r/gaming

Our Authenticity Guarantee gives you peace of mind when buying or selling sneakers on eBay. Our expert authenticators physically inspect all eligible sneakers before they are shipped to buyers. They also inspect all returns before they are sent back to sellers.

Wondering if the kicks you’re eyeing qualify for Authenticity Guarantee? Look out for the signature blue Authenticity Guarantee badge applied to all eligible listings.

Right now, the following brands are eligible for Authenticity Guarantee: Jordan, Nike, adidas, New Balance, Asics, Vans, Reebok, Converse, Puma, Balenciaga, Gucci, Chanel, Prada, Maison Margiela, Louis Vuitton, Crocs, Off-White, Fear of God, Dior, Y-3, A bathing ape, Versace, Visvim, Golden Goose, Rick Owens, Alexander McQueen, Alexander Wang, RHUDE, Saint Laurent, Christian Louboutin, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Burberry, Valentino, Buscemi, Giuseppe Zanotti, Givenchy, and Salomon. Sneakers must be listed in the men’s or women’s athletic shoe categories, in new or pre-owned condition.

eBay’s team of professional authenticators are sneakerheads first. Meaning, they eat, breathe and sleep sneakers. At work, our passionate authenticators inspect and verify each pair of kicks by carrying out a detailed physical inspection using advanced technical equipment in our state-of-the-art facility.

Once your order is confirmed, your sneakers are sent directly to our authentication facility where an eBay authenticator will inspect your kicks within two business days of receiving them.

During the inspection, our authenticators will confirm the item and accessories are consistent with the listing title, description, and images. They will then perform a multi-point physical inspection. Once your sneakers have been verified, an eBay Authenticity Guarantee tag will be attached to your new grails and programmed with unique details about your purchase.

After the inspection is complete, your kicks will be shipped to you with a 2-day secure delivery including signature confirmation.

If a pair of sneakers cannot be verified authentic or their condition is not consistent with its listing, they will be returned to the seller. The buyer will then be issued a full refund to their original payment method.

For a limited time, eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee is free. Meaning we'll cover all authentication costs for the buyer and seller. Not bad, huh?

Authenticity Guarantee helps buyers shop for their dream grails with confidence knowing they’ll always get exactly what they ordered.

Authenticity Guarantee verifies the authenticity of the kicks they’ve listed, and offers verified returns—all at no cost! This helps sellers determine their listing price points by knowing they have Authenticity Guarantee to back them up.

eBay offers many ways to ensure you get exactly what you want—like eBay’s Money Back Guarantee, for example. If an item purchased on eBay hasn’t arrived or isn’t as described, this program helps you get your money back. This differs from eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee because it involves a detailed, expert inspection. You’ll know an item qualifies for Authenticity Guarantee when you see a blue Authenticity Guarantee badge applied to the eligible listing.

Your kicks may not qualify for Authenticity Guarantee. If you believe your listing should be covered by the program, follow steps one through three to confirm if you've correctly listed your sneakers.

1. Meet the eligibility requirements.

2. Select the appropriate Item Condition when you list your sneakers for sale:

   1. **“New with box”**A brand-new, unused, and unworn item in the original packaging (such as the original box). If using stock images or screenshots, all original accessories (laces, keychains, bags, etc.) must be included. If taking your own photos, everything pictured will be assumed included.

   2. **“New without box”**A brand-new, unused, and unworn item that is not in original packaging or may be missing original packaging materials (such as the original box). For example, new shoes (with absolutely no signs of wear) that are no longer in their original box fall into this category.

   3. **“New with defects”**A brand-new, unused item. Possible imperfections range from color variations to scuffs, cuts or nicks that occasionally occur during the manufacturing or delivery process. This also includes natural yellowing due to age. The item may be missing the original packaging materials or accessories (such as original box or laces). New factory seconds and/or new samples may fall into this category. Ensure all defects are photographed and noted in the description.

   4. **“Pre-Owned”**An item that has been used, worn or showing signs of wear to the outsole, insole and/or lining of the shoe. The item may be missing the original packaging materials or accessories (such as original box or laces). Ensure all wear is captured in the photos and noted in the description.

