eBay says card not eligible for authenticity guarantee
 

I purchased a T206 Ryan card MBA 5.

I just got an email from eBay that says...

Hi Robert,

Your item is headed your way, but we couldn’t provide the Authenticity Guarantee you may have been expecting because, upon inspection, we found it to be miscategorized.

Unfortunately, miscategorized items aren’t eligible for Authenticity Guarantee.

We know this may be disappointing, and we've asked the seller to review and update their listings to prevent this from happening again. Check out your order details to learn more about your item's shipping status and potential return options.
---------------------

Anyone have this happen before? If not, can someone kindly tell me what the problem with the listing was?

edited to add: Upon further reading, the guarantee doesn't apply to MBA cards. I missed that the first time I read the eBay guarantee. I think the eBay system should catch things like that when someone is creating a listing.

Happens all the time, even with stuff graded by PSA.

Basically anything that doesn’t look like a postwar mainline piece (think 1952 topps, give or take), is at risk of getting flagged.

I’ve had them bounce basically every jumbo sized piece and hand cut piece out of the AG program. At the same time, it still mostly works fine, because it eliminates the possibility of the buyer or the seller engaging in shenanigans.

The only downside is if you have a skittish buyer who assumes that there must be something wrong with the item when they get the message that the item isn’t eligible for the program, and starts trying to back out of the deal or demands concessions.

The ebay system might have caught it if her listed it as MBA but in his specifics he lists it as PSA. Should give you a right to file Not as Described if you have to.

Either way it kind of stinks that ebay says you're covered, oh no you're not.

Thanks for the reply. I am rather surprised to read it happens all the time even with PSA stuff. It makes me question whether the trigger is coming from AI eBay is using, or subsequent clueless human review.

I wonder why they didn't ask you if you wanted to continue with the purchase. That seems odd and not a way to guarantee a buyer is protected.

Thanks for the reply. To be honest, I missed that small but salient part in the listing. I viewed the listing many times to look over the card scan as best I could front and back, as that was one of my main concerns and still missed the card categorized a PSA 5. This is the only Ryan that MBA has graded thus far. I will definitely be inspecting the slab when I receive the card and if there is evidence of tampering, I will definitely be filing as you mentioned

The "Item Specifics" for that listing state that the card is graded by PSA (not MBA). That is more than enough for them to kick it back.

Nothing came up in the buying part of the transaction for me. I was rather shocked to get the email a little while ago.

For anyone who sells on eBay, is MBA not an option for the general listing, or is this possibly listing manipulation by the seller to try and garner a sell? Would any of you file for a refund over this? I am not inclined to at this point, although I will make a final call upon receipt.

It happened a few weeks ago with yet another T3 Hal Chase. Same thing ,the seller mis-labeled it as it had an area on the top of the card that had a name or writing in pencil and then someone had tried to erase it on the border of the card, thus discoloring it.The authenticator claimed the card had been “colored”, like someone repainted the top of the border . First, I assure you , it was as I describe , an attempt to erase a pencil marking or name ( less than 2 inches long), thus making the border in that area light in color….if it had been painted over, I’d have known . Regardless, the seller did not address the issue in their description and so the Authenticator would not “bless” the card.
I really don’t know what the answer here is and maybe no one knows. It is ridiculous ( and I speak from the experience of two T3 Hal Chases not making the grade), that you wait the extra time and nothing is accomplished .
Absolutely did not affect the card for me, but they would not authenticate it, BUT they did say I could get a refund….which I declined as I wanted the card.

Sounds like you're still getting the card, right? Just with the potential for returning it.

That is my understanding. I don't foresee a problem with the card (as of now) but, since this was my first time running into this scenario, I thought it proper to get feedback from the forum.

I am surprised they sent the card on to you. Normally if PSA will not authenticate they give you an option to cancel the deal. Did they not do that?

Seller does not accept returns, so if you don't like it after you get it, you may be able to claim the item was not as described, as a previous member said.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

The email sent the card would still be sent to me. I checked the tracking just now and it shows the same.

If it doesn't look right, just say not as described and send it back, because sometimes you just gotta say, WTF. Right, Robert ?:D

Hopefully, I won't have to do that although I have had to do that in the past and it hurt. lol

I wouldn’t worry about it. New graded slab that PSA hasn’t studied yet.

You are right.

I think I got an ok deal for the card (compared to recent PSA eBay pricing) provided the grading is accurate, which from my limited viewpoint right now, it does. I don't think I want to roll the dice and try a crossover.

It seems the seller bought the card from gregmorris on March 9, and did a quick flip for a little profit.

Ebay doesn't list MBA as a grading company option when creating a listing. I just tried myself as a test. Thus, the slab can’t be authenticated. Guess MBA is too new of a grader. Your card looks pretty good by the way. Congrats.

No, that is if they reject it. They did not reject this card, just said it was outside the program. That is a different thing. In other words, in this case all they are saying we're not evaluating that slab.

It happened to me with a 1936 S&S Game Mel Ott - eBay couldn't authenticate it because the card came from a game and therefore wasn't eligible. Nothing wrong with the card itself.

Thanks for the follow-up reply, testing a listing creation, and comment on the card appearance. I will feel much better when it is in my hands :D This will be good solace considering I lost a bid for a PSA 5 Kiernan (ended at $410) over the weekend by one bid in the final seconds. The lady who sold the card is also named Kiernan.

I'm not sure if that's right. The listing had Ebay's authenticity guarantee. Buyer could reasonably say they relied on that, If Ebay decides not to pull the guarantee, they should allow the buyer to cancel.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

Seen this pattern many times before, speaking from experience. They don't figure it out until after they have it in hand.