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eBay's Authenticity Guarantee Program That Will Shock You!
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- čas přidán 17. 01. 2023
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How many of you have used eBay to purchase something before? I am sure many of you have at least once in the past. But how many of you have started searching for watches on eBay lately? If you have, you may have seen their Authenticity Guarantee on luxury watches feature, which I believe was introduced in 2020. This program is to protect the buyer from purchasing a fake watch. As you can see, eBay is well-known in the past for offering counterfeit watches and a place for watch dealers to sell away their junk pieces. But of course, there are great eBay purchase stories as well; for instance, a watch collector purchased a $5000 watch for under $500. Since there have been rumours about this program not doing a great job, I thought I would research it myself.
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#ebay #fake #fakewatches
HI Derek - I have bought 2 high end watches from ebay under this program. All went went well.
To clarify - all the blue check marks mean on a listing is that the item will be subject to the authenticity program/checks to the appropriate degree AFTER you have bought it (and before it is delivered to you, if genuine) NOT as a guarantee that the item as listed is genuine - there is no way that ebays authenticators would know at the listing stage as they have not had hands/eyes on it yet.
Thank you so much for the clarification and your positive experiences.
I am sure this company will go through many watches; for that matter, are they still able to authenticate everything correctly, or will a shortcut be taken? My other concern is the majority whose career is as a watchmaker is not a specialist in authenticating a watch. Only a handful of watchmakers I know specialize in authenticating vintage watches.
@@TimelessHistoryChannel this program makes me nervous to. Authenticating vintage out of production watches is definitely a special skill. I would love a vintage Omega but just won't buy on eBay. Also modern fakes have gotten so good that they can fool even AD sales people. I heard that Panerai fakes are so good that some dealers won't buy a used piece unless they sold it to you.
That's true. The more problematic stuff are the ones with mix and match parts.
From what I understand, a watch authentication company requires the knowledge of many watch specialists. Spotting a fake is something many people can learn quickly, but spotting one with genuine mix and match parts is a big problem for many.
What if you buy a new watch on eBay? Are they still opening up the watch? Something makes me nervous about someone else opening my Grand Seikos.
I think your points are misleading. The watches online are the pictures the seller posted but the watch is not authenticated until it is sold, that’s when the watch goes to the authentication process. All components simply means those relevant to be evaluated. Thanks though for your thoughts.
Thank you for the comment, extra thought, and clarification. I feel that they are misleading as well by explaining that they go through the entire watch (every component). I don't think that anyone will feel comfortable having their expensive watch stripped down and examining every part.
Having that in the listing doesn't mean that it's already been authenticated, though. It means the seller is paying, I believe, $180 to send the watch first to the Authenticator, who will then send it to the buyer with a report. If it matches what is described in the listing, it passes.
You are right, the seller pays when that symbol is on the listing. I have bought multiple watches on E Bay (many pretty expensive) which have been authenticated. Afterwards, I have had my watchmaker verify authenticity as well. He is an expert at the highest level and routinely services super luxury watches for many of the best dealers on 47th Street in Manhattan and for high end collectors who do not want to get watches serviced by manufacturers like Rolex who will swap out modern era parts when servicing a collectors older watch. I know Rolex offers authentication for their watches at some fee of around $300.
I don't think you understand the program. They don't authenticate BEFORE you buy the item. You can pay for the authentication AFTER you win an auction. I think the checkmark means the watch is eligible for authentication.
Thank you for the explanation. But the thing is many watch guys still end up receiving a "Frankenstein" watch after going through the program. They probably have the knowledge to examine whether the parts are original, but no knowledge about whether the parts are correct to the model. Some of their watches even had parts missing.
You pay for the watch, money gets held until authenticated. Seller ships the watch to the authenticator and if it's authentic then authenticator ships to buyer and money is released to the seller. The blue check means that when purchased the item goes to an authenticator.
The service is legit. The authenticators managed to find using blue light or something that a seller had tried to scrub oil stains off a bag I bought. So they gave me the option to call of the deal or continue with the deal.
I have bought a Tudor and an Omega with eBay authentication. Then once I had them delivered I went straight to my local trusted service guy and he opens them up and verified as well.
