eBay Now Offers Sneaker Authentication With Transactions Above $100 USD

Last year, American e-commerce platform eBay began its venture into the sneaker industry by eliminating sneaker seller fees and partnering up with Stadium Goods for series of highly-coveted drops, and now it has made its latest move against the likes of StockX and GOAT by offering sneaker authentication for any purchase above $100 USD.

The authentication will be run by Sneaker Con Digital, a company founded by entrepreneurial brothers Alan and Barris Vinogradov. The process itself will involve three different parts. The first part sees an independent authenticator confirming that the sneaker is in line with the title, description, and images from the listing, followed by a multi-point physical inspection. A second part involves third-party authentication by Sneaker Con at a newly-built facility, covering inspections from the box to the shoe itself to accompanying accessories. Finally, for sellers that may choose to offer their buyers the option of a return, eBay will be ensuring that the returned sneakers are the exact pair initially purchased by shipping those returning packages directly back to its authentication center.

For now, it seems the authentication feature will only be available for trades within the U.S., with no information on whether it’ll be offered globally at a later time.

Elsewhere in business-related news, Yelp has launched a new consumer alert for businesses accused of racist behavior.