequent to its purchase.

Upon purchase, you are required to post the Eligible Item, with appropriate insurance coverage, to a facility located within the United Kingdom, as directed by eBay. Items must be sent to the facility individually unless part of a multi-item order. The cost of postage to the Authentication Partner is not covered by eBay.

You acknowledge and agree that if the Authentication Partner cannot verify an item’s authenticity, a refund will be issued to the buyer and you shall cooperate with removing the item from marketplace circulation.

b. Your Role as Buyer.

By purchasing an Eligible Item on the eBay platform, you instruct eBay to direct the seller to send the Eligible Item to the Authentication Partner to perform the Services. You acknowledge and agree to inspection of the Eligible Item by the Authentication Partner prior to your receipt of the Eligible Item. In addition, if a return is requested, you acknowledge and agree to post the Eligible Item with appropriate insurance coverage to the Authentication Partner and to inspection of the Eligible Item before the return is processed or a refund is issued. More information on returns under the Authenticity Guarantee can be found here.

c. Circumvention of Buyer and Seller Requirements.

If buyer or seller circumvent or do not comply with Sections 7.a or 7.b of these Terms, or if buyer or seller violate or are found to be non-compliant with the Terms, eBay reserves the right to take immediate action such as, but not limited to, account restriction or suspension.

I think that if the buyer is able to get to speak with an Ebay CS agent from the dept. that deals with ''The Authenticity Guarantee service'' <if that exists?> then they may get somewhere, but I feel getting to that point is where the issue will be. The usual CS probably won't have any idea about this issue.

On the other hand I may well be worrying about nothing & the buyer has managed to sort it easily & already has the trainers they bought...

[papso22]

Good points,  you can see how it all works to prevent the selling of fakes, but this is a case of simply not getting what you ordered, not getting a fake.  The normal SNAD rules (other than fake), should apply.

[zoomingmouse]

Yes, but it has nothing at all to do with anything the sellers have done. They must have been authenticated or they would not have been sent on, albeit to the wrong buyers in the wrong boxes 🙄

It could do with a team that can be contacted as they have with GSP, if there's not one already.

[purveyor_of_tat]

Sounds like it might need the combined efforts of the buyer and the two sellers (and possibly the other buyer)

I wonder, did the 'other' buyer receive the OP's shoes....?

[zoomingmouse]

Yes, however, that would involve common sense 🤔

From what the OP has posted neither seller is able to do anything... <reading the below I'm not sure how the OP even managed to contact their seller & if either seller or buyer do not comply with the terms they could even be suspended>

I think Ebay need to look at it again.

From the link I posted I've copied some of it:

Why can’t I message the seller after I purchase my shoes?

Messaging capability is turned off at the point of purchase, at which time your shoes are routed to our authentication facility and all tracking information and notifications are available on the eBay platform.

Can I return items purchased with Authenticity Guarantee?

Buyers can return an item if the seller accepts returns, as stated in the listing, and the return takes place within the seller’s return window. In the unlikely event that the buyer receives an item that is not consistent with the listing, the item will be eligible for a return. In order for a refund to be processed, all returns must be sent to the authentication partner for verification (to check that the item is still in the same condition and has all relevant accessories, or that the item is not consistent with the listing) and re-authentication before the item is returned to the seller.

How does the return process work?

If returns are offered on the listing of the item you purchased or the item isn’t as described, the item will first be sent to eBay’s authentication partner. Within two business days of receiving the item, the authenticator will verify the authenticity and condition of the returned item to confirm that it matches the item originally sent to you, including any original packaging or accessories (for clarity this includes the item’s box where applicable). In addition, the eBay Authenticity Guarantee tag must be attached to the item and untampered to be eligible for a return. Once verified by the authentication partner, it will be posted to the seller and a refund will be processed. The seller’s return policy determines whether you or the seller pays for postage costs back to the authenticator.

Are authenticated items protected by the eBay Money Back Guarantee?

Authenticity Guarantee purchases are covered by eBay Money Back Guarantee when all other eligibility requirements are met. Learn more about eBay Money Back Guarantee policy.

Why was the item sent back to me by the authenticator after I opened a return?

If the authenticator determines the returned item is not the same item, is missing any accessories (including the item’s box where applicable) or is not in the same condition, the item will be sent back to the buyer and the return will be closed.

Can I choose to not have my item authenticated?

No, eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee is a service designed to protect buyers and sellers

[purveyor_of_tat]

It's set to be right mess!

Return the shoes (at buyer's expense?!) > authentication centre receives > AC state that's not the item that was shipped out > INAD claim thrown out.

It's fraught with problems and if I were a betting man, I'd say they don't have a process map/procedure for this because they never thought it could happen.

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@zoomingmouse wrote:

Why can’t I message the seller after I purchase my shoes?

Messaging capability is turned off at the point of purchase, at which time your shoes are routed to our authentication facility and all tracking information and notifications are available on the eBay platform.

Presumably the buyer got though using 'contact seller' on a different item...?

[bobandcharlies]

All said it is still the sellers problem - the law is distinct - the contract is with the seller - you can hide behind all the policies of ebay but any reasonable seller with any empathy for the situation would not shrug their shoulders and claim it is nothing to do with them

Unless the sale is being made by ebay in which case the same applies to them 

[zoomingmouse]

I agree.  It needs looking at again as the process seems to assume that nothing could go wrong during the authentication process itself - perhaps this is a test run to iron out these sorts of problems.

[fueled-by-fire]

Thanks everyone for your input, very interesting reads!

Through the combined efforts of myself and the other seller (who's shoes I received) we've managed to get a member of eBay's CS team based in Ireland involved, who seems to have come up with a resolution where both buyers send the items back to the authenticator, who then relabel them and forward them on. In theory this should solve the issue, although at the moment my return currently lists the wrong address (other buyer, perhaps?). 

I'll keep you guys posted on how this is resolved, at least I now know my trainers have arrived somewhere and aren't lost in the ether!

[zoomingmouse]

At least there has been some progress for you.

Thanks for updating - I think a few of us are interested to see how this all gets resolved for you & the sellers involved.

Have you got to pay for the postage to return them, or are Ebay providing you with a label <that is once you have the correct address>?

[bobandcharlies]

Hopefully common sense will prevail -

[purveyor_of_tat]

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@bobandcharlies wrote:

Hopefully common sense will prevail -

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eBay + common sense = oxymoron

[joannemonaghan-uk]

Hi, this is happened to me also can I ask how you located the buyer who received your shoes and if you reached a resolution with eBay? I am currently waiting eBay to step in on my open claim

[pm.92]

Add  me to the list also. Received a wrong pair today. A really poor service and a frustrating position to be in.

I can't open a returns case for another 5 days. Interesting to hear if either of you have reached a resolution.

[drew84andrew]

I think this has happened to me today. No way are these 14s but it does say they are on the label. Either was they should've noticed they're more like an 11. Who do I call?

[camdenlad05]

This has happened to me too. Ordered size 10.5 Adidas ZX750's ans received Nike Dunk Disrupts in a size 9!

any idea how I resolve it and get the trainers I ordered and we're (presumably) sent?

[papso22]

You need to open a case for item not as described, in the normal way.