Potential issues for some purchasers under Ebay's new certification program

[brianp-beme]

I recently made a purchase on Ebay that qualified for the new certification service they now provide for non-graded cards. As Ebay states in their overview of this service, the seller ships the card to an authenticator, and if the card checks out as authentic, this authenticator then ships to the buyer.

When looking more closely into the details of this service after the fact, I discovered that if you have a PO box (or an Armed Forces postal address) as your shipping address in the Ebay system, the card will not go through the certification process.

Fortunately I was confident that the card I purchased was legit, and when I received it directly from the seller, its obvious authenticity was reconfirmed.

Just something for PO Boxers to consider, especially if you have some questions about the legitimacy of a card that qualifies for this certification service. If you do have a PO Box, you should probably make sure to change your shipping address to a physical, non-PO Box address in the Ebay system (at least temporarily) before purchasing, so as to prevent the card from bypassing the trip to the authenticating company.

Brian

[Stampsfan]

They also won't certify authenticity if the customer is outside the US. We Canadians cannot get our purchases authenticated, even if the item is shipped by Fedex, UPS, USPS, or any number if shipping methods that run across the border.

[EddieP]

They also won’t authenticate if the seller lives outside the USA.

[swarmee]

They also won't if the card is part of a lot, is autographed, or has "box" or "case" or other words signifying a group of cards in the title. Sketch cards sometimes are sent to the authenticator and then automatically passed because CSG is not verifying sketch cards are authentic, but eBay doesn't seem to disqualify them from getting sent to CSG unless they have AUTO in the title.

[nwobhm]

What difference does a PO Box shipping address make?

Does the buyer retain the ability to file an NAD claim since it didn't go through authentication?

[Clutch-Hitter]

CSG not only authenticates but also confirms it’s as described. However, ebay still allows NAD returns. I sold a Fro Joy #6 Ruth, CSG confirmed authenticity and that it was as described, then mailed it to the buyer in their custom packaging. The buyer removed it from their packaging and sent it to CSG for grading but because CSG doesn’t yet have tall boy holders, it received ‘service unavailable’ (SU). The buyer next filed claim the card was not as described, ebay approved the buyer’s claim, resulting in the buyer sending it to CSG (this is 3 times they received it) so they can say it’s in the same condition. They then returned to me WITHOUT the fancy packaging in which they originally sent to buyer.

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by nwobhm

What difference does a PO Box shipping address make?

Does the buyer retain the ability to file an NAD claim since it didn't go through authentication?

Higher percentage of lost mail claims that ebay would now have to reimburse?
Can't require signature on a PO Box? No useful GPS delivery location for a PO Box?
Probably a liability issue eBay's not willing to underwrite.

[EddieP]

Originally Posted by nwobhm

What difference does a PO Box shipping address make?

Does the buyer retain the ability to file an NAD claim since it didn't go through authentication?

You have to sign for the card.

[brianp-beme]

Good info from you all, a lot of holes that currently make this service less than ideal and not so universal as Ebay wants us to believe with their marketing.

Here and now I would like to firmly state that Canadians are people too!

Brian

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

Good info from you all, a lot of holes that currently make this service less than ideal and not so universal as Ebay wants us to believe with their marketing.

Here and now I would like to firmly state that Canadians are people too!

Brian

I have been to Canada and I am a robot.

How many buses are behind this mountain?

images.jpeg

I had no idea.

[Flintboy]

People that sell sets where several of the cards in the set are worth more than the threshold. Doesn’t that defeat their purpose?

[nwobhm]

Originally Posted by EddieP

You have to sign for the card.

Signature confirmation is available to a PO Box.

[EddieP]

Originally Posted by nwobhm

Signature confirmation is available to a PO Box.

I should have been more clear. According to my UPS guy Ebay wants the addresee to sign for it but since he knows us he’ll let anyone in my house to sign for it.

[insidethewrapper]

Be sure you also check the seller's return policy on these ebay authnetic guaranteed items over $ 500.

Ebay states the following :

"Final sale
If (the seller) does not accept returns, purchases are considered final sale after your card passes the authentication check. "

Therefore if ebay graders state that it is good and send it to you, you can't return it, if the seller does not accept returns .

[RL]

Originally Posted by EddieP

I should have been more clear. According to my UPS guy Ebay wants the addresee to sign for it but since he knows us he’ll let anyone in my house to sign for it.

if the card is shipped USPS, why and how would your UPS guy know what ebay wants?

[EddieP]

Originally Posted by RL

if the card is shipped USPS, why and how would your UPS guy know what ebay wants?

