eBay authentication
Summary: jrfrui85 expressed concerns about an item they sold on eBay that did not pass authentication, despite previously purchasing it with successful authentication on eBay. inhawaii and gurlcat explained that mistakes are possible and condition discrepancies could affect authentication judgments. grann-4629 and others discussed how condition should relate to authenticity and its impact on listings. bdmh-enterprises suggested that description inaccuracies, such as listing discrepancies or using AI for descriptions, could lead to authentication failures. jrfrui85 later confirmed that the issue was related to an undisclosed damage description.
I recently sold an item that required eBay authentication and it did not pass but I previously bought the same item through eBay with authentication and it passed, and I don’t know how to move forward from here.
we-thrift-for-all
·Jul 19, 2026 at 3:46 PMI had a pair of Nike kicked back from authentication its said couldn't verify and told not to relist.
jrfrui85
OPJul 18, 2026 at 4:00 AMThank you all for your help, I’ve figured out it was a description issue with undisclosed damage. I’ll make sure to update the post when I get them back.
albertabrightalberta
·Jul 18, 2026 at 4:45 AM@jrfrui85
Is the listing still viewable (if you click it) in your completed listings?
If so, that means the item wasn't determined to be fake. If fake, they would have removed the listing and dinged you for a counterfeit violation.
I believe the "failure" notice tells you where the discrepancies lie.
gurlcat
·Jul 18, 2026 at 7:55 PMThat's interesting about the listing after the fact, depending on the failure reason. -There's my "at least one thing learned every day in the Community" !
bdmh-enterprises
·Jul 18, 2026 at 3:02 AMIf they said they were counterfeit, you will be informed and told not to relist it.
More likely though you were done in by using AI descriptions. ANY discrepancies between the description, condition and item specifics could also fail authentication.
Was it the Jordan 1s? I notice the condition states 'new w/ defects' yet no defects were described, that will cause rejection, even if there are actually no defects. If there was a scratch or the like somewhere that wasn't shown in photos or described, that will fail it. The item specifics say the color is blue, the description says "regency purple", that can fail them. The brand says Jordan, it should be Nike, that can fail them. This is of course all dependent on the mood and detail of the authenticator at the time.
Quite frankly one would be better off with no description at all than the AI when it comes to authentication. They care about the details of the item and anything beyond that leaves room for error.
kensgiftshop
·1 month agoDid they say why it didn't pass?
gurlcat
·1 month agoThey also consider item condition, not just authenticity, so it must not be in as good of condition as before you had it, and/or you overstated how good the condition is when you listed it.
grann-4629
·1 month agoCondition should not count - it has nothing to do with authenticity.
albertabrightalberta
·Jul 18, 2026 at 3:56 AM · Edited@grann-4629
With the "authenticity guaranteed" program, although the first and foremost thing is authenticity, they also compare the item to the listing, pictures, and description.
When items pass, the authenticators are determining that the item is authentic AND that the listing is accurate AND the item is as described and pictured.
When all the above pass, items are NOT eligible for return for NAD reasons. (If a seller has a return policy, items can be returned for remorse reasons, but not for NAD.)
gurlcat
·Jul 18, 2026 at 4:39 AMImagine if you paid thousands of dollars for something and had to wait extra long for the side trip to the authenticator, and they passed it because it really was the brand stated, but when you finally get to see the item it's all scuffed up and dirty, unlike how the listing depicted it, with photos copied from some other seller, described as flawless, etc.
grann-4629
·Jul 18, 2026 at 2:17 PMINAD?
albertabrightalberta
·Jul 18, 2026 at 2:38 PM@grann-4629
That's why AG goes over the item AND the listing (pictures, description, disclosures) to verify that there isn't a NAD claim. And it's why authenticity isn't the only check they verify.
gurlcat
·Jul 18, 2026 at 7:50 PM"INAD?"
@grann-4629 I can't tell if that's an actual question (if so, could you please use a full sentence?). But I suspect you're "asking" if I considered the fact that a buyer can always file INAD.
This attitude that some sellers seem to have, that INAD should make buyers feel 100% "whole" again, not have any frustration, is illogical. Any time money is tied up in something is time it can't do anything else. And I made a point to highlight the fact that with AG it takes extra time before you could even receive the item. Depending on the locations of the seller, buyer, and authenticator, and on how busy their facility is, it can be several extra days. Then more days to do the return and get the refund.
What I really don't get is why you think the authentication shouldn't consider condition at all. Do you seriously think if an item was described as brand new but was obviously not, the authenticators should just pass it along as if they didn't notice, or assume you wouldn't care?
Why?
grann-4629
·Jul 19, 2026 at 1:05 AM😎 I was responding to your 'imagine if' in that if the item is dirty etc and not as shown in the pictures, it would be not as described. I could be wrong.
Don"t know why my text is now being underlined ... neither the underline symbol in this text box nor the same function on my keypad can make it go away.
This forum is like a box of chocolates... etc
gurlcat
·Jul 19, 2026 at 2:36 AM · EditedLast night and tonight you inadvertently activated text formats from the little menu above each open reply box.
The S with a letter through it is 'strike-through' and the result looks like
this.The underlined U causes underlining, like this.
Next time you see your text doing something like that, just go up and click whichever one of those was activated, to deactivate it.
adamcartwright
·Jul 20, 2026 at 3:44 AMCondition does count. This is eBay's language.
Once the authenticator confirms the item is consistent with the listing title, description, and images, they perform a physical authentication inspection. If the inspector cannot determine that the product is authentic, or if the product is not as described in the listing, the item won't be sent on to the buyer and they will receive their money back. Where an item is unable to be authenticated, you'll cooperate in removing it from marketplace circulation. If the item passes inspection, it will be shipped to the buyer with 2 day secure delivery.
inhawaii
·1 month ago · EditedMistakes can/will be made.
A item that you bought on ebay that passed might not pass later when you decide to sell it.
The "I bought it on ebay" defense will not work.
Ebay does not know fror sure that THAT is the same one you bought on ebay.
In any case, right or wrong, ebay has the last say.