eBay to check luxury handbag authenticity for sellers

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Many of us will have experienced the disappointment of costly online purchases arriving and turning out to be counterfeits. To combat this problem, eBay, one of the biggest e-commerce platforms in the world, is now verifying luxury handbags sold on the site.

The San Jose-based company on Monday announced a program named eBay Authenticate, which verifies luxury handbags and wallets valued more than 500 US dollars from 12 brands, including Balenciaga, Burberry, Céline, Chanel, Christian Dior, Fendi, Goyard, Gucci, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Valentino.

Photo via eBay

Sellers who want their products to be checked can send them to eBay via FedEx. Industry experts will then authenticate, photograph, list, sell and ship the handbags to buyers.

While the FedEx service is free, eBay will charge 20 percent of the final price for the authentication service. For those who send in an eligible luxury handbag by January 31, 2018, eBay will take 10 percent of the selling price, said the company in the Monday press release.

This program is intended to boost users’ confidence in selling and shopping for luxury goods, said Laura Chambers, vice president of consumer selling at eBay.

Chinese e-commerce war on counterfeits

As the dominant e-commerce company in China, Alibaba has also been taking actions to limit the number of knockoffs on its platform – Taobao.

AFP Photo

Since May 20, 2016, sellers on Taobao have had to provide verification documents like invoices or receipts or letters of authorization from luxury brands to prove their products’ authenticity, according to China Daily.

Kering, owner of luxury brands Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, also reached an agreement with the Chinese tech giant in August to fight fake goods.

Jack Ma, founder and chairman of Alibaba, this year called on Chinese regulators to set tougher prison sentences and other penalties for sellers of fake goods.