eBay Aunthenticator

[*aeta]

I have been selling on eBay for more than a decade, currently have 2 stores, good sales record and customer relations. Was happy until this authentication process came. I lost money because of this process so I am starting to take down one by one items I listed on eBay that will require authentication because I think these eBay authenticators do not know how to authenticate. They returned the items I sold but lost one expensive item on their way back to me. I wish eBay will just let us directly sell to buyers and buyers can take it to Tiffany store themselves who know more about the Tiffany items than the eBay authenticators. eBay buyers can also have items authenticated by more competent authenticators or decide what to do with the items they bought.

I had some old/vintage Tiffany items bought from a Tiffany store sold on eBay but eBay authenticators said they didn't pass authentication. These items are properly marked and authentic as they were bought from the Tiffany store, but eBay authenticators said they didn't pass their test. I don't know what else to do, I am now looking at selling somewhere else. These eBay authenticators really do not know what authentic Tiffanys or not. They are wasting my time and if I continue to sell on eBay, I will also lose my mind. 

I had in the last week or so some jewelry items required to be authenticated and didn't pass authentication.

The eBay authenticator said my items didn't pass authentication. I don't know why. eBay didn't let me know why,

Lost one item during the return from the eBay authenticator. eBay is driving me nuts; I think eBay is destroying itself if it will not stop authenticating our items incorrectly. eBay incorrect authentication is an unreasonable disruption.

This new eBay authentication will definitely destroy eBay eventually.

[janet9988]

I hope you are holding ebay accountable for for the lost item.

They are responsible for making sure the items get returned to you.

[albertabrightalberta]

@*aeta 

Are you sure they said the items were fake? 

I looked at all your sold Tiffany listings and also those with the authenticity guarantee. All listings are still viewable, meaning that they weren't removed as counterfeit. (If the authenticators find the items to be fake, they remove the listings.)

It's possible that they found the condition to be different than your photos and description claim. In those cases, the sale is canceled, buyer is refunded and item is returned to the seller. 

[*aeta]

The authenticator said they cannot gurantee authenticity of these 2 items sold so they didn't send them to the buyer. The authenticator said I cannot relist them anymore because they are not authentic Tiffanys otherwise I will be penalized for relisting fake items. These are items bought from the Tiffany store, with properly marked Tiffany logo but eBay authenticator considered them fake items. I really don't know how to explain to eBay that that authenticity program process is stupid and will eventually be not beneficial to everyone including the buyers because their authenticators are really stupid. 

[aspenaeta]

I have another problem. I returned an expensive item because it was not as described and the seller accepted my return. The return shipping label the seller sent to me to use was addressed to the authenticator, I dropped the package at the Post Office but the tracking number says I have not sent it and it is now past 10 days. I am so angry why does my return have to go back to the authenticator and not to the seller. The address of the prepaid shipping label goes to the authenticator. I really don't understand eBay now and I am losing a lot of money.

[dbfolks166mt]

I have another problem. I returned an expensive item because it was not as described and the seller accepted my return. The return shipping label the seller sent to me to use was addressed to the authenticator, I dropped the package at the Post Office but the tracking number says I have not sent it and it is now past 10 days. I am so angry why does my return have to go back to the authenticator and not to the seller. The address of the prepaid shipping label goes to the authenticator. I really don't understand eBay now and I am losing a lot of money.

I learned long ago to never simply "drop" anything at the post office without getting it scanned and obtaining a receipt. This situation is not eBay or the authenticators problem. If you simply dropped it depending on where it was sitting in the post office somebody could have simply picked it up and walked out with it. 

[71onabox]

Hi!  I had the same thing happened to me.  I called to find out that it said it didn’t meet Tiffany Standards.  Currently Tiffany is bought out by LV and vintage items are all made different eras and different jewelers.  Not by one person.  The stamps change as well and I too have a 100% rating.  My bread and butter is selling Tiffany’s and lost $1k income so far.

My first was a Peretti authenticated, but they had a problem with chain, but everything was authentic - so failed.

The second piece was confirmed 750 yellow gold and citrine, but they said not Tiffany current quality.  Item is a vintage no longer sold in stores and before LV bought them out.

Most likely a downward trend to buy luxury goods since most people buy Tiffany for the quality and value, but since re-sale won’t be worth it anymore.  Who wants to buy Tiffany know their value drops worse than a car since you can’t resale to buy new Tiffany.  Same thing with eBay, people flock here to buy vintage collector items.  But now there is a GIA Cert company that can verify the metal and stone, but do not know of Tiffany jewelry previously made by Tiffany to confirm authenticity. 

Furthermore, Authenticity Guarantees does not to apply to anyone selling from outside to the US, so they are stopping the US economy of Sellers to sell there goods.  There is not authenticity guarantees restrictions for anyone who is not selling out of the US.  I feel discriminated against because I am a US citizen and the Authenticity Guarantee applies to US only, but seeing other sellers from outside the country do not have that requirement.  eBay disclosure on how this works is awful for sellers who even had it authenticated prior to selling.

Usually when problems like this compounds in a company, a new company will pop up.  Something fair for every seller.

[kh-stanley1]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread HERE if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.