How did my card fail the Ebay Authenticity review?
DonnieJeter
Posts: 25 ✭
I recently sold a PSA 10 1993 Select Derek Jeter. I just received a message from ebay that 1) The item failed the authenticity guarantee. 2) A case had been opened for a return. 3) Very soon after on same day the case was decided and the buyer was refunded and the card is being sent back to me. (Apparently getting sent directly back from the authenticator).
The ebay listing number was 255689977957.
My head is spinning here, I'm trying to figure out what happened here. The card's PSA cert number matches up with the PSA website. How could a card encapsulated in a PSA 10 holder that matches the PSA website be deemed not authentic? This is all I have to go on from ebay:
"Our authentication partner received your item but, unfortunately, it didn’t pass the inspection. We’re refunding the buyer and will seek reimbursement of this amount from you. Below you’ll find our authenticator’s notes about your item:
Please update your listing with additional details and make sure the information you include (e.g., Title, Images, Grading details, etc.) is accurate.
We recommend relisting with a more accurate description and detailed photos to avoid a similar outcome in the future."
What is going on? Flummoxed for sure.
Comments
Auction link. Not sure why it wouldn't pass authentication.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/255689977957?hash=item3b884f7065:g:ztAAAOSwB3RjBCO4&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAsNB5QlMXSIrNnYZDEbR+jV17TdJyLnMbmV4Lh/XlmyH6UMMRU+dYi1jP4UiKu2f54F5kWCAA4pIMNMo/7jXZCFmB/VyUBOR7NpQCcqbsT0vmcIE6YN7dLlqaIulIZ60+YtjUg/qUIaQxsf5vtyxYd8qxWkR3xefmVX/j2322ryClejGN+RImHBjzctPHCcUvhaTy2ZaXqPQhzQpzpysB25PKtaTbQ/sLtgexBY6rC4n9|tkp:Bk9SR9bm8oXeYA&nma=true&si=lWDY16vTAR779d9sqenykGDPBk8%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
At quick glance, I see the Certification Number in the Item Specs in the listing shows 26052236 which doesn't match the one in the image - 42192068. Maybe that confused them? I see that happening all the time when people copy existing listings to create new ones. I always trust I'm receiving what's in the picture and not in the specs.
I'm sure this is a disappointing outcome for both buyer and seller.
Spot on.
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
Thank you for this, that would explain it. You live, you learn!
How about this one? I was the buyer.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/385020446481?nma=true&si=ncV4yT%2BJaI7VAPd5xv%2FnlwZjIxQ%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
Huh. Yours is not clear why it failed unless it got damaged on the way to them? They surely should tell you which of those reasons was why it was rejected.
Understand I'm not saying you did anything nefarious, but we've seen a ton of examples of cards in purported PSA plastic where the bar codes don't quite match the number or where the font is not quite right.
yup this will do it.
my word of advice to the OP, NEVER use another items suggested info in order to list your own item and never use the "sell similar" feature either. even though it seems like a time saver, it will carry over not only the pertinent information from a listing, but all the previous persons errors. I always start my auctions from scratch to avoid errant info, especially in the description or specifics areas. carrying over an incorrect certification number and forgetting to edit it will give your item the boot. it may take more time to list it, but it will be your listing with your input....not someone elses mistakes or their items specific info.
