eBay

joesaysbuyit · ‎10-28-2018

While on eBay tonight, I noticed eBay now lists Authenticity Verified as a search option at the bottom of the search sidebar. I would like some thoughts on this new feature. I understand the benefit of authenticating expensive items such as handbags, clothing or watches. However, I see some issues with this feature. I feel the average consumer is going to think that anything not verified must be fake because when you give the option of verified or not, people will automatically only want something verified. They won't know that not everything is verifiable or needs to be. Case in point would be antiques/collectibles. That brings me to the second issue with this feature: If you check the box, and the category contains generic collectible items you wouldn't or couldn't verify, you will get zero search results. You would have to know enough to not use this checkbox for every search. Seems like more confusion for consumers. I also feel like this is a pandora's box because whenever you have a yes/no option with data, you then have to police how each item gets labeled. This could be especially difficult when you have a category filled with verifiable and non-verifiable items. Who will make these decisions? How will sellers be affected? Some things to ponder...

justagirl12 · ‎12-19-2018

Are you referring to the same thing the OP is referring to.... which is ebays own authentication program. It's called Ebay Authenticate. It's for designer handbags.

pjcdn2005 · ‎12-19-2018

@justagirl12 wrote:
Are you referring to the same thing the OP is referring to.... which is ebays own authentication program. It's called Ebay Authenticate. It's for designer handbags.

That isn't what the op is referring to. If you do a search for a 1962 US quarter and then on the left side, check off 'authenticity verrified' ...it is under the Show Only column. The results will go from 841 to 5. I don't know what the qualifications are to be found in that search.

pjcdn2005 · ‎12-19-2018

Sorry I see the same thing is available in the handbag category although only for a limited brands. I imagine those are bags in the program that you are referring to but I haven't heard of similar programs in other categories.

moms**art**window** · ‎12-19-2018

@joesaysbuyit wrote:
This sidebar search option appears on every search. Maybe that's the issue here. The buyer will always want to check for authentic items and the search results will then be zero. Also, does the buyer really know what this term means? If they get zero results, they may say, "Well, I guess eBay doesn't have what I want so I'll go to Etsy or Amazon."

You pinned the tail on the Donkey,they need to do much better on this,you are exactly correct.

joesaysbuyit · ‎12-19-2018

Good posts on this thread. I quickly figured out that when I got zero results, I just didn't check that box. But it's just human nature that, when you show a person two items with the choice of something that has been verified and something that hasn't, a person will always take the 'authentic one'. Why wouldn't we?

I mean, look at how shopping has changed...

I was driving through the neighborhood today and saw a restaurant that I had never noticed before. My mom was in the car and she remarked, "Oh, let's go there." Instead of pulling off the road and parking, I answered, "Let me check out some reviews online first to see if the food is good." We ended up going to a previously known restaurant where the food is always good.

So in effect, I pressed the 'show only authenticity verified' button as I drove. I think it's better to not have such a feature and, as mentioned by other posters here, use all the current tools available to protect buyers such as COAs, VERA, SNAD, Coin Grading, Buyer Protection, Detailed Seller Ratings, and the controls in place for posting properly described and detailed ad listings.

thumper300zx · ‎11-24-2019

What eBAY needs more than this, though I like the idea of authenticity verification a lot, is condition verification services. The problem of eBay with 'as described' is a nightmare both ways (buyer and seller).

amricons · ‎12-24-2019

FYI

authenticity verified

I a program where the seller is the one doing the verifing and "authenticity verified" is a label given out to certain sellers by eBay to put into their listing. Think about it, it is almost impossible for a buyer to not get a return anyway. It is a way to give large sellers an advantage over other sellers .