eBay Trading Card Mandatory Authentication - Starting NOW

[JoeAdam]

I’m curious how this will work with auction listings.

[aggie4ever]

I am willing to see how this works before I pass judgement. Yes, adding another week for shipping time is a bummer, and if it becomes longer than that it will cause significant issues. I don't think raw >$750 will overwhelm CSG, and if it weeds out bad sellers who don't disclose damage, that is a plus. It will just be interesting to see how much damage is considered bad enough for CSG to say it doesn't match the stated condition.

Now requiring it for graded cards >$250 seems like it would ovewhelm CSG quickly and is unnecessary for a lot of cases. Hopefully it won't be required for PSA, BGS, SGC, and CSG. If it is, I think ebay will have to quickly raise the dollar limit, otherwise turnaround times will be horrible.

But there are some raw cards I have that I have been hesitant to sell because I have been worried about getting scammed. This program seems like it would cut down on a lot of scamming.

[k13]

So seller in Japan sells to someone in Europe.
The card will get sent to US first for authentication then sent to Europe after....lol

I assume this will be US only...

[ronzo]

Originally Posted by speedyjg13

There go all the consignors... consignors will have to ship to eBay and then eBay to us?

Wouldn't this help consigners? They'll be able to throw a whole days worth of sales in one package to eBay and let them deal with the rest. Either way the items have to get shipped through this system, so what does that change about consigners.

[JoeAdam]

It reads to me that the transaction is considered “final” once it gets authenticated. As a buyer you lose the ability to return based on condition as long as the item is authentic.

Edit- it also reads that if the item doesn’t match the description it will be returned to seller. Will every card with an undisclosed minor scratch or ding get returned?

[baseballmitts]

Well, time to take a break from eBay and just see how this goes. Who knows this could be good, it could be bad, it could be somewhere in-between.

But I'm not signing up to test this process by selling anything under it.

Fact that this seemingly surprise and untested service is mandatory all of a sudden does not sit well with me.

[thenightman]

Found this about what goes into their authentication service...

https://www.ebayinc.com/stories/news...trading-cards/

Authenticity Guarantee for Trading Cards: How It Works
When a service-eligible trading card purchase is made, the seller ships it directly to a team of third-party authenticators at Certified Collectibles Group – including its affiliates, CGC Trading Cards and Certified Sports Guaranty (CSG) – for a comprehensive, multi-point physical inspection. Following this rigorous assessment, the card is sent via expedited shipping to the buyer or seller. Details on the trading card authentication process include:

Thorough Inspection: Referencing an extensive database, authenticators inspect the overall condition and general quality. The overall condition of each card is checked against the auction listing description to ensure accuracy and authenticity.
Proof Of Authentication: The e-tag features a unique QR code that’s attached to the card’s protective packaging. The packaging is then placed in the card holder to finalize the process, reaffirming confidence in collectability and resale value. Scan the QR code on any mobile device to learn more about the card and its authentication journey.
Verified Returns: For sellers who choose to offer returns, eBay's Authenticity Guarantee service for trading cards ensures the exact item initially sold is returned to the seller, via a verified returns process. Returns are shipped back to the authentication center, where authentication experts verify each item and its condition before returning to the seller.

tl;dr - Is it the card you're selling? It is. Okay, that'll be $x.

[UCCF]

Originally Posted by JoeAdam

It reads to me that the transaction is considered “final” once it gets authenticated. As a buyer you lose the ability to return based on condition as long as the item is authentic.

Edit- it also reads that if the item doesn’t match the description it will be returned to seller. Will every card with an undisclosed minor scratch or ding get returned?

Yeah I definitely didn't read it that way - the buyer can still return the card to the seller, even if the authentication goes as planned, unless the buyer has chosen "no returns". And even with no returns, you've always got 3 days after you get the card to call it "damaged" and send it back.

Adding an extra couple of weeks to the period here only helps the buyer. If you pick up a big card on a rookie who gets hot, then the rookie cools off while your card is being authenticated, you have the option of just flipping it back to the seller and picking up a different one on the price dip. Buy a card, guy tears an ACL - send it back, get one cheaper in the offseason if you want it.

As with so many eBay things here, I don't see any upside for the seller to this (and that includes, I assume, that it will be up to the seller to pay for the privilege of authenticating his card in the future once eBay's largesse has run out on the little free period).

[UCCF]

Thorough Inspection: Referencing an extensive database, authenticators inspect the overall condition and general quality. The overall condition of each card is checked against the auction listing description to ensure accuracy and authenticity.

I wonder if this means that listing your card as GEM MINT PSA 10 GRADEABLE BGS 10+++++++ and having be dinged on the edges means it fails authentication.

[Archangel1775]

They should pull anything off the site that says "RP" in the title. Also make a list of cards that cannot be listed without being graded. Too much crap on eBay now.

[Technochocolate]

What concerns me isn't the service itself, it's the fact that this is coming out of nowhere, with no ramping up of services. Seems like they're all in immediately. There's a lot of moving parts, and if one fails, you're in big trouble.

As an aside, this Grade or Die mentality that is growing in the hobby is getting tiresome to me.

[baseballmitts]

Originally Posted by UCCF

Yeah I definitely didn't read it that way - the buyer can still return the card to the seller, even if the authentication goes as planned, unless the buyer has chosen "no returns". And even with no returns, you've always got 3 days after you get the card to call it "damaged" and send it back

If it makes it from the seller to "authenticated" and then goes to the buyer who claims "damaged" how is that on the seller? eBay has basically authenticated it to match the condition of the listing which means it was damaged somewhere after the Sticker was placed on it.

Just too much eBay has not thought of here.

[thenightman]

Originally Posted by UCCF

I wonder if this means that listing your card as GEM MINT PSA 10 GRADEABLE BGS 10+++++++ and having be dinged on the edges means it fails authentication.

I think they're probably going to go off of whatever you put down under Card Condition. Which is a requirement on your ebay listing.

https://pages.ebay.com/cardconditions/

[mnvikingstwins]

Originally Posted by Archangel1775

They should pull anything off the site that says "RP" in the title. Also make a list of cards that cannot be listed without being graded. Too much crap on eBay now.

problem is then the cards that can't be graded like Kobe scoreboard auto

[mnvikingstwins]

Additional factor - any package addressed to CSG c/o ebay or whatever they'll use might as well have steal me painted all over it

[salthill]

The CEO of Fanatics is a part owner of CCG, for what that’s worth.

[D-Lite]

If you make multiple sales that fall into these categories is it even possible to send together to this authentication? Also, how does this impact the cost of shipping for the seller/buyer?

Also, to go green on everyone, what a tremendous amount of added waste this will be. Supplies, extra shipping routes, etc.

[thenightman]

How long after they start charging for this service will they also start charging FVF on it? I vote immediately.

[rwperu34]

1) The dollar value needs to be higher.
2) This needs to be optional.
3a) What idiot decided that the dollar value for graded cards should be 1/3 a raw card? Graded cards have already been through this process. That's why they sell for so much more than raw!
3b) $250 for a graded card is not high end.
4) The quick recycle time is essential to Ebay's business. Adding an extra week (if everything goes smoothly) is a bad move.

Conclusion
5a) I see ebay losing sales and revenue over this. It's added overhead, so even if nobody shifted sales to another site buyers will spend more and sellers will make less. That's less total purchases which is less fees for ebay....unless they bought a stake in CSG.
5b) As A seller if I make less, I buy less. And the cycle perpetuates.
5c) I will certainly be looking in to other venues to both buy and sell cards that meet these criteria once we have to pay for it. I don't have any $750 raw cards, but $250+ graded? That's like 90% of the value of my collection.

ETA: I stand corrected. I have one raw card listed for over $750 err, $749.99.

[captionwanker]

Originally Posted by JoeAdam

It reads to me that the transaction is considered “final” once it gets authenticated. As a buyer you lose the ability to return based on condition as long as the item is authentic.

Edit- it also reads that if the item doesn’t match the description it will be returned to seller. Will every card with an undisclosed minor scratch or ding get returned?

No. I sold many shoes, watches, and designer bags through the ebay authentication process. As long as you state the damages, seller will not be at fault. They will ignore things like minor scratches and scuffs, but if a seller ships a card with a cracked slab and doesn't state it. It will be sent back.

And this is a game changer, people crying about returns and buyer scams/lost cards all the time. If I'm a seller, I/m all over this. Once Ebay verify your sales, your job is done.

[captionwanker]

Originally Posted by baseballmitts

If it makes it from the seller to "authenticated" and then goes to the buyer who claims "damaged" how is that on the seller? eBay has basically authenticated it to match the condition of the listing which means it was damaged somewhere after the Sticker was placed on it.

Just too much eBay has not thought of here.

ebay will have photos of the item stored before shipment, anybody claiming damage is likely looking for fraud. I bought and sold authenticated items before they come package extremely well.

[rwperu34]

I just did a few searches for high priced items...$25,000 raw card, no guarantee.

How dumb is it that I buy a card for $700 raw, pay to get it graded, then once it sells for $2000 it has to be authenticated?

[captionwanker]

Originally Posted by speedyjg13

There go all the consignors... consignors will have to ship to eBay and then eBay to us?

plot twist some consignors have agreement with ebay to do this

[ThunderKing]

PWCC.

This is the way.

[captionwanker]

Originally Posted by rwperu34

I just did a few searches for high priced items...$25,000 raw card, no guarantee.

How dumb is it that I buy a card for $700 raw, pay to get it graded, then once it sells for $2000 it has to be authenticated?

you really don't understand what the authentication is? ebay are verifying the item in the auction is the actual item the seller listed and described, not GI Joe cards or a card listed as pack fresh but they sent one a damaged card. They aren't doing any sort of grading.