Can you please help me to understand how I am supposed to actually list an authentic designer item on eBay if their policy is set up to prevent it from actually being able to sell.
Sold an Authentic Louis Vuitton bucket handbag that had been customized. Both the buyer and myself received an email from the authentication center stating-“The item was customized, therefore, it is no longer eligible for an Authenticity Guarantee.”
Just to be clear,
1-The handbag was originally made by Louis Vuitton, and it appears that is not being disputed by the authenticator, nor was it EVER disputed by the person who purchased it. As a matter of fact, the buyer emailed me so many times explaining her in-depth knowledge of Louis Vuitton handbags, at one point stating that she was, and I quote, “literally a Louis Vuitton expert!” So there was zero question on her part whether or not the handbag was an authentic Louis Vuitton.
2-My listing clearly stated in BOTH, the title of the listing and in the body of the description, that it was an “ authentic Louis Vuitton handbag that had been customized, repurposed, up-cycled, and recycled.” All of that was stated in my listing.
I just feel like some amount of common sense needs to be exercised in this process. If you could see my communications with the buyer, she received the disclaimer that it “could not be authenticated”, she immediately emailed me that given you could not authenticate the handbag, she now felt as though she had “terribly overpaid for a product that was no longer worth it because it can not be authenticated.” She basically wanted to use the email as a bargaining chip for me to drop my price even more. This is after the woman tortured me for five days straight haggling the price, at one point asking me to take an additional $10 less. Ultimately, I know that everything happens for a reason. Had this woman actually purchased this handbag from me, there’s no doubt she would have reached out to you in a week or two complaining of an issue. That would’ve been 1,000,000% AFTER she wore my handbag out in public multiple times for her friends to see her with it. Ultimately, because of your return policy, I’d be receiving the bag back and she the money she paid for it. Only to do the same thing to another seller.
To be clear, the buyer has 340 transactions. That is compared to my 1513 transactions, 716 sold items, with 100% perfect feedback. I believe there needs to be consideration given to items that are of the nature as my handbag listing. An item that is clearly authentic but has been altered or customized and the listing clearly states that, it deserves a more clear and separate explanation . It being authentic but not “being eligible for an authenticity guarantee” is not the same thing as stating that it is “an authentic item that has been customized.”The current wording I believe places doubt in the minds of buyers that’s just not necessary. Just state more clearly that in its original state or production, it is authentic but has since been customized. When the emphasis is on the fact that it can’t have a guarantee, and not on the reasoning as to why, item such as mine may never get sold.
Lastly, I believe they’re also needs to be a change in the return policy when it comes to designer items. In a world where everything is about a photograph and online likes, I know firsthand that people purchase items, take and post their photos, then return them. It’s an eBay problem, not just a big box, online, retail fashion problem. Unlike the large retailers who can afford to eat the profits from returned items, people selling on eBay mostly can’t. There seems to be no reason why designer items cannot have a 48 hour return policy. If you’ve purchased designer items such as a handbag, shoes or a coat, I would think you know immediately if it works for you or fits. It does not take 29 days to make these decisions. I wish eBay was geared more towards taking care of their customers who are balancing selling and buying items rather than just those who are buying. Too many of those who are just purchasing are taking advantage of the current return policy.
All super frustrating.
