Ebay Authentication Thoughts
jraytay
Posts: 141 ✭✭✭
On EBay I recently purchased from 3 different sellers 3 different cards. 2 were graded and 1 was not. Each card was a 2018 issue and each cost over $350 which automatically had to be sent by the seller to the authenticators (PSA for the graded and CSG for the raw. The process went pretty well except for the delay in time received from when the seller shipped to the authenticator and the authenticator shipped to the buyer. My thought is this: How many 2018 cards are questionable for being authentic? My guess would be close to 0. So....it would seem to me that EBay should have an option for the buyer to bypass the authentication process and assume full responsibility for the purchase. The seller of the raw card wasn't aware of the process and was extremely upset at having to do this because it held up his payment for 10 days which I wasn't aware of. You guys have any thoughts about this?
Comments
My understanding is that the authentication of raw cards is also about the seller sending the right thing to the buyer. There were cases where the buyer claimed that the seller didn’t send the right card, which was just a he-said she-said situation. Auth proves that the sent card was the purchased card, and perhaps that the condition wasn’t way off base.
Graded auth involves that situation as well as the slab integrity check.
Jim
I'd love this, I could send out all sorts of crap instead of what the buyer ordered!! As a seller I prefer the A-process as I know I won't get F'd by the buyer!
Exactly.
And just because a card is from 2018 (just using that since the OP mentioned that year) does not mean it has not been trimmed / altered, in a counterfeit slab, a blatant counterfeit (every year of cards is being counterfeited - look at ETSY listings), not in the condition as described by the seller, etc.
Many underestimate how much fraud / scamming was being committed on eBay before they implemented the authentication program. It is still happening with the scammers finding ways to bypass the AG program, but it has definitely been slowed down a little.
If eBay ever made the AG program optional and made the buyer agree that there were ZERO returns for any reason - I can see all the backlash from the willing participants who get scammed.
about 3 months ago I sold a raw 1970 Nolan Ryan on eBay. It went through the authentication process and they said it was trimmed. I sent it in to SGC for grading and it came back a SGC 6.
Does authentication apply to autographed cards? I bought two signed cards over $350 last month and they shipped them directly to me.
https://kennerstartinglineup.blogspot.com/
From EBay: Authenticity Guarantee
This item is verified by an authenticator before delivery. Free for a limited time.. Looks like eventually the buyer will get the option of authentication or not when the limited time is up. It will be offered for an additional fee.> @SmithAuctionCo said:
They eventually will make the program optional if you read the wording: Authenticity Guarantee
This item is verified by an authenticator before delivery. Free for a limited time. Soon it will cost the seller (or buyer) $ for the service. Guessing this will happen early 2024.
Sounds like the 2 grading companies had different thoughts about the card. Would be interesting to see what PSA would say.
We're going on almost 2 years since the AG program started and the "Free For A Limited Time" has been there since the beginning.
If anything, eBay may start to charge a small processing fee to sellers ONLY if their card does not pass the AG program and gets returned to them.
Ebay would never charge the buyer a fee for the program and it is very unlikely that they would ever make the program optional for buyers. There is zero benefit for eBay to do that even if they made the sales 100% final (no returns for any reason) - as they would lose buyers once those buyers started getting scammed with no recourse. It would only benefit sellers looking to scam buyers.
The limited time only may have been in place for 2 years but I still think there will be a token charge (to the seller as you state) coming soon (Jan 2024 my guess). I also think the professional full time scam sellers have been weeded out since the big PWCC fiasco was uncovered a few years ago. I had no issues with the 3 cards recently authenticated. If I had the **choice **though I would have opted out of authentication.
I thought the Ebay Authentification process for trading cards was just a walkthrough to make sure the card is real; for example, checking that it is not a fake. Do they actually do grading on raw cards? I mean, could have a factory blemish or miscut on a REAL card. Would they reject that? Are they that sophisticated?
That would outrageous to ask the seller to pay for a service he/she didn't ask for. I would say that if that service had to be paid for, it would be on the buyer. It's like life insurance -- do you really expect someone else, or some other company you don't work for, to pay for YOUR life insurance?
They did you a favor then!!!! Why are they checking for "trimmed" cards anyway, unless the seller is claiming that the raw card is MINT? I thought this authentification process was only to verify that the card is real? If we are getting into grading raw cards, checking for blemishes, corners, card size -- might as well send to PSA for grading. A trimmed card DOES NOT mean that it is a fake card, unless someone is trying to pass it off as MINT (that's another story).
Huh?
If you sell an item on eBay you are asking to and agreeing to pay the fees involved - that includes if they begin to state they charge a fee to the seller for selling an item that does not pass their authentication program.
Making the buyer pay for a service to make sure that the seller described their item correctly is asinine.
I recently sold a graded card that was sent to PSA to be authenticated.
I then get an email from ebay titled "Your item's on the way, but can't be authenticated."
Say WHAT?! It was a card I self subbed, so I know it's legit.
The email further states the card will be sent to the buyer but ebay would not be able to provide THIER Authenticity Guarantee because the card was "miscategorized in the listing".
When I check the listing, it says "Authenticated", so PSA gave it the OK.
I could not figure out the problem ebay was referring to, and I didn't bother asking, since the buyer was happy.
Is ebay finding ways to get out of providing their guarantee?
I don't look at the Ebay authentication process as anything more than an escrow agent. It protects both buyer and seller from unscrupulous people. From the sellers perspective I love that nobody can claim I didn't ship what I actually shipped. From a buyers perspective I love that I will get the card listed in the condition listed and not have to worry about something shady happening.
Is the process 100% foolproof and without hiccups? No, but no process involving this many items could ever be 100%.
My only concern with Ebay authentication is that at some point Ebay will start charging extra for it and then it might price itself out of usefulness. We shall see......
Afternoon,
I've told this story here before with pictures......but here goes; Couple year ago a Buyer complained about a Lot of mixed cards that were sent in One Medium Flat Rate Box. I told him return the items for a Refund. He sent me 13 Padded Flat Rate Envelopes ( To this day I have no idea Why 13 and not just one Medium Flat Rate Box Empty) with Nothing, Nada, Zilch inside! So after opening 2 of the Envelopes I could see where it was going, so I made an Appt. with my Post Mistress and Filming, Opened the other 11 Envelopes, same result empty. So I disputed the Return uploaded 12 Stills of the action with the Post Mistress in attendance.
E-Bay found for the Buyer cause he Had That Tracking! Out $400!
YeeHaw!
Neil
^^^^ that is the exact reason i like ebay authentication. as a seller i dont have to worry that the buyer will recieve the item and then say the box was empty. I would have had no recourse before authentication.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.