new low for the ebay authenticity thing

[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

If you feel you need the service then you should use it but I think we should have a choice. Apparently you feel it should be thrust onto everyone. Maybe some of us feel we can fend for ourselves and do not need eBay looking out for us in this manner. As a buyer I have never had an issue with a seller on eBay where I would need the authenticity guarantee.

Unfortunately if someone is an idiot and gets scammed by an ebay seller it reflects poorly on the whole platform. Most people are looking for a site where they don't have to navigate through that nonsense. Good for you that you embrace it but you might have to find somewhere else to fulfill your adventurous side.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

[steve B]

There are others way more qualified to answer, and if I didn't expect the answer to be long I'd ask it differently.

Should a buyer expect Ebay to protect them from their own ignorance?

Is there a legal basis for that expectation?

And the unanswerable - why do people find it so onerous to relieve themselves of their ignorance by learning things and instead abdicate that responsibility to a proven incompetent or corrupt third party?

I generally find willful ignorance worse than the scamming itself.

[glchen]

Originally Posted by steve B

There are others way more qualified to answer, and if I didn't expect the answer to be long I'd ask it differently.

Should a buyer expect Ebay to protect them from their own ignorance?

Is there a legal basis for that expectation?

And the unanswerable - why do people find it so onerous to relieve themselves of their ignorance by learning things and instead abdicate that responsibility to a proven incompetent or corrupt third party?

I generally find willful ignorance worse than the scamming itself.

I completely disagree with the comments in this post. Scamming is always worse than ignorance. It's outrageous to me that we can blame the victim of the scamming instead of the perpetrator. There's an entire thread on N54 right now on the scamming going on in the BST, and many of the victims are experienced and knowledgeable board members. it's the same thing with ebay. Buyers on ebay expect a safe marketplace. They shouldn't have to be on guard that they will be scammed.

Therefore, in general, I completely support the steps that ebay is taking with their guarantee authentication service. I have bought several items that went through this service, both graded and raw. I've never had an issue with the additional days that it took for the items to go through the service. Frankly, the biggest time issue was that one seller sent the item to the authentication service through USPS Registered Mail, that that took FOREVER. But everyone recommends Register mail for expensive items, so I was fine with it.

I agree that it makes less sense to have graded cards go through the Authentication service, but I'm fine with it. As others have mentioned, there have been scams even with graded cards such as empty box, bogus tracking numbers, cracked slabs, fake slabs, and so forth. Let me put it this way. Let's say the major auction houses said that as a new policy, graded cards would now be shipped directly from the consignor to you instead of from the auction house. if you have any problems after receiving the item, tough luck. I think there would be outrage against any auction house that announced this change because folks expect the auction house to do some basic sanity checking for even the graded cards as part of the service they expect from the BP they pay. It's the same thing here.

[Yoda]

I agree that Jay's suspicion will be foretold and Ebay, in the not so distant future, will decide that buyers should have to pay, say $5, for their "invaluable" authentication service. No free lunches. No sir.

[jayshum]

Originally Posted by Yoda

I agree that Jay's suspicion will be foretold and Ebay, in the not so distant future, will decide that buyers should have to pay, say $5, for their "invaluable" authentication service. No free lunches. No sir.

Apparently authentication has been required for sneakers (and I think watches) on eBay for a while. Does anyone know if there is a charge to the seller or buyer for that?

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by jayshum

Apparently authentication has been required for sneakers (and I think watches) on eBay for a while. Does anyone know if there is a charge to the seller or buyer for that?

I have bought several sneakers since it started and there is still no extra fee.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Bob, I'd be surprised with what is likely the minimal time involved in inspection given how many slabs they are likely be flooded with, whatever clerical personnel are handling this could even discern a good fake slab. Maybe there's some invisible thing that would make it easy for the very latest generation of holders, but almost surely nothing of the sort exists for all the prior generations..

If EVERY graded card listed for $500 or more is going out there now, that's bound to be a huge volume and they're probably scrambling just to put them all in those nifty baggies and blue folders and process the mailing.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by glchen

I completely disagree with the comments in this post. Scamming is always worse than ignorance. It's outrageous to me that we can blame the victim of the scamming instead of the perpetrator. There's an entire thread on N54 right now on the scamming going on in the BST, and many of the victims are experienced and knowledgeable board members. it's the same thing with ebay. Buyers on ebay expect a safe marketplace. They shouldn't have to be on guard that they will be scammed.

Therefore, in general, I completely support the steps that ebay is taking with their guarantee authentication service. I have bought several items that went through this service, both graded and raw. I've never had an issue with the additional days that it took for the items to go through the service. Frankly, the biggest time issue was that one seller sent the item to the authentication service through USPS Registered Mail, that that took FOREVER. But everyone recommends Register mail for expensive items, so I was fine with it.

