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eBay Launches Authentication Service To Combat Counterfeit High-End Goods (venturebeat.com)

Ecommerce giant eBay has launched a previously announced service designed to combat the scourge of fake goods on the platform. From a report: eBay has proven popular with fake goods' sellers for some time, with fashion accessories and jewelry featuring highly on counterfeiters' agenda. The company announced eBay Authenticate way back in January with a broad focus on giving "high-end" goods an official stamp of approval prior to sale. Ultimately designed to encourage buyers to part with cash on expensive items, it uses a network of professional authenticators who take physical receipt of a seller's products, validates them, and then photographs, lists, and ships the goods to the successful buyer. For today's launch of eBay Authenticate, the service is only available for luxury handbags from 12 brands, including Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Valentino, though the program will be expanded to cover other luxury goods and brands from next year. "With tens-of-thousands of high-end handbags currently available, eBay is primed to boost customer confidence in selling and shopping for an amazing selection of designer merchandise," noted Laura Chambers, vice president of consumer selling at eBay. "We also believe our sellers will love this service, as it provides them with a white-glove service when selling luxury handbags."

10 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. And next year by taustin · · Score: 4, Interesting

    we'll be hearing how some manufacturers are using this system to block sale of used goods.

  2. Re:Why does Ebay not do escrow? by saloomy · · Score: 2

    Because eBay probably doesn't just sell to those who are skilled in detecting knock-offs. Honestly, I don't know how they could tell. We recently purchased a knock-off Cisco kit from Amazon, that was Prime.

    It blew my mind when Cisco told me this part was fake, it looked identical to the original. I wonder how eBay will validate the authenticity since the knock-offs are getting pretty darn close.

  3. Good. No more rip offs by LordKronos · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's great that we can now validate the authenticity of these high end handbags. Now you'll never need to wonder whether you are getting ripped off or just legitimately fleeced

  4. Re:Why does Ebay not do escrow? by gravewax · · Score: 3, Informative

    The high quality knockoff handbags are now all handmade as well as the money for quality fakes is huge. It takes a trained eye to be able to spot the fakes. In Bali my wife was in one of the handbag shops and even when I told her they were fakes she was unable to spot any real signs of it on 2 of the chanel bags. (FYI the reason you can tell they are fakes is they were selling at 25% of actual retail price, before bartering)

  5. What a relief by nospam007 · · Score: 2

    For the millions of buyers who want to buy new, genuine Louis Vuitton bags on fucking eBay.

  6. Re:Why does Ebay not do escrow? by gravewax · · Score: 2

    . Now the fakes are being made in the same factory as the originals, either by third shift or just selling the units that don't pass quality-control.

    That is actually a bit of an old wives tale, told by the producers of the fakes to try and add some authenticity and value to the fakes.

  7. joke products by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm sorry, but I have to chuckle at the thought that there's really such a thing as "luxury handbags."

    And the only thing stupider than a bag capable of being luxurious (what, it has a secret compartment for your weed?), is that it could possibly be counterfeit. "Sorry, this bag isn't redeemable; we don't have its serial number on file. You'll just have to use it as a bag, I guess."

  8. Would be very useful for electronics items by Vadim+Makarov · · Score: 2

    Forget handbags, there are high-end electronics accessories being cloned that I would not think would be cloned. The problem is, they do not work as well. Three examples I was personally burned by:

    Logitech R800 presentation remote. Problems in the fake: the green laser failed and became faded in some weeks time, ditto detached internally as it was fixed in a small drop of glue, and the radio was unreliable (missed clicks in some rooms).

    Canon TC80-N3 camera remote. Problem in the fake: the battery life was 1/15th of the Canon item. I.e., the same coin battery lasted a few months in the fake while it lasted about 10 years in the brand item.

    Canon battery charger LC-E6. Problem in the fake: charged slowly, several hours instead of under an hour in the brand item. That one I returned immediately.

    In all cases, the fake cost just as outrageously much as the brand item, was labeled as the brand item, and came in meticulously copied brand packaging with manual and all. It was actually impossible to tell the difference... until it developed problems. In two of the three cases, the malfunction was detected beyond the 2-month ebay money back warranty. I managed to return two items to the seller, trashed another. One item was bought on amazon marketplace, two on ebay. For this very reason, I'm now going to reputable dealers only (such as B&H Photo-Video) for any brand name electronics and computer accessory, no matter how small.

    --
    17779 eligible voters in a district, 17779 'vote' as one. This is Russia.
  9. Re:Why does Ebay not do escrow? by KiloByte · · Score: 2

    FYI the reason you can tell they are fakes is they were selling at 25% of actual retail price

    And that's the only difference.

    --
    The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
  10. Re:Why does Ebay not do escrow? by KiloByte · · Score: 3, Insightful

    When I returned home I sent it to a friend who was heavily into designer fashion and bags, expecting her to be impressed. I didn't tell her where it came from. She said "Why did you send me this cheap knockoff?" I thought she was bluffing, so I challenged her to explain why it was fake.

    But why would an expert being able to tell it from a quality fake count?

    A designer handbag has only two purposes:

    • * show off that you're a douche with more money than sense
    • * (a very minor purpose) sometimes carry stuff

    As long as the cheaper bag is fully functional, who cares if it's "genuine"? Beside those in the designer handbag industry, of course.

    Quality matters. Having the profits go to a particular person does if and only if that person is you.

    --
    The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.