Sellers who guarantee an item to pass but won't refund authentication fees

[prewarsports]

I understand what you are saying but here is the difference in my opinion

Scenario 1. "I guarantee this item to be authentic". It fails, you go to get your money back and you have to get into the whole "Woo are they to say my autograph is not real etc." and then you have to get into the whole "I say its real, they say its not, you cant prove anything" situation of he said she said.

Scenario 2. "I Guarantee this item to be authentic and to pass any third party grader you choose, PSA, JSA whatever". It fails, refund end of story!

I think that is why you put that in an auction description, peace of mind knowing that you will stand behind the item based on the opinion of another person. It is the same guarantee (at least from well respected dealers) but some people might be left arguing over the grey area in Scenario 1.

Rhys

[prewarsports]

As a side note, I always have and always will refund Baseball Card Grading fees if a card is fake or timmed, so I see your point, but there its like $10 and it is a good will gesture more than anything. Some autograph authentications can run more than the item is worth. I see people with slabbed encapsulated Monte Irvin Index Cards all the time. If I sell a Monte Irvin for $5 and some guy overnights it to PSA to get it slabbed for a show or something and it fails, he is out 10X more than he paid for the signature and I would end up owing him back $55 on his $5 purchase (and it might not be fake anyways). With cards at least if it is deemed "counterfeit" or recolored or rebacked there is concrete evidence to show it and in that case, yes I think it would ethical.

As another sidenote, if an autograph seller is forging signatures than I think part of the restitution would be to refund any and all authentication fees but that is a different can of worms (IE: Coaches Corner).

Rhys