My Experience With eBay's Authentication Service

[Hxcmilkshake]

Originally Posted by Buythatcard

Back in February, I sold a raw Ted Williams 1939 Play Ball card on eBay for over $1,700. The card was in Excellent condition with no creases or any surface flaws. There was one issue. The card was slightly trimmed. In my description of the card, I said that the card appears to be trimmed, cards displays beautifully. Overall condition of card is Excellent. I have sold over 1,000 1939 Play Balls over the years and felt that this card was authentic.

Buyer paid for the card and eBay sent card off to their authenticator. This was my first card to be sent off to be authenticated by eBay.

A week later, I received message from eBay saying that card was rejected. They gave no reason. I read that if they reject your card, it means that it’s not authentic. I immediately appealed the decision and asked them why they rejected the card.

Two weeks later, they responded by saying that they could not reach me because my phone number on my account was invalid. I have been using the same phone number for 19 years so that made no sense to me.

In the meantime, I explained to my buyer what has happened. He said that he was still interested in the card and asked whether he could send it off to SGC for their opinion. I told them that I have no problem with that and offered a full refund if SGC thought the card was not authentic. I told him that I would send the card off to him when eBay returns it to me.

When eBay finally returned the card, there was a little note included saying that once I update the description of the card, I can relist it. I said what are they talking about? First they reject it without giving me a reason and now they say I can relist it if I fix the description. Fix what?

So, at this point I sent the card off to my buyer who now bought the card from me outside of eBay. He sent it off to SGC. It came back from SGC as Authentic but Altered due to the trimming.

He was happy with the decision and kept the card.

I was pissed off with eBay for their poor responses and with the authenticator’s poor job.

Is this what we have to look forward to with eBay’s sucky authentication service?

Based on others feedback, you have to have your listing details exactly correct or it will not pass. Not sure of that was your issue or not but its happening

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

[oldeboo]

I suppose the issue might have been if the card was described as both excellent and trimmed, if I'm understanding correctly. A card that would grade as excellent(5) would not be trimmed. Could that have been the issue?

[Buythatcard]

It might be the issue that I said Excellent and trimmed in the same description. But it would have been nice for them to say exactly what the issue was so that I wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

[Fred]

Howard, if fleabay is going to force this service on people, then they need to provide greater details regarding any issues they have with a card that is "rejected".

I haven't been following this too closely. Is ebay forcing the use of the fleabay authentication? If so, the assumption is that it is for cards of a certain value. Is that correct?

[Luke]

I bought a nice looking GD+ / VG card that was listed as EX on the title. It got rejected for the stated grade being too high. As an informed buyer, I'm annoyed to have to wait another week or two and buy the card again. But this is a good thing overall. It's been the wild west where sellers can say a card is EX and then you look at it and its fair or gd. I have always wondered if a buyer is going to get screwed when I see those listings. This new program will make those old school dealers quit calling fair card vgex and ex, and that's a good thing.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Luke

I bought a nice looking GD+ / VG card that was listed as EX on the title. It got rejected for the stated grade being too high. As an informed buyer, I'm annoyed to have to wait another week or two and buy the card again. But this is a good thing overall. It's been the wild west where sellers can say a card is EX and then you look at it and its fair or gd. I have always wondered if a buyer is going to get screwed when I see those listings. This new program will make those old school dealers quit calling fair card vgex and ex, and that's a good thing.

I agree but ebay needs to communicate better.
It does seem the op's listing might have confused them. My guess is if the "excellent" part wasn't in the description it would not have gotten rejected. Of course I am not sure..
.

[oldeboo]

Originally Posted by Luke

I bought a nice looking GD+ / VG card that was listed as EX on the title. It got rejected for the stated grade being too high. As an informed buyer, I'm annoyed to have to wait another week or two and buy the card again. But this is a good thing overall. It's been the wild west where sellers can say a card is EX and then you look at it and its fair or gd. I have always wondered if a buyer is going to get screwed when I see those listings. This new program will make those old school dealers quit calling fair card vgex and ex, and that's a good thing.

No doubt. There is a long list of dealers that describe every single card as NM/MT as well. How is a card with a wrinkle, 90/10 centering, and smashed corners considered NM/MT? The anything goes era existed for a long time. According to the terms and conditions of the program, an item gets rejected when it is "significantly not as described." To Howard's point, sellers certainly deserve clarification on what issues are in a listing.

[Yoda]

I suppose this is why collectors whose collections are solely comprised of raw cards sleep better at night.