ebay authenticity program glitch?

[jimq16415]

I bid on this card last week and was the winning bidder. Card is graded and was over 250. When I go to list anything at 250 or more it's in the program. This card was shipped directly to me and didn't need anybody to look at it.

Any idea what I'm missing? He listed it as graded and ungraded. Seller had other cards that sold last week as high as 1250 that did not have the guarantee.

[Peter_Spaeth]

He has figured out a way around it, maybe calling it both graded and ungraded fools the software that automatically puts cards into the program.

[chalupacollects]

Not a glitch. He's checking off ungraded price and then noting graded at the bottom. This so he tries to avoid an INAD case

[gunboat82]

Only tangentially related, but I'm not impressed with the Authenticity Guarantee process in general. I recently sold an SGC-graded Mantle. My seller page showed that the card passed authentication (as expected) and was shipped to the buyer.

Soon after, I get an e-mail from the buyer indicating that the card arrived with a note that it couldn't be authenticated because it was miscategorized. It was not. The listing showed that it was properly categorized as a baseball trading card, with the correct year, player, grader, etc.

I contacted eBay customer service, which indicated that their system showed that the card passed authentication and there was no note from the authenticator. After digging deeper, eBay eventually acknowledged that the buyer had received a notification that the item couldn't be authenticated because it was miscategorized. They also acknowledged that it wasn't actually miscategorized, so the buyer never should have received that note.

I offered the buyer a refund and sent him the eBay chat transcripts, and he ultimately decided to keep the card. However, it was a huge hassle, eBay provided conflicting responses, and their customer service rep couldn't provide any other explanation for the hitch in the authentication process, other than to apologize and say "don't worry, we've got your back." Even with that apology, I couldn't get eBay to provide assurances that the shipping cost would be refunded if the buyer accepted my return offer.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I had an SGC card rejected on the ground the holder was damaged. It wasn't. I had a Beckett card rejected on the ground that it was "not a trading card." Excuse me? The notion that PSA should be passing on their competitors' cards is a joke IMO.

[darwinbulldog]

I can't figure out what's going on. This card was delivered to me on the 17th, never inspected.

[gunboat82]

Originally Posted by gunboat82

Only tangentially related, but I'm not impressed with the Authenticity Guarantee process in general. I recently sold an SGC-graded Mantle. My seller page showed that the card passed authentication (as expected) and was shipped to the buyer.

Soon after, I get an e-mail from the buyer indicating that the card arrived with a note that it couldn't be authenticated because it was miscategorized. It was not. The listing showed that it was properly categorized as a baseball trading card, with the correct year, player, grader, etc.

I contacted eBay customer service, which indicated that their system showed that the card passed authentication and there was no note from the authenticator. After digging deeper, eBay eventually acknowledged that the buyer had received a notification that the item couldn't be authenticated because it was miscategorized. They also acknowledged that it wasn't actually miscategorized, so the buyer never should have received that note.

I offered the buyer a refund and sent him the eBay chat transcripts, and he ultimately decided to keep the card. However, it was a huge hassle, eBay provided conflicting responses, and their customer service rep couldn't provide any other explanation for the hitch in the authentication process, other than to apologize and say "don't worry, we've got your back." Even with that apology, I couldn't get eBay to provide assurances that the shipping cost would be refunded if the buyer accepted my return offer.

Well, I can certainly see why the buyer didn't accept my return offer. It appears that eBay refunded him half the cost of the item on its own dime, so he got an SGC 3.5 1956 Topps White Back Mantle for $720, all because eBay shipped it without authenticating it.

If I'm a buyer, I'd gladly accept "unauthenticated" SGC slabs for 50% off.

[Jay Wolt]

I use a P. O. Box & apparently that voids the authenticity guarantee.
I'm confident I know what I'm looking at when they are rec'd,
but why void the program if its going to a P. O. Box?

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by Jay Wolt

I use a P. O. Box & apparently that voids the authenticity guarantee.
I'm confident I know what I'm looking at when they are rec'd,
but why void the program if its going to a P. O. Box?

Because they can't require signature or verify that you picked it up. More ways for scammers to beat them.

[Leon]

So far, I wonder if the program is actually saving Ebay any money? Will they have to charge for this service in the future? Personally, I don't like it.
.

[Smanzari]

They don't always go, even if you don't have "key words." I'd say about 15-25% of "higher dollar" sales, I still ship directly to the buyer. (eBay does like me A LOT though)

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by Smanzari

They don't always go, even if you don't have "key words." I'd say about 15-25% of "higher dollar" sales, I still ship directly to the buyer. (eBay does like me A LOT though)

Are most of those PO Boxes or International? Those are both exempt from the AG.

[Smanzari]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Are most of those PO Boxes or International? Those are both exempt from the AG.

No; actually can't recall whenever I've sent one to a PO Box. Last one that "skipped" was a Wolverine card, ended at ~$810 and went straight to the buyer (East Coast IIRC)

What's weird is there were 4 cards over 2 days from that auction that ended over $250, and only one went to the Authenticators and it was the only one that wasn't "a card" (plexiglass). Two went straight to buyers, one international, one authenticators.

[jjbond]

I was interested in 2 cards, each required ebay's authentication. I made an offer for both, and the buyer ended the 2 auctions, and made a new combined auction for me at the lower price. Both cards ended up being shipped directly to me.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by jjbond

I was interested in 2 cards, each required ebay's authentication. I made an offer for both, and the buyer ended the 2 auctions, and made a new combined auction for me at the lower price. Both cards ended up being shipped directly to me.

