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Selling with Authenticity Guarantee

Authenticity Guarantee helps buyers shop for luxury or collectable items with confidence. Eligible purchases are physically inspected by experts before being sent to the buyer or returned to the seller.

Are you a buyer looking for more information? Read our article on buying with Authenticity Guarantee

What items are eligible for eBay Authenticity Guarantee?

Authenticity Guarantee is currently available for watches - opens in new window or tab, sneakers - opens in new window or tab, fashion - opens in new window or tab, handbags - opens in new window or tab, trading cards - opens in new window or tab and jewellery - opens in new window or tab on eBay.co.uk. Check out each category for details on eligibility criteria, FAQs, and terms and conditions.

Watches

Only watches sold in the Wristwatches category for £1,500 or more are currently eligible. (Smart watches, pocket watches, watch parts and watch accessories are not currently eligible.)
 

  • Authenticity Guarantee is available for all conditions and in all listing formats
    • If the Buy It Now price is £1,500 or more but you sell for a Best Offer price of less than £1,500, the watch will still be eligible for authentication
    • If a watch sells for under £1,500 in an Auction listing, it may not be eligible for mandatory authentication
 
  • Watches specified as "Customised" are currently not eligible for authentication. A watch is deemed to be customised if the original brand parts have been replaced with non-brand parts or parts not original to the model or era, or if components have been modified from the original design, e.g. adding a diamond to the bezel or dial
    • There are some exceptions for vintage watches:
      • Vintage watches with commonly replaced aftermarket parts, such as a strap, bracelet, crystal, spring bars, or gaskets will be eligible for the programme


Optional Authenticity Guarantee is offered to buyers for watches with a Buy It Now price of £1,000 to £1,499.99, for a fee of £99. 

  • The Buy It Now price includes the Buyer Protection Fee, meaning an item you list for £960 may qualify
  • If the Buy It Now price is £1,000 or more but you sell it for a Best Offer price of less than £1,000, the item will still be eligible for Optional Authenticity Guarantee 

To be eligible, watches must be sold on eBay.co.uk to a buyer with a delivery address in the UK.

Listings that offer only local pickup or items posted to P.O. Boxes or armed forces (BFPO or BF) will not be eligible for Authenticity Guarantee.

Sneakers

To be eligible, sneakers must be:

  • Listed from an eligible brand
  • Sold for £200 or more via Fixed Price or Auction listings (postage excluded)
    • If the Buy It Now price is £200 or more but you sell for a Best Offer price of less than £200, the sneakers will still be eligible for authentication
  • Listed in a New or Used condition
  • Listed in Men's or Women's Trainers categories or Kids' Shoes categories (Boys, Girls, Baby or Unisex)
  • Sold on eBay.co.uk to a buyer address inside the UK
  • Sold by a seller using managed payments

Find the full list of sneaker brands eligible for Authenticity Guarantee here - opens in new window or tab.

Select in-demand models from eligible brands in the Men's or Women's Trainers categories may also be eligible for Authenticity Guarantee at a lower price threshold.

Sneakers specified as customised will not be authenticated.

  • A sneaker is deemed to be "Customised" if it has been modified from its original state
  • Examples of this include shoes with personalised elements, custom artwork, or any modifications that did not come with the original sneaker

Accessories such as laces will not be authenticated if they are noted in the listing as replacements.

  • In such cases, the condition of accessories would instead be verified against the listing
Optional Authenticity Guarantee is offered to buyers for sneakers with a Buy It Now price of up to £199.99, for a fee of £10.

Sneakers must be sold on eBay.co.uk by a seller located in the UK to a buyer with a UK delivery address.

Listings that offer only local pickup or items posted to P.O. Boxes or armed forces (BFPO or BF) will not be eligible for Authenticity Guarantee.
 

