eBay expands authentication to streetwear
eBay is now guaranteeing the authenticity of select new and pre-owned inventory sold on its platform.
Starting Thursday, June 1, 2023, streetwear products from the Aimé Leon Dore, Fear of God, KITH, Supreme, Off-White, Palace, and Stone Island brands sold for $200 or more on eBay are eligible for the streetwear authentication program. Streetwear is the sixth product category eBay provides authentication for, following sneakers, luxury watches, luxury handbags, luxury items directly from brands and authorized resellers, and sports memorabilia. eBay also offers a wide variety of other initiatives designed to make shoppers feel confident in their purchases.
eBay seeks to inspire trust
In addition to expanding its authenticity services, the e-commerce giant has taken a number of other steps to help assure buyers they are obtaining genuine merchandise. eBay recently launched Verified Condition, a new suite of offerings and protections for heavy equipment transactions on its marketplace
And in February 2023, the e-tailer introduced eBay Guaranteed Fit, which provides a green “Fits” compatibility checkmark on select auto parts and accessories listings to help customers determine whether the part will fit their specific vehicle.
eBay also recently purchased 3PM Shield LLC, a provider of artificial intelligence (AI)-based marketplace compliance solutions. In addition, the company has opened the eBay vault, a secured, temperature-controlled facility and digital marketplace for collectors. Once an item is in the eBay vault, ownership transfers from seller to buyer in a matter of seconds, without the need to re-authenticate or ship the item anywhere.
All eligible streetwear bought and sold in the U.S. will be vetted and verified by professionally trained authenticators, using detailed physical inspection and technical equipment in eBay's new facility in New Jersey. This process includes thorough physical inspection of the garment's structure, materials, tags, and logos. The packaging and accessories are also reviewed for authenticity.
By the end of September 2023, the service will expand to include streetwear from brands including Adidas, Nike, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, and more.
Verified streetwear will receive a unique authentication tag with a QR code. The Authenticity Guarantee tag is fastened to the garment and activated with a digital stamp of authenticity and customized with the product details. Customers scan the code to access the item's documentation.
The tag can also be used to re-list the item in the future.
Following this assessment, the item is sent via expedited shipping, at no-fee to the seller or buyer.
For sellers who choose to offer returns, eBay's handbag authentication program helps ensure the exact item initially sold is returned to the seller, via a verified returns process. Returns are shipped back directly to the authentication center, where authentication experts verify each item and its condition before returning to the seller.
"eBay has pieces from nearly every notable streetwear drop that's ever happened – whether in 1993 or 2023," said Garry Thaniel, global GM of sneakers and streetwear at eBay. "We've heard loud and clear from our enthusiast community that they want to be able to come to eBay to buy and sell apparel in the same seamless way that they can sneakers. With the launch of Authenticity Guarantee for streetwear, we're delivering on that ask."
Funded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. enabled nearly $74 billion of gross merchandise volume in 2022.