Authenticity Guarantee item shipped straight from the seller, it never went to the authentication center. Now what?
Summary: mogr_885 is facing an issue where a Pokémon card purchased on eBay with the Authenticity Guarantee was shipped directly from the seller, bypassing authentication, and turned out to be counterfeit. Despite contacting eBay multiple times, they have only received standard responses about return policies. mudshark61369 suggested filing a dispute for 'item not as described,' while kathiec recommended a dispute with the payment provider due to the passed 3-day return window. Other members, including gone.c-33 and kensgiftshop, inquired about shipping details and suggested contacting the payment source. mogr_885 reiterated the issue as an eBay bug that the platform has not addressed.
Hi all, looking for advice from people familiar with eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee because I’m dealing with a situation that neither I nor customer service seem to understand.
I bought a raw Pokémon card for over $500 from a listing with the Authenticity Guarantee badge. Somehow, the card was shipped directly from the seller to me.
Tracking shows only one shipment and it never went to an authentication center.
The card turned out to be counterfeit. I’m not a professional authenticator, so it took me a few days and a second opinion to confirm it.
My return was denied because the seller doesn’t accept returns, and since then eBay keeps focusing on that denial rather than the bigger issue: why did an AG listing completely bypass authentication?
I’ve contacted eBay several times and nobody has been able to explain it. I understand this is probably a very unusual case, but that seems to be part of the problem. They keep giving me standard answers about returns and don’t seem particularly concerned about figuring out how this happened or how to correct what appears to be a mistake on eBay’s side.
I’m also being told there’s a 3-day inspection window, but my understanding is that this applies to items coming out of the authentication center. Mine never went in.
So I’m wondering:
Has anyone seen an AG-eligible card ship directly from the seller?
Is there a specific department or better way to escalate this?
Does the 3-day window even apply if authentication never happened?
I’m mainly trying to understand what went wrong and what my options are. If a listing is covered by Authenticity Guarantee, I don’t think the buyer should end up having to authenticate the card themselves...
Appreciate any advice from anyone who has dealt with something similar.
kensgiftshop
·1 week agoDid you use a PO box as your address.
The 3 day return time is for all of those cards, Authenticity Guarantee or not.
Contact your payment source.
mogr_885
OP1 week agoNo normal shipping address. It’s purely an eBay bug that they don’t want to take responsibility for... Thank you for the advice, i'll try with the payment source but i believe it's way too late.
gone.c-33
·1 week agoIs your shipping address a PO Box?
mogr_885
OP1 week agoNo, it’s purely an eBay bug that they don’t want to take responsibility for...
mudshark61369
·1 week ago@mogr_885 ,
Since the seller did not send the card to the authenticator you need to file an item not as described dispute for Did not match description or photos. That system is automated and your dispute may be denied at first, but if it is there is an appeal button in the message you will receive. Use it and in the appeal state the item was not shipped to the Authenticator, but directly to you. A clear photo or scan of the shipping label should show the item was sent directly to you from the seller's address. It should have arrived in an eBay branded or facility approved box. The return address on the shipping label belongs to the eBay authentication center, keeping the seller's personal address private.
kathiec
·1 week agoThe problem with opening a return case is that with card purchases there's a 3-day window to do so, regardless of whether the card was authenticated. Since that window has apparently passed the best course of action at this point is probably a dispute with the payment provider.
moderncoins999
·1 week agoI, bought my, CHILDREN ZALL the 1999 cards If you paided $500 it should be for A CHARZARD HOLOGRAM Why not buy A graded one look up the # & company EBAY IS FULL OF FRUAD IDEAMS even A #4 psa or 3 is better to have then A fake POKÉMON CARDS are way to expensive now I, wouldn't buy them I, bought A PACK A FEW WEEKS, ago all JAPANESE symbols I, was confused I, looked every card up on eBay the seller value was less than the pack WHY DIDEN YOU GO TO A STORE OR use your phone to locate one