Why doesn't eBay require authentication on high-dollar fine jewelry?

[gurlcat]

Of all categories, it seems like this one would be the most "duh" to require authentication, but as far as I can tell it doesn't.  Am I misunderstanding something?  Would this quarter million dollar sale just prompt a normal shipping label directly to the buyer's address, unlike a few hundred dollar pair of sneakers?  

[gurlcat]

OH YEAH!  It's literally the same photo of the same brown-haired model, but one is a closeup.  

[nicgl-2753]

It's so so sad that obvious loopholes are being exploited on this seller in particular. I have accumulated so much evidence from my situation (but Ebay didn't seem to care about any of it). Yes, I did get my money back, but dozens more people are being scammed already!!! It makes me so sad and frustrated. Check out this post - they also contacted ebay (there are two people complaining about this seller, with a third one whose post was removed for likely violating some forum provision they were not aware of: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/ebay-seller-coco2be-selling-fake-jewelry-synthetic-adve...

I posted my own complaint publicly and coco2be already made a few corrections (like removing a listing for their Le Vian aquamarine earrings listed elsewhere on sale for just $39...

[gurlcat]

Well I don't know about "obvious" loopholes -WHAT loopholes?  According to the policy page regarding required authentication, "THERE IS NO OPT IN OR OPT OUT OPTION."  The only thing I can think of is that paragraph at the top of this screenshot, where it says items shipped from outside the U.S. are not eligible.  -So do you remember (or can you still check tracking to see) if your 2 purchases really came from the city/state that the listing said they would, and was there no 'pre-tracking' like with language about "waiting for package from partner carrier" (DHL or some other carrier that transport the package from the foreign country).  ????

Here is the full policy page on Authenticity Guarantee.  Scroll down to 'Jewelry'.  
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/selling-tools/ebay-authenticity-guarantee?id=4644&st=3&pos=3&query... 

[itscalledapostingid]

Is customized jewelry eligible for Authenticity Guarantee?

At this time, only customized jewelry that is unbranded is eligible for Authenticity Guarantee. Customized branded jewelry is not eligible for Authenticity Guarantee.

An item has been customized if the color, composition, quality of stones or other components and overall design has been altered since being originally manufactured. Customization includes enhancements, repairs, and size adjustments.

[gurlcat]

I don't think any of that seller's items are customized.  And they have ones that are unbranded too. But not a single one of their listings has AG. 

 Pm me if you want their username.  -Prepare to drop your jaw.  I am telling you, eBay is letting them get away with HEINOUS scamming, and not letting buyers warn anyone in feedback.  If you are familiar with my posting activity at all, you know this is not the kind of thing I usually come to rant about.  This is truly the most shocking thing I have ever seen here.  

[nicgl-2753]

Interestingly, the "Dolce and Gabbana" "Topaz" ($3,700) necklace had a Fed-Ex, uninsured and unexpedited return label. The "Le Vian" "Ruby" ($1,400) ring had a regular United States Post Office, uninsured return label. Both had the exact same address: a rented mailbox (a P.O. Box that didn't say "P.O."  in the address, but I looked it up and that's what it was) in Tarzana, California. So it definitely wasn't outside the US! I watched the shipments and returns slowly progress from state to state and city to city...

I didn't realize the policy on authentication was that a seller absolutely could not opt in or out! How do SOOOO many sellers get away with it??? Early on, I did do a google search asking that very question, and one of the results I found stated that one exception was when people listed items in "lots". That didn't apply to my situation, but I figured others "loopholes" had to exist... In fairness, the web page wasn't on Ebay directly (and perhaps the source was an old or incorrect). I guess I said "obvious" exceptions because it is such a blatant violation! None of my seller's listings had ANY available authentication on any auction items.

Why wouldn't ebay enforce their own policy???

[nicgl-2753]

Oops, I apologize for accidentally listing a username in my last post - I have removed it now.

[gurlcat]

Do you still have the ability to leave feedback on 1 of those 2 purchases?  I think you said you left one and it disappeared.  So I would be curious to see if you use the other one to neg them ..... or maybe better, give them a neutral, since I'm pretty sure eBay does not remove those.  

Ugh, it's frustrating because I don't even know what grounds your other one was removed for. It's NOT because you did a return or because the seller is TRS -it's a myth that either of those things get an automatic feedback scrub.  It seems like there must have been some loophole in what you wrote.  But how could there be a loophole in ALL the negs they get (and there must be many, since you saw another in just the same day you left yours, and it also got removed). 

I MIGHT advise keeping the comment purely "buyer experience"-based, because that seems to be the thing eBay holds most sacred, like literally "As a buyer, I had a very unsatisfying experience with this seller."   -Just never mention eBay or any kind of eBay-involved official case you had with the seller, or its' outcome.  Even comments like "I had to do a return" can get deleted.  