From the authenticator the card is shipped via UPS.

[RL]

Originally Posted by EddieP

From the authenticator the card is shipped via UPS.

ok...makes sense.

this is the first time I heard that the authenticator shipped UPS

thanks for the info

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Is the authenticator privately insuring cards over $1000 since UPS won't? I have a PO box so my packages are secure yet Ebay is going to force me to accept an unsecurely delivered (they ignore signature request as often as not) underinsured service? Sign me up!

[Clutch-Hitter]

Originally Posted by insidethewrapper

Be sure you also check the seller's return policy on these ebay authnetic guaranteed items over $ 500.

Ebay states the following :

"Final sale
If (the seller) does not accept returns, purchases are considered final sale after your card passes the authentication check. "

Therefore if ebay graders state that it is good and send it to you, you can't return it, if the seller does not accept returns .

I agree with Ebay on that one. After a third party professional authentication company deems it authentic and as described, the only reason to return would be buyers remorse, unless I’m missing something? It’s between CGS and the buyer at that point.

It’s a fantastic idea by ebay and great that CGS is the authenticator. But they need larger holders!

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Clutch-Hitter

I agree with Ebay on that one. After a third party professional authentication company deems it authentic and as described, the only reason to return would be buyers remorse, unless I’m missing something? It’s between CGS and the buyer at that point.

It’s a fantastic idea by ebay and great that CGS is the authenticator. But they need larger holders!

Yes, but since the authentication company only authenticates and doesn't actually grade the card, what if the description says the card is in excellent condition, but in truth would grade most likely very good, at best? Is that (or shouldn't it) going to be grounds for a buyer to return something as not as described anyway?

If the authenticator, which is CGS in this case, is always supposed to also verify the description of these cards they're authenticating, and the description says anything at all about a card's condition, aren't they technically being required to opine on the card's condition after all then? Unless it specifically states in Ebay's policies and rules that condition is not to ever be considered as part of a card's description. But that will never, or at least should never, happen, because that would give an out to Ebay sellers overstating the condition and/or hiding flaws of cards being sold that do not end up going through the authentication process. I would imagine way more cards will be sold through Ebay that do not go through the authentication process, than do.

So, to get around such a potential conflict, what can Ebay do? Have one definition of what comprises a card's description for those that go through authentication, and a different description for those that do not? And how could Ebay even do that for a card being auctioned off that starts bidding below the authentication process threshold, they can't always predict where an auction will end up. And the idea of having different sales rules/definitions conditionally depending on where the final sales price ends up sounds like they're just asking for trouble.

Or is Ebay so big they just don't care, or do they assume it ends up potentially being CGS's problem, so again, they just don't care?

[Clutch-Hitter]

[QUOTE=BobC;2210093]Yes, but since the authentication company only authenticates and doesn't actually grade the card, what if the description says the card is in excellent condition, but in truth would grade most likely very good, at best? Is that (or shouldn't it) going to be grounds for a buyer to return something as not as described anyway?

If the authenticator, which is CGS in this case, is always supposed to also verify the description of these cards they're authenticating, and the description says anything at all about a card's condition, aren't they technically being required to opine on the card's condition after all then? Unless it specifically states in Ebay's policies and rules that condition is not to ever be considered as part of a card's description. But that will never, or at least should never, happen, because that would give an out to Ebay sellers overstating the condition and/or hiding flaws of cards being sold that do not end up going through the authentication process. I would imagine way more cards will be sold through Ebay that do not go through the authentication process, than do.

So, to get around such a potential conflict, what can Ebay do? Have one definition of what comprises a card's description for those that go through authentication, and a different description for those that do not? And how could Ebay even do that for a card being auctioned off that starts bidding below the authentication process threshold, they can't always predict where an auction will end up. And the idea of having different sales rules/definitions conditionally depending on where the final sales price ends up sounds like they're just asking for trouble.

Or is Ebay so big they just don't care, or do they assume it ends up potentially being CGS's problem, so again, they just don't care?[/


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They not only authenticate the card, they determines that it’s as described by the seller. Having just had an authentic Babe Ruth returned because a flipper couldn’t get it in a CGS holder (because they don’t have tall boy holders) while multiple people in multiple locations had the actual card, not a slab, in their hands, I may be biased.

Also, did you know the buyer sends it back to CGS so they can determine it’s in the same condition in which it was originally received? How’s that different? And all the fancy stuff they sent it in to the buyer was removed before sending it back to me in a card saver. It, like CGS, is a new thing so will hopefully evolve.


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