It's always good to double check especially when the source you're buying from go through so many kind of watches (including so many different brand names).
Sao, Thanks again for helping ppl make better decisions by giving them knowledge they need.... You are my trusted seller. Thats the blue check mark!!!
Thank you! If anyone can spot a fake or redial on my site, show me the proof, and that watch is yours to keep free of charge! :-D
@@TimelessHistoryChannel Love the guarantee, but will never be needed... When you sell top quality, ppl are always going question what you have.
Thank you!
He doesn’t understand the eBay authentication or he published this misinformation exactly for that reason, so you will keep throwing your cash at him. Hahahaha the check means that the seller has paid to authenticate, and the watch will be shipped to an authentication expert before shipping to the buyer. Just because a check is on a listing implies nothing about the authenticity of the listing.
Again very interesting topic and very helpful info ( also from some of the comments ). Thanks Sao. 👍
Anytime! Glad to hear.
I’ve heard good stories about this program. I’m sure they don’t catch everything. But the idea of the blue check mark and the auth guarantee is something the seller can offer and just means the watch will go for auth after sold. It doesn’t mean it was already authenticated. At least that is my understanding.
Thanks for your videos!!!
Many thanks for your input. From what I understand, a watch authentication company requires the knowledge of many watch specialists.
Agreed
You made a whole video before even understanding the program … wow you’re a genius
Many watch collectors that I know had to return their purchases after going through this program because parts got missing or damaged. I assume that is a genius to you?
My guess the problem lays in the ambiguity of the term stripping down the watch. I think it is reasonable to expect that they are not disassembling the movement. Stripping down the watch probably ends with removing the case back. They probably verify the movement is correct for the case and make sure the movement type agrees with any markings on the dial. They look at the markings on the caseback to make sure all is in order. Cleary they skipped that step on this one.They look at the dial, the crown, and the hands. I suspect the inspection goes no further then that.
And with counterfeit technology getting as sophisticated as it is, even the movement, although having the "correct" specs, might not be authentic.
From what I understand, a watch authentication company requires the knowledge of many watch specialists.
Hi Derek, I absolutely agree with you comments about it being really scary to think of someone disassembling a mint original vintage watch or even a new watch that has not been opened before. A true expert can identify a problem watch with one glance but as you said, it is impossible to be an expert on all types and models of watches and at the volume they are attempting to handle they would need a massive staff of experts. That is something I seriously doubt they have. While they might be able to spot some basic fake Rolexes and such, they surely can’t identify some of the more advanced fakes like the ones that slip through the big auction houses like Sotheby’s and the such. One thing that I believe your video got wrong is regarding the obvious fake 18k Omega Seamaster. While the listing does display the Authenticity Guarantee logo, eBay doesn’t actually inspect the watches at all until they are sold and paid for. Only then does the seller ship the watch to ebay for evaluation. Watches are not reviewed at all before that point and anyone can list a fake watch for sale. I would fully expect ebay to be able to pick out that Seamaster as a bad fake and stop the buyer from getting burned for their $4000 if it were to be sent to them after a sale. Other than that I believe your video is spot on and insightful and I am now a subscriber to your channel. Glad I discovered your videos!
Any watch listed on eBay for $2000 and above automatically goes for authentication. The blue tick means that the watch will be examined by eBay's partner, at no cost to the buyer. I bought a Planet Ocean that went through authentication check only to be returned to the seller because it was found to be a fake.
Maybe the seller need to apply for the program first? Because I only see this program available for some watches over $2000.
@@TimelessHistoryChannelCheck the other sellers locations, if they are outside of America, then they don't get authenticated.
What if the watch is new? Do they still have to open up the watch to authenticate it? I feel nervous about someone scratching up my new watch.
It does not automatically go for authentication. It’s an option for the seller to conduct to increase sells, because it provides peace of mind to buyers.
I agree , this channel is very useful to identify Frankenwatches. Many thanks !
Glad you think so! :-)
Any watch that has 50 years or more of existence, may have a part that comes from another watch. Nothing wrong about that. Asking for purity is really non realistic. Watches work really hard for years, as humans they need surgeries and even replacement parts.
