Authenticated Item Arrived to Authenticator Damaged, Approved Anyway and Returned

[thrift_boogie]

I sold a $500 designer handbag which was authenticated through Ebay's Las Vegas center.  It arrived damaged; the box had been completely smashed.  They notified the buyer but did not notify me and the buyer approved the item for purchase anyway.  The authenticator said that only the original box the handbag came in was damaged.  I gave the buyer a $30 partial refund out of courtesy to replace the box and it was shipped to the buyer.  I do not accept returns and this was reflected in the listing.

I had the package insured for the full value but the authenticator only took one photo of the damage to the box so I was only eligible to receive 20% of the insured value.  I was fine with this at the time because the authenticator said that only the box was damaged.

The buyer received the bag and said it had damage that was not disclosed in the listing.  I told them to contact Ebay directly because it had arrived damaged.  The authentication policy states that the authenticator is obligated to approve the item's authenticity and that it matches the description.  I would think that the fact that the package had been crushed would indicate that it needed a closer inspection before shipping on to the buyer.

I contacted Ebay when the buyer messaged me about the damage they found when it reached them.  The representative told me I was not responsible once it left the authentication center.  I told the buyer repeatedly to contact Ebay about the damage but they opened an Item Not as Described case instead.  The handbag was shipped back to the authenticator and approved for a full refund which I am responsible for.  It will be returned to me now without the original box and with apparent damage.

I opened an appeal but I'm not optimistic that anything will be changed at this point.  I am apprehensive to continue to sell anything that will be "authenticated" by Ebay after this.  I have read plenty of posts here and on other sites that were not handled this way so I am not confident that the policy is being applied consistently or fairly for sellers.

[thrift_boogie]

Update: Ebay rejected my appeal so I will be responsible for the full refund and will be receiving a damaged item worth much less than it was originally.

[stainlessenginecovers]

Curious, who gives you 20%? USPS? (never heard of a 'partial). 

[thrift_boogie]

Yes, USPS only approved me for a partial value claim and I am unable to appeal because there were no additional photos of the damaged package.

[bonjourami]

Did you ship the bag in the original designer box and not double box it? The only  reason I ask is because you only received 20% of the insured value.A little confusing since the authenticator said the bag was fine to send to the buyer, then the buyer files a snad.Not surprising that she was granted a full refund..wait untli you get the bag..and maybe you can resell it.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@thrift_boogie wrote:

I sold a $500 designer handbag which was authenticated through Ebay's Las Vegas center.  It arrived damaged; the box had been completely smashed.  They notified the buyer but did not notify me and the buyer approved the item for purchase anyway.  The authenticator said that only the original box the handbag came in was damaged.  I gave the buyer a $30 partial refund out of courtesy to replace the box and it was shipped to the buyer.  I do not accept returns and this was reflected in the listing.

I had the package insured for the full value but the authenticator only took one photo of the damage to the box so I was only eligible to receive 20% of the insured value.  I was fine with this at the time because the authenticator said that only the box was damaged.

The buyer received the bag and said it had damage that was not disclosed in the listing.  I told them to contact Ebay directly because it had arrived damaged.  The authentication policy states that the authenticator is obligated to approve the item's authenticity and that it matches the description.  I would think that the fact that the package had been crushed would indicate that it needed a closer inspection before shipping on to the buyer.

I contacted Ebay when the buyer messaged me about the damage they found when it reached them.  The representative told me I was not responsible once it left the authentication center.  I told the buyer repeatedly to contact Ebay about the damage but they opened an Item Not as Described case instead.  The handbag was shipped back to the authenticator and approved for a full refund which I am responsible for.  It will be returned to me now without the original box and with apparent damage.

I opened an appeal but I'm not optimistic that anything will be changed at this point.  I am apprehensive to continue to sell anything that will be "authenticated" by Ebay after this.  I have read plenty of posts here and on other sites that were not handled this way so I am not confident that the policy is being applied consistently or fairly for sellers.

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luxury_handbags@ebay 

Why did this happen to another seller? 

If the authentication team didn't see any damage to the bag and passed it on to the buyer, why is the seller responsible? The policy says that Ebay would back the seller.

[thrift_boogie]

It was double boxed and cushioned, shipped USPS Priority and fully insured with an adult signature required.  The authenticator took a photo of only the handbag's original box and not the packaging or the box's contents.  I only had that photo to send to USPS because Ebay would not give me additional photos.  When I filed the USPS claim, I was under the impression that only the box was damaged which is why I gave the buyer a partial refund for the cost to replace the box.

The bag had crystal ornaments that were apparently damaged in shipping which were not noted by the authenticator but were obvious to the buyer when it arrived.  The package was completely crushed during shipped so it astounds me that the authenticator didn't look more closely at the item before sending it off to the buyer.

It's extremely frustrating because now it's been shipped two additional times and there are no additional photos of the initial damage to appeal the USPS insurance claim.  I will be receiving an item that was damaged more than the authenticator indicated and will lose out on most of its value even if I resell.

[bonjourami]

Im so sorry to hear that..i agree with Alberta that Ebay should be backing you..but we all know how that goes.

[sextons-sweet-deals]

what a mess! That is why I don't even trust the authenticators. 

It will be interesting to see if the O.P. actually gets their bag back or the buyer's damaged bag they were trying to replace for free?

[thrift_boogie]

I honestly believe the bag arrived to the buyer damaged judging by the one photo of the crushed box.  I think it was overlooked by the authenticator and the buyer wasn't given an accurate representation of the damage that occurred in shipping.

[stephenmorgan]

The Authenticator shipped the purse to the buyer so I would think the Authenticator is the one who would have to make the insurance claim.  You already made a claim for damage when you shipped it.  It has been shipped two more times.  If it is returned to you then it would have been reshipped three times since your claim was approved.

I would expect the Authenticator to have taken pictures of how it left their custody and if it is returned to them in the same condition then they they return it to you.  If it is different condition then they need to make the insurance claim.

But who knows, anything is possible.

[donsdetour]

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@stephenmorgan wrote:

The Authenticator shipped the purse to the buyer so I would think the Authenticator is the one who would have to make the insurance claim.  You already made a claim for damage when you shipped it.  It has been shipped two more times.  If it is returned to you then it would have been reshipped three times since your claim was approved.

I would expect the Authenticator to have taken pictures of how it left their custody and if it is returned to them in the same condition then they they return it to you.  If it is different condition then they need to make the insurance claim.

But who knows, anything is possible.

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Left out that no insurance will cover a reshipped item.

[thrift_boogie]

Insurance did partially cover the shipment from me to the authentication center but the damage was not fully documented by the authenticator so I wasn’t able to appeal for the full value.

[donsdetour]

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@thrift_boogie wrote:

Insurance did partially cover the shipment from me to the authentication center but the damage was not fully documented by the authenticator so I wasn’t able to appeal for the full value.

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glade you got some thing out of it;

I use insurance any more to say such for getting lost in the system: I do not expect cooperation from a buyer  (they do not have to).

[evelyb30]

The OP needs to take their case to eBay for Business on Facebook or Twitter. Lay it out plainly, exactly as it was done here.  This is insane, since eBay isn't following its own rules.