OT: Detecting Fake Cards Using iPhone Flashlight???
 

I have a buyer who purchased several cards from me. He is claiming that they are fake. I asked him why he thought that.
He said that he placed his iPhone flashlight behind the card and he can see the light. In my 20 years of selling cards, I never heard of that.

I disagreed with him because the high intensity light from the iPhone actually passes through many different sets depending on the card stock. I tried it myself on atleast a dozen different sets and saw that the light came through on most of the sets but not all.
The cards that he was claiming were fakes were from the 79-80 O-Pee-Chee Hockey Set, 81-82 O-PEE-CHEE Hockey set and the 64 Topps Baseball set.

Am I wrong?

Yeah, I don’t think that’s any kind of useful test of authenticity for the most part. If someone comes up with something weird like that, probably should just approve a return and block the buyer going forward.

There is a lot of faulty advice being dispensed on Facebook groups.

I already told him several times to return cards but he keeps claiming that the cards are fake. I am no longer responding to him but I just wanted to make sure that his claims made no sense.
I noticed that he left a negative for another seller claiming that their cards were fake also.
There is always 1 miserable person in the crowd.

Who is it so we can all block them?

PM sent.

Maybe it's a new collector who misunderstands they need to use a black light.

I don't think so. He's been buying on eBay for 4 years. I would be more tolerant if he questioned me instead of accusing me.

I think the idea was conceived back in the days of incandescent lamp light, not a modern high-intensity light that will penetrate basically any cardboard no matter how dense.

Faulty advice from Facebook groups you say? That is shocking! :D

This is a valid technique for some things. For example, I have used a flashlight test a couple of times where I'm trying to determine if blank backed cards are skinned or not; as the lack of layers will let more light pass through than the control example that is definitely not skinned.

I strongly doubt this buyer is using it in a productive manner.

For starters, my experiences with Howard have always been great. If all sellers followed his practices, then no one would have much of anything about which to complain. (That avoidance of ending that sentence with a preposition was for Barry Sloate!)

I've puzzled about using the light on an iPhone in the process of analyzing authenticity of a ball card.

Here's the best I can offer...

If someone has lost their black light, their uv light, then maybe they could use the light on their iPhone to help them find their black light. Otherwise, the fellow of which Howard mentions is someone who knows not of which he speaks.

Thanks, Frank. I like the suggestion on what to use the iPhone light for.

Since I mentioned to him, that black light was the way to go and that he should research it on the Internet what to do, I have not heard a word from him.
He did happen to mention that he was waiting for 2 other cards from me to see if they failed his authenticity test. I found that strange since he already received those cards 2 weeks prior to his accusations.
He has been blocked and I have moved on.

Nah, this fella is looking for a refund/partial refund/pinky finger/first born/etc.., without having to return any cards. Likely he's gotten free stuff and discounts with this act in the past.

I'd love to block if possible also.

I agree. He was not the first, won't be the last.

Sounds like one of those newfangled facebook experts....

I'll take that Pm also please
 

Would like to block him as well.

LOL....FB is a conglomeration of the whole population. They are all experts on cards too!
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