3. Accurately describe your item in detail and take as many photographs as needed. Ensure that you capture any defects including tears in the box and any anomalies on the shoe, etc. If using stock images or screenshots, all original accessories (laces, keychains, bags, etc.) must be included. If taking your own photos, everything pictured will be assumed included. Accurate documentation & photographs will ensure your item can flow through the authentication process smoothly.

If your sneakers qualify, a blue Authenticity Guarantee check mark will automatically appear on your item’s listing page. You will also receive a confirmation email indicating your item was sold with Authenticity Guarantee.

Yes. Pre-owned sneakers by top brands are now eligible, including: Nike, adidas, Jordan, New Balance, Asics, Vans, Reebok, Converse, Puma, Balenciaga, Gucci, Chanel, Prada, Maison Margiela, Louis Vuitton, Crocs, Off-White, Fear of God, Dior, Y-3, A bathing ape, Versace, Visvim, Golden Goose, Rick Owens, Alexander McQueen, Alexander Wang, RHUDE, Saint Laurent, Christian Louboutin, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Burberry, Valentino, Buscemi, Giuseppe Zanotti, Givenchy and Salomon.

For a limited time, eBay only offered Authenticity Guarantee on sneaker and shoe sales over $100. Starting immediately, all sneakers will be eligible for Authenticity Guarantee regardless of listing price if they meet the eligibility requirements.

Our authenticators are trained professionals who live, breathe and sleep sneakers.

As sneakerheads and authentication experts, they know exactly what to look for when carrying out a physical sneaker inspection.

If a pair of sneakers' authenticity cannot be verified or their condition is not consistent with their listing, they will be returned to the seller. The buyer will then be issued a full refund to their original payment method.

If your sneakers don’t pass our standard authentication check, or if their condition doesn't match their listing, photographs, or item description, they will be returned to you by mail. You won’t be charged for the cost of shipping, but a refund will be issued to the buyer immediately.

Note that if our authenticators were unable to verify your sneakers, you will also be asked to remove the listing immediately.

After a sale has been confirmed, eBay will provide you with an authentication center address, along with the buyer’s name and a unique ID number. When shipping your sneakers, be sure to use the exact address provided by eBay including the unique ID number. Once your sneakers are verified authentic, they will be forwarded on to the buyer’s address at no cost to you.

As we expand our Authenticity Guarantee service, we are opening new authentication centers for a more seamless end-to-end customer experience and even faster delivery times. As of April 2021, we have authentications centers in Las Vegas, NV and New York, NY. Please ship to the authentication center shown on your order to ensure a smooth and seamless customer experience.

What if my sneakers are lost during the shipping process to the authenticator?

While it's unlikely, if your sneakers are lost or damaged while in the hands of our expert authenticators, we will cover the cost.

What if my sneakers are “lost” during the shipping process from the authenticator to the buyer?

In the unlikely event your item is lost or damaged after shipping, please notify eBay Customer Support.

Items that are listed on eBay.com from sellers located in Japan, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, South Korea and Italy for delivery to a buyer located within the US are eligible for Authenticity Guarantee.

In order to take advantage of free shipping to Canadian and Australian buyers, please ensure Canada and Australia are not excluded from your ship-to countries in your shipping preferences. Also make sure that you have selected ‘No Returns’ in your returns policies. After the sale, eBay will provide you with the address of our authentication center along with the buyer’s name and a unique ID number. From there, eBay will take care of the rest.

If your sneakers sell outside of the US, you will be bound by the buyer protection policies of the country in which the item is sold, as well as the return laws of the country where your item is being shipped. You will also be responsible for eBay’s standard international fees that apply to these sales. If you do not want your item to be sold to buyers internationally, you can exclude countries or regions you don’t want to sell to by updating your shipping settings.

Congrats on the sales! Unfortunately Authenticity Guarantee items are not eligible for combined shipping promotions since each authenticated item is split into a separate order for processing. Please ship all orders individually.

Buyers can return sneakers as long as the seller accepts them. Keep an eye out for your seller’s return policy in their listing. This is where you’ll also find the seller’s return window.

If the seller doesn't accept returns or the return is submitted outside the return window, your order will be considered final sale (pending any relevant consumer law rights in the buyer’s jurisdiction, including rights that require exceptions to any “final sale” policy). However, sneakers that don't pass the Authenticity Guarantee inspection will not fall under our final sale policy.

Want even more info on eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee? Check us out here.