eBay

usa_vintage · ‎08-03-2023

There is already Buyer Protection and this new requirement is redundant. I get it, some people are not capable of handling things on thier own and need assistance when problems arise, or want extra assurance, and this program is great for them. It is also great to deter fraudsters. However for sellers that know thier items & buyers who know what they are buying this only adds frustration to the transaction, long delays in recieving the item, and disappointment when an item is sent back to the seller. I am dealing with an upset buyer who has had this happen and is very fearful the item bought from me will be rejected for some trivial reason. For example if something is marked 14K it will be returned if it is tests to be 13.9K, Which is within the 14K standard acceptable range. Only 14KP stamped gold is exactly 14KT gold. This is causing alot of stress for antique jewelry sellers like myself and I am not going to sell my high end items here until the program ends or becomes optional.

dbfolks166mt · ‎08-03-2023

While the programs offer an additional layer of protection I believe the main intent of the programs was largely for the sellers benefit and to cut down on the scam and counterfeit claims from buyers. However, the quality of the service being provided by the authentication centers seems to be less than optimal at times based on some of the postings on this forum including yours.

I do not sell a lot of high value items that would need to go through the authentication centers simply because there are other options for moving those items that have lower selling costs than eBay. However, if I had been in that market area I would not have listed those high dollar items before the authentication centers were active simply because of the risk. It only takes one empty box scam on a $2K item or a used pair of sneakers being returned for the new ones you sold to the buyer to make for a bad day.

vintagecraze50 · ‎08-04-2023

Yes, I do not like the long delays for the customer to receive the item either. I also at times have read that in some situations the authentication fails and it fails because the sellers HAVE TO HAVE THIS STUFF AUTHENTICATED before they list it. That JUST ADDS to the consumer frustration and disappointment in the program. So my advice to anyone using this program, you better know what you are selling here before you list it.

jklfindings · ‎08-04-2023

I would suggest reading the authenticity guarantee paperwork. It will answer most of your questions. As with your example, there is a "tolerance" to pass. With gold there is a tolerance of .5k. So as long as your 14k tests as 13.5k, you are good. Heres the link with all the details https://pages.ebay.com/authenticity-guarantee-jewelry/disclaimer/

luckythewinner · ‎08-04-2023

For example if something is marked 14K it will be returned if it is tests to be 13.9K, Which is within the 14K standard acceptable range. This is causing alot of stress for antique jewelry sellers like myself

This is NOT TRUE and it should only cause stress for the sellers who are uninformed about how the program works.

"Tolerance: ½ a karat or 0.5/24 parts of gold or 0.021 % of gold purity. For example, if listing states 14 parts of gold, eBay will pass a testing result of 13.5 parts of gold but will fail a testing result of 13.49 parts of gold."

https://pages.ebay.com/authenticity-guarantee-jewelry/disclaimer/

There is already Buyer Protection and this new requirement is redundant

The Authenticity Guarantee is not just for buyers. It also provides protection to the seller by having an independent third party compare the item to the listing to make sure the description is accurate.

This helps protect uninformed sellers from themselves.

jeff-second-chance-silver · ‎08-04-2023

The service is not accurate. We had a ring returned because they said the weight was off. We had the paperwork showing the total carat weight before the ring was made. The incompetent service caused us a 800.00 sale. The diamond grades were good. The actual weight of diamonds was 1.01tcw. With sells on ebay tanking the last thing needed is a program that hurts sales more.

vintagecraze50 · ‎08-04-2023

That’s upsetting to the buyer as well when that happens.

jaz_zy89 · ‎08-06-2023

I have read the responses and haven't seen a reason why buyers and sellers aren't given the choice to use the program or not. Ebay has gone many years without it and there are lots of jewelry buyers who are experts, and sellers that are experts, and don't need some third party handling (or mishandling) their goods. I understand they use GIA graduates to certify jewelry. My experience with GIA is that it is unreliable (one purchase was blue carved agate cameo that was GIA certified as black onyx - and that is not the only example). I know what I am buying and don't want my antique items sent back by unknown person who got their degree online. I can return it myself if needed.

onefootflippers · ‎08-06-2023

How many buyers given the choice of buying an item "Authenticity Guaranteed" and buying one from someone who specifically opted out of that guarantee are going to choose the opt out seller?

2 Ford dealers, side by side, both have the same truck, same price, but the one on the left comes with "Additional 100,000 Mile Warranty". Who buys from the one on the right?

usa_vintage · ‎08-06-2023

I have been selling here since pretty much since Ebay started and don't need their protection and uniformed sellers can accept returns. However if I had a buyer who wanted the Authenticity Guarantee from a third party I believe they should have that option. Your response proves my point about the Karat difference even though I was wrong by .4 points. The standard marks are 10K, 14K, 18K, 24K. Jewelry that is a very old cannot be exact, they didn't have XRF machines. That being said, much century old jewelry has collector value that is higher than what the gold value would be anyhow. So a "One Size Fits All" requirement has a negative impact in this case. It's amazing to see how many people chose this mandatory requirement over buyer/seller choice when there are other policies in place that protect everyone.

usa_vintage · ‎08-06-2023

You are missing the point. My suggestion was that either the buyer or the seller could request the Authenticity check as part of the transaction. We already have your senario with Sellers that accept returns and ones who don't, even though that is meaningless because of the Buyer Protection Policy, but I imagine it affects sales.

tobaccocardyahoo · ‎08-06-2023

Ebay has always had a problem with authenticity. The lack of trust by a large portion of the public for Ebay sellers has hampered its growth.

Ebay has continually struggled to improve the image of the site, and instill buyers with higher trust in Ebay and its sellers, since the days of Meg Whitman.

Sellers have objected to every one of the changes to increase seller accountability.

In 2023, the concerns about authenticity have increased to all Internet markeplaces. Even Amazon which has had much higher trust levels by the public has had to increase its programs to root out fraud and fakes.

The wild west days of the internet are over.

slippinjimmy · ‎08-06-2023

If Authentication was optional for sellers then every scammer out there would opt out.

While scammers are the minority they contribute to the fact that buyers (former buyers mostly) have spread the word that buying on eBay is not safe.

eBay's effort to correct this may be too late but that doesn't mean they should not try.

From a Sellers point of view the authentication system means never having to deal with scamming buyers who will lie about what they receive which costs sellers money.

It's a win for buyers, it's a win for sellers and it's a win for eBay and all eBay sellers as the competition heats up and the complaints about a lack of sales increases daily.

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep