miscategorized

[g.g.1115]

I have sold hundreds of items on Ebay...then all of a sudden I get a note from a frustrated customer saying she received an email from Ebay apologizing... but they could not authenticate the item she purchased from me.  Message read:  "The item was miscategorized in your listing and is therefore ineligible for the Ebay Authenticity Guarantee.

**bleep** is this?

I have had no luck getting a human on the phone at Ebay to even tell me what I did wrong. and if they can't authenticate it...why did they send it to the customer, collect their fees and wash their hands of any responsibility. I have no idea even what I did that miscategorized the item. Its a baseball card for god sake. Sooooooooo frustrated.... I'm looking to cancel my account!!!!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[wastingtime101]

The Cabrera listing? Maybe the patch/autograph is not being seen as a trading card?

[dhbookds]

This:  ??

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155780506105?hash=item24453de1f9:g:PFYAAOSw1TFk-PUM

looks like a patch, but under card category?

[ckimodog]

@g.g.1115 

Sorry for your situation.  Lots of issues with the authentication departments on eBay.  What were you selling? 

Here's a link to contact an actual eBay employee via social media:

https://www.facebook.com/ebayForBusiness/

These are US CS agents who are employed by eBay and may provide some relief to your issue.  Many positive posts with their ability to be helpful.

I wish you good luck and a positive outcome.

[dbfolks166mt]

     Missing some details. Which card was this? What category was it listed in? Are you saying that this went through the authentication center, failed authentication and was still sent to the buyer?

[pjcdn2005]

I'm not familiar with trading cards at all but would it have anything to do with this...

Cards with relics, patches, aftermarket signatures or autographs that were placed on the card in person can be authenticated, but the authenticity of the embedded relic, autograph, patch, etc., cannot be guaranteed

[g.g.1115]

yes, this is it. Could it be Ebay is recognizing this as memorabilia and not a card?

[g.g.1115]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155780506105?hash=item24453de1f9:g:PFYAAOSw1TFk-PUM

[reallynicestamps]

So, more to the point, what do you and your customer want to do about this?

Personally I would be sending a Message along the lines of "I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return it for refund."

The first thing to do is make the customer happy.

Until recently, most cards (and collectibles in many categories) were cheerfully bought and sold without these authenticity certificates.

If your customer is a newbie,they may be nervous because there is no cert. So offer to take it back.

If your customer is experienced or even expert, the two of you can share a chuckle over the boneheadedness of the "Authentication Centre".  Still offer to take it back.

And somewhere between those two, the customer may still be unhappy, so offer to take it back.

The customer may not be right, but the customer should be happy.

[reallynicestamps]

BTW-- in my own field, philately, expertising goes back over a century.

I have seen certs from well known names in the field that were still dead wrong, sometimes because research and technology had revealed past errors, and sometimes because the "expert" was over-rated and knew less than he pretended.

And others items that have several certificates all agreeing on the authenticity of the item.

[allstar-comics]

all it takes is the authenticator does not agree with the condition you put in the listing  They are supposed to just verify the item is authentic but that is not the case  Had two cards not pass and one was a company issued autograph with a built in coa  Good luck!

[dbfolks166mt]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155780506105?hash=item24453de1f9:g:PFYAAOSw1TFk-PUM

     So the item went to the authenticator but it appears that they considered this to be more memorabilia than an actual sports card. They should be returning the item to you. This does not prohibit you from relisting the item but probably not in the sports card category. You can also reach out to the buyer and explain what happened and let them know you will be reposting as they may still be interested. 

[wastingtime101]

---

@pjcdn2005 wrote:

I'm not familiar with trading cards at all but would it have anything to do with this...

Cards with relics, patches, aftermarket signatures or autographs that were placed on the card in person can be authenticated, but the authenticity of the embedded relic, autograph, patch, etc., cannot be guaranteed

---

^^^ That's your answer @g.g.1115 

Here's the supporting policy page: https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/selling-tools/ebay-authenticity-guarantee?id=4644

Scroll down and expand the Trading Cards section.

[bobwu69]

I recently purchased an item and the authenticity guarantee stated that my item was miscategorized.  Once I saw that I worked my way to having eBay customer service call me.  When they did I asked them about the issue and they said, "It was labeled as one card when it was really a set, since there were two cards."  I also learned that with signed memorabilia, they will not verify the signature, only the condition of the card.  So, if you're selling signed stuff, I would recommend getting it verified third party.  If you're buying stuff, make sure you its verified by a third party.  Most of the verification companies (PSA, Beckett, etc...) have a way to type in the number a verify.  Thanks, eBay community!!!