@@daintiestquarters3411 Well, this is why original watches are so collectible !!! NOS Omega is a real grail.
Wow! I’ve been tempted a few times to purchase a couple of times but was never 100% confident of a genuine watch. Thank you & I’ll just use eBay as a valuation estimate. Would the same apply for auction houses?
That will depend on which auction houses. But even the best one have been called out before; it wasn't for fake related, but for a chronograph Heuer redial that was listed as factory original finish.
From my experience the blue check mark isn't to say the watch has already been verified as genuine but rather that it will be sent through the authentication process. During the process is when they will check it if real or not. I've had a two watches get flaged as "fakes" by Ebay. One for have a fake Rolex buckle on the strap and another, a Speedsonic, for not running properly as described in the listing.
As for them taking a watch part im not sure how far they go. I imagine they only open the case back to look that the movement. My issue with that is whether or not they are then reseting the water resistants after they have opened it up. What you buy a diver and they open it, compromising the deep rating. Id love to know if they pressure test these watches.
I love your work by the way.
Thank you for sharing this information and your experience. You're right regarding pressure testing a watch that they have opened.
I do hope though that when they authenticate a watch to go as far as open up the case back, because according to my understanding to go through every component, that will include stripping down the entire watch and removing the dial and hands. I don't think any watch collector will feel comfortable with that.
@@TimelessHistoryChannel I agree I wouldnt want them taking it completely part. I think they just do a quick peek in side. It normally takes like 48, in my personal experience, so their is no way they could process as many watches as they do if they were taking them a part.
As something of note. Any time there have found something suspicious with a watch over order they have called me and I was able to speak with a representative about what exactly they believe the issue with the watch to be.
Yes, eBay definitely doesn’t inspect watches that are listed. They only inspect watches that are sold. Once the buy order goes through, the seller sends the watch to the authenticator, who then sends it along to the buyer (if it’s legit). This doesn’t prevent sellers from listing fakes, although I bet it does act as a deterrent.
Great to know. A collector friend's recent purchase that went through this program, his moonphase triple calendar, arrived with the stem and crown missing. So does that indicate that they check every component, or why would they need to remove the stem from the watch?
Thank you for the feedback. As I just mentioned to Type B Flieger's comment, a collector friend's recent purchase that went through this program, his moonphase triple calendar, arrived with the stem and crown missing. So does that indicate that they check every component, or why would they need to remove the stem from the watch?
Just purchased an omega seamaster 300. After purchase its sent to a facility to be inspected for authenticity
make sure you do some research yourself to ensure the movement is all correct. Authenticators are not watch specialists.
My bank card will not work trying to buy a 8 grand Rolex submariner, I ve tried to talk to them but they put me through to the Fraud Squad and they say E bay is such a high risk that my card will never work !
the seller sends watch to authentication. before it goes to buyers .. not before so the watch will be rejected one the service person looks at it
Problem is, the service person can’t tell and let it pass to the shipping department. Client receives a married piece or in some cases a watch with missing or broken parts.
what would happened to my $80.00 is the item i purchased is fake,... is the $80.00 authentication guarranty payment non-refundable? thanks
I bought a vintage Vacheron Constantin from EBay with Authenticity guaranteed. I haven’t received the watch yet, but I saw through tracking that it had been shipped across the country to be verified. I hope a professional actually examined it.
I had jewelry sent to one of their authenticator, which was actually a GIA grader. I don't think they inspected it because there were two links fused.
You obviously don’t understand the program or how it works. Other comments explain the details. I do know Stoll is a well known repair facility and I use to live in their area. I have personally taken in watches for service. Their facility is very secure and they know what they’re doing.