myslabs.to/smzcards
Is this service really providing any value? EBAY is looking for a piece of the vault business and now they are buying their way into the authentication business. The notice says "Free for a LIMITED TIME". What are we getting for this? You get increased shipping cost, a piece of crap huge hardbound book that has your card strapped inside of it with lettering telling you how lucky you are that your collection has been upgraded. Every card is mailed individually no matter how many you buy over $250. Pull the card out of the straps and you see its in a plastic tamper evident sleeve that has 2 EBAY logos blocking the back of the card from view. Oh great. And dont forget the additional risk of theft, damage in shipment, or lost in the mail. All of which has happened to me and is now doubled on all of the cards I value the most and are irreplaceable in some cases. And how much is PSA getting paid for this? Have they moved people away from grading cards to authenticating cases. How is that 1 million card backlog coming? So if slapping it in a tamper evident sleeve is so important why isnt PSA doing that to graded cards today? I estimate the additional authentication service by PSA, shipping, packaging , insurance etc to run about $25 per card at a minimum. How long do you think Ebay is going to pay for this? I guarantee you that by Jan 1 they will start charging for this and the price will keep going up until they make a profit on it. Its what scumbags like EBAY do. Im shocked PSA is supporting this. OK scratch that. Its all a big scam folks. Push back on this crap while you can.
All of that really does sound terrible. And in the case of the OP, instead of eBay contacting the buyer/seller to ask if they still want the transaction to proceed as there was a simple error in the listing (the card itself is perfectly authentic and fine), they just void the transaction.
I'm glad this thing isn't here in Canada.
Thank you for the advice. I definitely want to avoid this in the future so it's helpful. I just wish Ebay gave more information about why the card wasn't authenticated.
Thank you for the advice. Did you happen to look at my listing? Curious if the font looks off or anything. Thanks!
Exactly. The ignorance of EBAY and PSA to neglect a sale from happening or explain the real reason for denying it and allowing a buyer an opportunity to decide, makes them look like they are complete amateurs. How many people's time had been wasted in this transaction? An efficiency expert would literally have a panic attack...
In many ways, these gimmicks seem purposeful...
I disagree, this is nonsense. PSA is supposed to state if the card sold is authentic to the holder it’s in. Anything else is a misrepresentation of the service being forced upon us
Ebay forward my call to the person who runs administers the Authentication Guarantee program. He said they only do this for trading cards and handbags. He couldnt promise me that they would never charge the seller for this cost.
Verifying the cert number is the same as in the ad is a joke. You would think ebay would have enough experience with trading cards to know that by now.
In the history of eBay, I wonder if any buyer has initiated a return stating that the cert number in the listing didn't match what was pictured even though they received exactly what was pictured.
BOOM! Now that is a mic-drop!
@MarshallFaulk28 i expect someone must have. Easy way out if needed.
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
I had someone buy a 2016 Topps Heritage Black border Jose Berrios RC PSA 8.5 and returned it SNAD because it wasn't a refractor. Mind you, the title, description, PSA flip, front/reverse pics...nothing said anything about it being a refractor (they all said "black border") except for that damn little box was checked in the details that is was a refractor. I couldn't figure it out for the longest time, but then I realized I listed a topps chrome Berrios refractor right before this one and clicked "create similar" and must've forgotten to uncheck that box. Everything else on the listing was 100% correct, except that one box. Oh, and the buyers u/n was something along the lines of MrRefractor. Can't remember exactly, but it had refractor in his u/n, so he clearly knows when a card is a refractor and when it is not.
some years of heritage have black borders and black refractors. he could've thought he was getting a black refractor, but either way, corny to return it.
myslabs.to/smzcards
I didn't, and said above that I didn't think that your card was in a counterfeit holder. Just saying that we've seen enough cards in counterfeit holders with flips that match the PSA website that it is easy to understand why one might be inauthentic and all should be investigated.
my advice, put as minimal as possible in your listings when you can. graded cards speak for themselves. no reason to overfill the "item specifics". they don't help with searches anyway. Don't state high end, centered, anything. let the buyer look at the card and buy the card. if they want more let them ask.
getting this voided for a wrongly entered cert number is the prime example . this did nothing to help your sale. I know of another case where one of the item specifics had the wrong year on a Gehrig Exhibit. Voided because an item specific had 1934 or 1938 instead of the correct year. Title , picture , description all good. I am sure they have saved a few bad transactions and stopped nut they are creating a lot of unnecessary voids in the process