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

[packs]

I understand what you guys are saying but I think we're talking about different things. If you put in your description that the item is guaranteed to pass authentication, then why wouldn't you also guarantee the authentication fee? What exactly are you saying when you say the item will pass authentication but you aren't going to be liable for the authentication fee should it fail?

Otherwise don't offer the guarantee.

[Sean1125]

Originally Posted by packs

I understand what you guys are saying but I think we're talking about different things. If you put in your description that the item is guaranteed to pass authentication, then why wouldn't you also guarantee the authentication fee? What exactly are you saying when you say the item will pass authentication but you aren't going to be liable for the authentication fee should it fail?

Otherwise don't offer the guarantee.

Being objective, my items that are sold without authentication typically sell for 1/4-1/2 of the item authenticated, if I cared to pay PSA for their opinion I would - but I don't, so I don't.

In most cases I would say you are getting the item cheaper than if it came authenticated, and still cheaper than an authenticated one (if) it does pass.

[packs]

In almost every case you will get an unauthenticated item cheaper than you would an authenticated item. I will only buy an unauthenticated item if I belive it to be good. And I will take the chance should it fail.

However, if a seller is going to guarantee an item will pass, I don't understand why they wouldn't guarantee the fee. You are offering a guarantee on the authenticity and saying you guarantee it to pass. Why then would a buyer have to be the one going out on a limb on the fee if you're the one who guarantees it will pass?

To be clear, I'm not talking about offering a refund if an item fails. I'm talking about a seller explicitly using the words "guaranteed to pass authentication."

[prewarsports]

I bet dealers will consent to refund your authentication fees if it fails if you guarantee to give them the 30% bump in price if it passes!

No dealer in the World I know of (in any area of collectibles, not just cards/autographs) will give you fees back based on a choice of who you want to look at the item after you buy it, and they shouldn't. A guarantee of the item itself and purchase price is all that should be expected of a dealer. I have been dealing in autographs for a LONG time, sold literally thousands of signatures and do not refund authentication fees and never will. Mostly because I believe I know more than they do to begin with, but it is just a bad business practice to guarantee the quality of your item on the opinion of anothers and refund the "other guy" for his opinion about your piece.

Third party authentication is a choice, not a right. Maybe some dealers do that, but I cant think of a single one in my time in the hobby.

Rhys

[packs]

I'm sorry but I think we're still talking about different things. I'm not talking about a seller's guarantee on authenticity. I'm talking about putting the following line directly into the text of your auction:

Guaranteed to pass authentication.

What does that mean if you are not willing to refund the fee as well? Again, I'm not talking about a guaranteed refund if the item fails. I'm talking about a seller choosing to say they guarantee it will pass authentication.

That is the sellers choice of words NOT the buyers.

[earlywynnfan]

I have the term in my ebay items, and in no way feel I should be on the hook for authentication fees. Couldn't a buyer then want me to pay for the authentication fees if it passes?

If I put in "displays beautifully," do I need to provide for the display case? After all, a nice case would definitely make it display beautifully!

Ken

[chaddurbin]

is this about abbeychimay? i take "guaranteed to pass authentication" as meaning "the signature is real". i don't see why he has to refund the tpg fees. if he was to do that he might as well send his ruth/cobb/johnson etc in himself and get the premiums from those certs.

[packs]

I guess I am alone on this point. That's okay. I just think saying you will offer a refund if the item fails is much different from a guarantee that it will pass authentication.

[chaddurbin]

i would use "guaranteed to pass...", it's common language. better than "i promise this signature is authentic but if psa or jsa says it's not i will send you your money back".

[travrosty]

Originally Posted by packs

I'm sorry but I think we're still talking about different things. I'm not talking about a seller's guarantee on authenticity. I'm talking about putting the following line directly into the text of your auction:

Guaranteed to pass authentication.

What does that mean if you are not willing to refund the fee as well? Again, I'm not talking about a guaranteed refund if the item fails. I'm talking about a seller choosing to say they guarantee it will pass authentication.

That is the sellers choice of words NOT the buyers.

because the authentication could cost 1000 dollars. who's to control the costs of the authentication, guaranteeing authentication fees is crazy.


plus if it is a real item and you DO put your money where your mouth is and guarantee authentication fees, and the jack wagons at abc and xyz dont know what they are doing, why should you refund authentication fees on a bad authentication?