But if you make only a vanilla 'buyer experience' comment, it wouldn't warn anyone about the selling of fakes.  And that itself might be what got your other comment deleted.  So maybe a comment about the fake you bought ... but as a neutral?  But that wouldn't test if they are still getting negs removed., and it wouldn't affect their 100% positive.  

Here's why testing their neg removal abilities might be worth trying.  SUPPOSEDLY eBay is reworking their feedback removal policy, so it doesn't depend on factors including "who" requests removal.  That would be nice, considering this seller appears to have special privileges in numerous ways, not just neg removal but non-adherance to the authenticity guarantee protocol as well.  

Here's the thread about the feedback removal thing
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Feedback-UPDATE-via-the-Announcement-Board/td-p/34523939 

[femmefan1946]

devon@ebay 
Could you clarify this situation?

[nicgl-2753]

After purchasing the first peice (a "Dolce and Gabbana" necklace), I left a good review. The feedback I left was the same day I received it, and I had NO reason to mistrust the seller or my purchase (in fact, I thought it was an ammmaaaazing deal)! After receiving the ring and being told the necklace wasn't authentic (and realizing the appraisal was completely fake), I left the negative review (stating the appraisal was fake)... The feedback was removed next day, and I am unable to leave any additional feedback on either item now.

[nicgl-2753]

Hi, I'm sorry - there is a lot of information here (and some was shared in a different thread). I am pretty new to Ebay and love jewelry. I thought maybe I could find some deals on used/pre-owned items. I started searching in fine jewelry and stumbled across this consignment seller that specialized in high-end peices. It looked too good to be true!!! Unfortunately, because of the "top-seller/100% feedback rating", I trusted the purchases I made because they came with appraisal certificates and I knew ebay guaranteed everything. Fast-forward and I won a $3,700 "Dolce and Gabbana" necklace and a $1,400 "Le Vian" ring.  All kinds of red flags continued popping up and I started researching the seller. You would not believe all of the things I discovered: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/coco2be-dollar-noreserve-seller.283472/

I'm sorry - it's a quite lengthy forum post, if you read it (please scroll down to where the pictures are to begin to read as I had to post it twice when the first version didn't upload the pictures).

The necklace was not Dolce and Gabbana, the appraisal certificates (provided on every auction item) were (all) false/fake - the number didn't work and the address didn't exist, and I found several of the other auction items were not designer at all, but listed on other websites (just costume jewelry). After all of that, my negative feedback was shockingly removed without explanation... It's quite an appalling situation.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@gurlcat wrote:

I MIGHT advise keeping the comment purely "buyer experience"-based, because that seems to be the thing eBay holds most sacred, like literally "As a buyer, I had a very unsatisfying experience with this seller."   -Just never mention eBay or any kind of eBay-involved official case you had with the seller, or its' outcome.  Even comments like "I had to do a return" can get deleted.  

But if you make only a vanilla 'buyer experience' comment, it wouldn't warn anyone about the selling of fakes.  And that itself might be what got your other comment deleted.  So maybe a comment about the fake you bought ... but as a neutral?  But that wouldn't test if they are still getting negs removed., and it wouldn't affect their 100% positive.    

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I wonder if a feedback like this would work. (I don't know whether there was an appraisal of your own, @nicgl-2753  but it wouldn't hurt to bluff) -- something to the effect of: 

"I was very disappointed to receive an item that did not seem as described and although it came with a "COA," I wasn't able to find and contact the company whose name was on the COA. My own paid appraisal confirmed my suspicions." 

[nicgl-2753]

Thank you for the suggestion; I would love to do that! My feedback was basically, "Beware, the appraisal was fake". The next day, my feedback had been completely removed without any explanation or message from Ebay. Now, there is no option to leave feedback.

[gurlcat]

In case you didn't see it in this thread (or @nicgl-2753 's own thread about these purchases?) ... another buyer also left a neg the same day, and it was also removed overnight.  I'm just reeling from everything about this seller, what a blatant scammer they appear to be.  -By the way nicgl also shared with me their post on a (different site) jewelry discussion forum, and another member there had posted about the fake they had bought from this seller in February of last year, but unfortunately they discovered too late to do anything about it.  I'm just thinking, HOW COULD THEIR FEEDBACK NOT HAVE TONS OF RED, LET ALONE NONE?  

[gurlcat]

My bad -I totally forgot that you did already use both feedbacks, with the first being positive because it was before you realized what was going on.  So let me ask you this, do you still have the fake D&G necklace?  If so, are you good enough at photography to get some nice closeup images, especially of the mark?  I ask because you remember I suggested reporting this seller to design houses themselves, because they would be very keen to shut down a fraudster who is out here diluting their brand exclusivity.  Well, I think it could pack a lot more punch if you had photos of a piece in your own hands, to send to D&G.  

If you're not already too exhausted from this situation.  I would totally 'get' that.  You already put so much into making sure you weren't upset over nothing.  But now that you know for certain it is really something, with one last push of effort you might actually make a difference, get this nasty thief shut down.