I agree that it makes less sense to have graded cards go through the Authentication service, but I'm fine with it. As others have mentioned, there have been scams even with graded cards such as empty box, bogus tracking numbers, cracked slabs, fake slabs, and so forth. Let me put it this way. Let's say the major auction houses said that as a new policy, graded cards would now be shipped directly from the consignor to you instead of from the auction house. if you have any problems after receiving the item, tough luck. I think there would be outrage against any auction house that announced this change because folks expect the auction house to do some basic sanity checking for even the graded cards as part of the service they expect from the BP they pay. It's the same thing here.

The scams pulled off or attempted here are an entirely different situation than most of the ones on Ebay.

Sending to PSA or CSG is only intended to catch items that are not authentic or not what they are claimed to be.
They wouldn't preclude a scam where the item is never actually shipped and the seller vanishes.

In the case of bad cards, I believe it's up to the buyer to have some idea what they're buying and some ability to tell if it's real.
PSA themselves don't have as much ability to spot alterations as they claim, and I wouldn't expect CSG to be better because they're new.

I've bought a handful of fake or altered cards over 40+ years. All but one I suspected were fake or knew for sure it was altered/fake. The only one that fooled me was the first, when I'd been collecting more seriously for less than a year.
My own knowledge is the first line of defense, That applies to all my hobbies.
And I believe it should apply even more as the items become more expensive.

Not having that knowledge is, at least to me irresponsible.
Like saying "I don't need to worry about riptides despite the warnings! They have lifeguards."

[Snowman]

Not giving buyers the option to bypass this authentication step is the part I dislike. I don't need help determining if a card or slab is authentic or not.

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by Snowman

Not giving buyers the option to bypass this authentication step is the part I dislike. I don't need help determining if a card or slab is authentic or not.

That was my point early on. Glad they are offering it to those who need it. At the risk of infuriating Sanpolit1 again, I don't need CSG's opinion on an ungraded card and I certainly do not need PSA's opinion on a slab's authenticity.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

That was my point early on. Glad they are offering it to those who need it. At the risk of infuriating Sanpolit1 again, I don't need CSG's opinion on an ungraded card and I certainly do not need PSA's opinion on a slab's authenticity.

Especially one from its rivals...For that matter, I don't need CSG's opinion on a card it doesn't grade. That's like asking a homeless guy for interior decorating tips.

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Especially one from its rivals...For that matter, I don't need CSG's opinion on a card it doesn't grade. That's like asking a homeless guy for interior decorating tips.

Out by me I see some super creative stuff so...

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Especially one from its rivals...For that matter, I don't need CSG's opinion on a card it doesn't grade. That's like asking a homeless guy for interior decorating tips.

I don't buy raw cards on eBay very often, so I couldn't care less.

Realize my life would be a lot easier here if I knew everything like you guys and just consistently complained about everything. I could complain Ebay is not doing anything on fraud. Then I could complain that they are trying to do something on fraud but it's a hassle. Again, just like the larger political environment we are all dealing with. Complain politician is doing nothing about problem A. Outrageous that he hasn't spoken about this issue. Then complain politician's proposal on problem A is woefully inadequate. Then when politician changes proposed problem rip him or her for taking so long to deal with it. And then complain that problem really doesn't have to be addressed in first place. And then slam cost of trying to deal with problem. Whatever the move is just complain.


It's a cool system. Just complain about everything.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Realize my life would be a lot easier here if I knew everything like you guys and just consistently complained.

The irony.

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by G1911

The irony.

Zactly...not sure anyone has started more threads for the single purpose of complaining.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I don't buy raw cards on eBay very often, so I couldn't care less.

Realize my life would be a lot easier here if I knew everything like you guys and just consistently complained about everything. I could complain Ebay is not doing anything on fraud. Then I could complain that they are trying to do something on fraud but it's a hassle. Again, just like the larger political environment we are all dealing with. Complain politician is doing nothing about problem A. Outrageous that he hasn't spoken about this issue. Then complain politician's proposal on problem A is woefully inadequate. Then when politician changes proposed problem rip him or her for taking so long to deal with it. And then complain that problem really doesn't have to be addressed in first place. And then slam cost of trying to deal with problem. Whatever the move is just complain.


It's a cool system. Just complain about everything.

I don't know everything about everything. But if I was going to spend a few thousand on something I'd darn sure learn enough about it to trust my own opinion first instead of just blindly spending. Or putting all my trust in a company that's often wrong. Or one that has less experience than I do by a few decades...

So I don't buy expensive autographs, but I do get some educational entertainment from the "is this ok" threads in that section. I try to guess if it is, then read to see if I'm right.

[Exhibitman]

Based on my (admittedly tiny) sample of orders, I think the eBay authenticating gig may be adversely affecting CSG's service. I've had an express (7 business day) order sitting there for 12 business days and counting.

[JimmyC]

I’ve bought a few recently….the delay is not bothersome…do not like the sealed baggies though….as mentioned above, you can’t even see the entire card….I buy cards to enjoy - not to put into some vault….needless to say, the baggies are in the trash as is all of the packaging material….