Fashion

To be eligible, fashion items must be:

  • Listed from an eligible brand 
  • Listed under Women’s and Men’s Clothing, Shoes and Accessories in an eligible category
  • Sold for £200 or more via Fixed Price or Auction listings
    • If the Buy It Now price is £200 or more but you sell for a Best Offer price of less than £200, the fashion items will still be eligible for authentication
  • In New or Pre-owned condition
  • Sold in a fixed price or auction listing
  • Sold on eBay.co.uk to a buyer with a UK postal address

Find the full list of brands and categories eligible for Authenticity Guarantee here - opens in new window or tab. Collab fashion items will only be eligible if listed under the eligible brand.

Optional Authenticity Guarantee is offered to buyers for fashion items with a Buy It Now price of up to £199.99, for a fee of £10.

Listings that offer only local pickup or items posted to P.O. Boxes or armed forces (BFPO or BF) will not be eligible for Authenticity Guarantee.

 

Handbags

To be eligible for authentication, handbags must be:

  • Listed from an eligible brand
  • Sold for £200 or more via Fixed Price or Auction listings
    • If the Buy It Now price is £200 or more but you sell for a Best Offer price of less than £200, the handbag will still be eligible for authentication
  • In New or Pre-owned condition
  • Listed in one of these categories:
    • Women's Bags & Handbags
    • Men's Accessories > Bags
  • Sold in a fixed price or auction listing
  • Sold on eBay.co.uk to a buyer with a UK delivery address

Find the full list of brands eligible for Authenticity Guarantee here - opens in new window or tab.

Optional Authenticity Guarantee is offered to buyers for handbags with a Buy It Now price of up to £199.99, for a fee of £10.

Listings that offer only local pickup or items posted to P.O. Boxes or armed forces (BFPO or BF) will not be eligible for Authenticity Guarantee.

Trading cards

Raw and graded trading cards are eligible for Authenticity Guarantee if they meet the following criteria:

  • Cards must be one of the following:
    • Collectible Card Game Single Cards
    • Sports Trading Card Singles
    • Non-Sports Trading Card Singles
  • Graded cards must be from the following graders only:
    • Beckett
    • PSA
    • Certified Collectibles Group
    • SGC
  • Cards must have a Buy It Now price of £500 or more, or sell in an auction for £500 or more
    • If the Buy It Now price is £500 or more but you sell for a Best Offer or auction price of less than £500, the cards will still be eligible for authentication
  • Cards with autographs placed on them by the manufacturer, via sticker or pre-signing, or with patches or relics embedded by the manufacturer as part of the original design can be authenticated
    • The Authenticity Guarantee inspection does not verify the authenticity of the autograph, patch or relic itself
  • Cards with signatures or autographs placed on the card in person, or with aftermarket relics or patches, can avail of the Authenticity Guarantee service, but the inspection does not verify the in-person autograph or the aftermarket patch or relic
  • Cards must be sold on eBay.co.uk by a seller located in the UK to a buyer located in the UK

The following trading cards are not currently eligible for authentication:

  • Graded cards that are NOT from one of our approved graders. Examples of unapproved graders include:
    • GMA
    • HGA
    • KSA
    • WCG
    • GBA
  • Listings where the delivery is local pickup, in-store pickup, or posted to a PO box

Jewellery

To be eligible for Authenticity Guarantee jewellery must be:

  • From one of the following brands (Cartier, Tiffany & Co, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bvlgari, Chopard, or Chanel) or unbranded (no attributable designer, brand, or logo)
  • Sold for £500 or more via Fixed Price or Auction listings
    • If the Buy It Now price is £500 or more but you sell for a Best Offer price of less than £500, the jewellery item will still be eligible for authentication
  • Listed in any Jewellery category except: Antique & Vintage, Loose Diamonds & Gemstones, Jewellery Care, Mixed Lots, Loose Beads or Watches (watches may be eligible for Authenticity Guarantee for Watches)
  • Contain at least one component from each of the following criteria:
    • A fine metal: Sterling Silver (925+), gold (9K+), palladium (500+) or platinum (850+)
      • For plated metal, base metal composition must be fine as listed above
      • If the item falls under UK hallmarking law, it must have a valid hallmark
    • If it has a main/side gemstone (0.20ctw or more/per stone), it must be one of the following:
      • Diamond
      • Ruby
      • Sapphire
      • Mother of Pearl/Shell
      • Malachite
      • Carnelian
      • Agate
      • Aquamarine
      • Aventurine
      • Bloodstone
      • Blue Chalcedony
      • Brecciated Mookaite
      • Cat's eye Chrysoberyl
      • Chrysoprase
      • Emerald
      • Garnet
      • Jasper
      • Morganite
      • Moss Agate
      • Onyx
      • Pearl
      • Peridot
      • Tanzanite
      • Tiger's Eye
      • Topaz
      • Tourmaline
    • If it has a secondary/melee stone (less than 0.20ctw/per stone), it can be any stone except for the following ineligible stones:
      • Amber
      • Amethyst
      • Ametrine
      • Black Opal
      • Boulder Opal
      • Citrine
      • Doublet Opal
      • Fire Opal
      • Green Amethyst/Prasiolite
      • Jade
      • Jade Jadeite
      • Jadeite
      • Jadeite Jade
      • Lemon Quartz
      • Nephrite
      • Opal
      • Quartz
      • Rhinestones
      • Rock Crystal
      • Rose Quartz
      • Rutilated Quartz
      • Smoky Quartz
      • Tiger's Eye
      • Turquoise
      • Welo Opal

Find out more about tolerance ranges - opens in new window or tab for Authenticity Guarantee for Jewellery.

All jewellery listed on eBay must comply with our Jewellery policy.

Jewellery must be sold on eBay.co.uk by a seller located in the UK to a buyer located in the UK to be eligible. Jewellery sent to addresses outside of the UK will not be covered by the programme.

Listings that offer only local pickup or items posted to P.O. Boxes or armed forces (BFPO or BF) will not be eligible for Authenticity Guarantee.

Tip
Remember to choose the item condition that best matches the condition of your item. If the authenticator determines your item's condition doesn't match the item condition you provided in the listing, we'll refund the buyer and return the item to you.

How Authenticity Guarantee works

If your item is eligible for Authenticity Guarantee, it will be automatically added to the programme, free of charge. There is no opt in or opt out option.

Items included in the Authenticity Guarantee programme display a blue tick badge. Buyers will see the badge in the search results page, the view item page, the checkout page and their purchase history page.

When you make a sale, you have to send the item to the authenticator's address provided by eBay. Once the authenticator receives the item, the inspection is generally processed within 2 business days.

If you’re a private seller listing an item included in the Authenticity Guarantee programme for £750 or less, your postage experience will be through eBay Simple Delivery. The authenticator's address will be provided on the postage label and you can choose who pays for postage when creating the listing. 

If the authenticator confirms the item is consistent with the listing title, description, and images, they perform a physical authentication inspection. If the inspector cannot determine that the product is authentic, or if the product is not as described in the listing, the item won't be sent on to the buyer and they will receive their money back. Where an item is unable to be authenticated, you'll cooperate in removing it from marketplace circulation. If the item passes inspection, it will be sent to the buyer with fast and free, tracked delivery. Items sold for £450 or more will have signature-required delivery.

Returns with Authenticity Guarantee

If a buyer wants to return an authenticated item, your return policy as stated in the listing will apply. Authenticated items are covered by eBay Money Back Guarantee, assuming all other eligibility criteria are met. For full details, read our eBay Money Back Guarantee policy.

When returning an item, the buyer will send it back to the authenticator who will check that the item is still in the same condition and has all relevant accessories. This includes any original manufacturer tags on the item when it was sent. Once the item has been re-authenticated, it will be returned to you and the buyer's refund will be processed.

eBay may sometimes issue a refund to your buyer on confirmation the return is on its way. When this happens, we’ll wait until the item is back with you before deducting the amount from you. For more on this see our article on Refunding buyers.

To learn more, see our detailed Authenticity Guarantee - opens in new window or tab pages for sellers:

If your item is eligible for eBay Authenticity Guarantee, it will be automatically added to the programme, free of charge. There is no opt in or opt out option.

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