He turned it into a lot and therefore removed it from the program as it was multiple cards.

[Yoda]

"These are the times that try mens' souls."

[jjbond]

Originally Posted by JustinD

He turned it into a lot and therefore removed it from the program as it was multiple cards.

Which again makes no sense. 1 card might be fishy, but no one would sell *two* fake cards at the same time?

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by jjbond

Which again makes no sense. 1 card might be fishy, but no one would sell *two* fake cards at the same time?

Sure they would. Did he combine the listing because you asked for combined shipping? The second listing should not have had the Authenticity Guarantee checkmark on it when you purchased.

[Misunderestimated]

The problem Peter identified above -- PSA verifying/authenticating cards graded/authenticated by its competitors (SGC BGS etc) -- is a significant. I think its an invitation for mischief. Why would PSA want to make their competitors look anything but bad...,.I just (today) sold an obscure Cuban issue (a booklet page) that SGC graded (authentic) that PSA would probably not grade. I haven't seen any graded by PSA and the item in question may not meet a common definition of "card."

https://www.ebay.com/itm/204455457982


So I'm shipping it to PSA to authenticate (or whatever). I actually did not know about this until it happened ... I wasn't up on how the guarantee worked with respect to non-PSA cards -- I don't sell much anymore and recently I've only sold PSA cards . So judging from what I just read above this could be a mess. I wonder how PSA would treat (for example) a Football Exhibit card from 1948-50 when PSA doesn't grade them but SGC does. Or maybe some Star basketball card from the 1980s that BGS graded that PSA has not yet decided to grade.

[swarmee]

PSA is not regrading or verifying already graded cards.

THEY ARE ONLY VERIFYING THAT THE SLAB HAS NOT BEEN TAMPERED WITH.

[Misunderestimated]

Thanks. John! I guess I'm probably OK then.
I still think its fundamentally problematic for PSA to be passing on their competitor's slabs.... I am concerned about Peter's experience where his Beckett card was "rejected on the ground that it was "not a trading card.'" That seems like more that merely "verifying that the holder has not been tamper with."

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by Misunderestimated

Thanks. John! I guess I'm probably OK then.
I still think its fundamentally problematic for PSA to be passing on their competitor's slabs.... I am concerned about Peter's experience where his Beckett card was "rejected on the ground that it was "not a trading card.'" That seems like more that merely "verifying that the holder has not been tamper with."

I guess I'd need to know more about that, but it seems like an edge case, something that would rarely happen.

[Misunderestimated]

I guess I was justifiably concerned based on what happened to Peter
Here is what eBay sent me notifying me that the SGC graded item I sold "could not be authenticated" (by PSA) and was therefore mis-categorized in my listing.


"We wanted to let you know that your item is on the way to your buyer, but unfortunately we can’t provide our Authenticity Guarantee. The item was miscategorized in your listing and is therefore ineligible.
This may be disappointing for your buyer, so if you have similar listings, we recommend you update the item details to ensure this doesn’t happen again. In the meantime, we’ll notify them to let them know their order is on the way."



https://www.ebay.com/itm/204455457982

If I'm fortunate the buyer will still want it at the agreed-upon price.... I'm a bit cynical so I doubt it....

My takeaway from this is that PSA won't grade/authenticate this item so the SGC authentication is invalid for purposes of eBay. Personally I don't think that these necessarily "cards" -- they are booklet pages -- but SGC is entitled to slab and authenticate whatever they think is kosher. I won this with some others like it in an auction iast year from REA .
The one I really wanted was a Buck Leonard that was also graded/authenticated by SGC. I
I guess I'll call eBay although I assume it will be a very frustrating experience. and not fruitful...

My solution is that ebay should have SGC verify and authenticate its own slabs.... That's in everyone's best interests anyway. If SGC thinks its holder was no tampered with then they should be the one to say so.

[swarmee]

Ah, you should be able to sell a slabbed album page in a different sports memorabilia section of eBay, since it's not a trading card. Then it wouldn't go through eBay authentication.

[Misunderestimated]

i guess but by slabbing it isn't SGC is saying its a "card" ? And is it PSA's place to say otherwise when its in an SGC slab? Doesn't this exceed PSA's task of making sure the holder hasn't been breached.

PSA and SGC grade items that are not cards in the obvious sense (those beautiful 1910's notebook covers come to mind)
https://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball-c...a/7150-10449.s

If I do wind up relisting this I'll do what you suggest (or I can put it in "a lot" of these) so I avoid the authentication issue.
The latter idea of creating a lot seems sensible (but maybe sneaky). I bought this in a lot and I have several other lesser players I would be happy to part with..

[Popcorn]

Originally Posted by Jay Wolt

I use a P. O. Box & apparently that voids the authenticity guarantee.
I'm confident I know what I'm looking at when they are rec'd,
but why void the program if its going to a P. O. Box?

The reason I was given is: a seller might use fedex, or ups to ship to AG. They can’t add to the tracking a usps number if the destination is a P.O. Box.

But they are working on accepting P.O. Boxes for AG soon he said.

[Popcorn]

[QUOTE=Popcorn;2373009]The reason I was given is: a seller might use fedex, or ups to ship to AG. They can’t add to the tracking a usps number if the destination is a P.O. Box.

But they are working on accepting P.O. Boxes for AG soon he said.

dp