My problem with eBay's Authenticity Guarantee is that they're not consistent.
Experience #1: Purchased a raw card. The authenticator said the condition was not as described due to added surface wax and possible alterations. Ebay asked if I wanted to proceed with the transaction or request a refund.
This is how it should work.
Experience #2: Sold a PSA-graded card. I received a status update on my seller account indicating that the card was authenticated and shipped to the buyer. Meanwhile, the buyer received an e-mail indicating that it had not passed authentication because it was "miscategorized." eBay sent the card anyway, without offering the buyer the option to cancel.
The buyer complained to me, and I offered a full refund. The buyer said he wanted to keep the card, but he would still prefer that it be authenticated. After some back and forth, eBay support determined that the card was properly categorized and the authenticator had screwed up. The buyer complained about losing out on the "Authenticity Guarantee," and eBay refunded him 50% of the purchase price out of its own "discretionary" funds (about $700).
Experience #3: Sold a PSA-graded uncut strip card. It didn't pass authentication and was flagged as miscategorized: not a "Sports Trading Card." eBay support speculated that the authenticator treated it as a "lot," even though it was a single strip with multiple players. Despite refusing to authenticate it, the authenticator sent it off to the buyer.
The buyer was very confused by the whole process and asked me to explain why the card couldn't be guaranteed authentic. eBay support explained that their internal systems showed that the card receive a "passed with exception" designation, which means that it was authentic but eBay wouldn't stand behind the guarantee because it didn't fall under an eligibility category.
Of course, that explanation doesn't appear anywhere in the e-mails eBay sends out. Their autogenerated e-mail simply says: "Your item’s on the way, but can't be authenticated."
During my last go-round with eBay support, they confirmed that some people have complained about not being able to complete transactions, while others have complained that they're forced to go through with transactions that are advertised with the Authenticity Guarantee but are later deemed ineligible. They called it a "balancing act," but acknowledged that there was no clear policy for when a transaction would be canceled and when they would send the failed item along to the buyer.
Either their internal processes are a black box that they're trying to shield from the public, or they're just making it up as they go along.
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