Maybe you had some good personal experience with them. But I hear a lot of bad experiences from the watch community and have experienced them myself as well. That is why this video was created. Ebay sends out countless amount of over $2000 watches each week. A watchmaker can only handle so many pieces per week.
looking at the faq's you can list anything you want within the t&c's where the authenticators come in is in the middle of the shipping from the seller to the buyer not before the item is listed
Then why so many people still ended up buying a Frankenstein piece? These guys may be able to tell whether the watches uses original parts, but they cannot tell if something has been altered. For examples, they will pass a Constellation powered by a caliber 565 movement. Yes, a caliber 565 is a genuine Omega movement, but it was never made for a Constellation watch.
thanks it makes sense what you say, too good to be true
I love your channel and is a subscriber. I am also not in anyway associated with eBay. My comment is simply to point out your error in describing the service. The service only authenticates a purchased watch. Not an advertised watch. Anyone who buys a watch and utilizes the service should understand the service does not grade the condition of the purchase, just that the watch is not an outright fake - like a Rolex with a Chinese movement. I am sure a watch with a worn out authentic movement with rust would pass. Buyers need to look at the images and seller’s history to gauge the quality. Buying from eBay is an art you learn from making mistakes and the authenticating service merely helps to cut down on the frequency of mistakes. I have purchased numerous watches on eBay that are outright fantastic buys as most sellers are honest but I had my share of disappointments. The much lower price is the reward as not everyone can afford the thousands some companies charge for a authentic, original watch that has been serviced. Such a watch can be had for a fraction on eBay even with a subsequent professional service. It’s a risk-reward thing that a buyer needs to decide. And for taking a watch apart, I have never had any watch I bought or sold on eBay taken apart for authentication. Remember EBay only authenticate high price purchases and not just any watch bought or sold.
Thank you for sharing. I am sure many people have had great experiences buying on eBay, but it is usually someone who is novice to the hobby. That's why I stress a lot in many of my videos that self-knowledge is vital. And most importantly NEVER RUSH! Know exactly what you're looking for first before going out looking for it. There are too many watch dealers nowadays and I would say 80% are really just there for the money. So it doesn't mean if you spend more buying from a dealer that you are guarantee an authentic item either. Lastly, when a collector friend received his watch through this authentication program, it came with the stem and crown missing.
Hey, judging from my past experiences with fake vintage Omegas, that is most likely a Gruen movement with fake everything else.
Thank you for sharing. Good to know!
Does the Authentication center open the caseback? Seems like this can be problematic
They do. That’s how parts go missing sometimes.
@@TimelessHistoryChannel I just bought a IWC Pilot off eBay. It’s on its way to authentication center as we speak. Do I have anything to worry about? I’m paranoid about them opening the watch and the seals not being set properly etc
Tell me you don’t understand the program without telling me you don’t understand the program.
I don’t think you’ve used this program before. The amount of feedback I’ve received from many people who have had their watches sent through this program is a disaster. They have passed on fake watches that they can’t tell, they have passed on Frankenstein watches, and they have even sent off a watch with missing parts (when the part is originally there in the ebay listing) after their so-called inspection. Without these issues, I would not waste my time creating this video.
Thanks, I like your Harlequins and Neon Tetras, great tank
Glad you like them! Guess you are a fish person as well. :-D
They send it to get authenticated first before they ship it to you. If it’s authentic then they send the watch to you. If it’s a fake they send it back to the seller.
The amount of feedback I’ve received from many people who have had their watches sent through this program is a disaster. They have passed on fake watches that they can’t tell, they have passed on Frankenstein watches, and they have even sent off a watch with missing parts after their so-called inspection. Without these issues, I would not waste my time creating this video.
So I can't understand. Did you receive a fake watch even though it went through the authentication process or not? The Omega fake watch listing you saw wont be ebay authenticated until its sold. so sellers can still put up fake watches for sale, and won't be caught until its sold and send to the ebay authenticators. Is that your problem though you think ebay should authenticate each watch that is put up for sale first and hold it in escrow until the day its sold?
I did not buy it. I’ve had people message me via email showing their new ebay purchases. Only to find out that it is a Frankenstein piece when I examined the watch. However it passed the ebay authentication process. So that tells me these guys don’t really know their vintage watches very well.
@@TimelessHistoryChannel I know it sounds scary and disappointing at the same time, but the Ebay Authenticity Program does not guarantee the authenticity of the watch, but rather that the watch matches the seller description.
The blue check mark does not mean that it's authentic what that means is that when you purchase the item the seller must send it to eBay authenticators and they will either decide whether it's authentic or not that's all that authenticity guarantee is
If you spot a fake watch people, report it. We need to stop this on ebay. I have done it many times and ebay removes the listing before anyone buys it.
Thank you for pointing that out. I message the seller and they seem not to care. Will report to eBay next time.
@@TimelessHistoryChannel just look for report item at bottom of page of the actual listing. We need to stop this.
Thank you for the extra detail.
@@TimelessHistoryChannel just hope others here read it. I think needs highlighting if honest. Cheers
I know this is very serious but I couldn’t help laughing at the omega stamp on this watch between the two plate jewels and at an angle.
I’ve never seen an omega stamped in such a crude way. Ebay is a second hand car boot sale on line. Nothing you see, told, or assured of
on eBay is true. Every time you press buy, you take a chance and no assurances from eBay should be taken as a guarantee of the items
authenticity. It’s the way it is. The Chinese flood eBay with fake goods, knock offs , and copies. Some of which are very good quality but
even they pretend to be the origins, they are illegal and counterfeit items. EBay acts as a fence to distribute and sell these goods.
Most Chinese fakes are still quite simple to spot. But these European vintage fakes are the ones that trick a lot of novice collectors. At the end of the day, many people get tricked because of greed. Self-knowledge is vital. Know everything first before going out hunting.
I bought a "new" gold necklace on ebay with the guarantee. It went to a GIA certified location. Went i got it it had fused links which is unacceptable. I just thought "wtf were these guys inspecting?"
Sorry to hear. They were probably inspecting to make sure the bracelet was indeed actual gold. Just like when they inspect a watch. They just try to make sure it’s original, but whether it is a correct watch or not (meaning movement and parts correctly belong to the watch), they would not know.
No I am NOT confident in buying anything from eBay, and I would NOT be confident in sending my watch to eBay for it being stripped down.
Maybe they should use a better explanation than "all the component." It sounds really scary.
I recently took my omega constellation. I bought on Chrono24 to watch Steeler and I’m furious., I can send you the story if you would like via CZcams or Instagram messages. Needless to say it was a very expensive mistake and the seller was a liar. my watch was essentially from a chop shop.
I am sorry to hear that.
Honestly, I am not here to create hate video on any of these platforms, but when this man says that he "literally check every component," that is some severe wording.
Anyhow, I hope you will not have to experience that again, and thank you for sharing.
@@TimelessHistoryChannel I have a follow up an unrelated question. I know you’re not gonna recommend it, but this is just for personal use. I was curious if modern ETA movements could fit into a vintage DJ case? Every now and then I may want to stumble across some parts and see if I can build something for personal use as opposed to having them be out there floating around. I know it technically may be less orthodox but I want a vintage date just that I can “rebuild” using both vintage and modern parts. (Rolex repair does the same😗)
I do not rebuild watches, so I would not know. You'll need to find out the dial feet' position and the dimension of both movements. But I do not recommend that you proceed with this route; whether you are doing it for yourself or not, it can turn into a bad habit and take away your appreciation of authentic watches.
if you know you are wrong about how the program works by now, you should take this down.
I would immediately take it down if they do a better job. Unfortunately, many of my watch buddies are still receiving their watches (after going through this program) with missing parts inside their watches.
thnx so much for this video. You really make me suspicious again as we should be.
You're welcome
Exactly, that's the point. When pure speculation replaces serious research, suspicion is the outcome. You are not completely convinced, but you also lost your confidence. Bad channel.
@@daintiestquarters3411 You just do your research before you buy and if you are not completely convinced, you do not buy. That is the reason of your research and then you wont loose your confidence.
So this watch never went to eBay to authenticated to check if they caught it? So it’s a nonsense video, because they don’t check the watch listing before purchase.
Let’s stop creating crap content for the sake of it.
It makes you not want to buy a watch from them and let who knows tinker with it for a while
Better to buy from someone without the blue check mark. Like I always say, self-knowledge is vital. You are to know it or avoid it.
Especially a new, high end watch. I would be afraid of someone scratching the case.
I KNEW EBAY WAS A FRAUD WENT ONE OF THE EX-EMP TOLD ME ABOUT WHERE YOUR TX END UP !😊
I wouldn't say eBay is a fraud, but they just need more eyes to spot and remove fakes. Especially, when someone makes a report about a fake on their site, they should immediately remove it.