What does eBay's Authenticity Guarantee actually cover?
Short answer
On eBay.co.uk it covers handbags, watches, sneakers, fashion and jewellery above category-specific prices — £200 for handbags, sneakers and fashion, £500 for jewellery, £1,500 for watches. The item ships to an eBay authenticator first, is inspected, then goes on to you. If it fails, you are refunded and it is not forwarded. It costs the buyer nothing above the threshold.
Reviewed by the Nuvinty editorial team
Last checked · sources · Nuvinty is an independent affiliate aggregator — we don't sell, authenticate, ship or handle returns.
Why this matters more than any checklist
You can learn to read stitching, stamps and serials, and you should — it catches the poor fakes, which are most of them. What it cannot do is transfer risk. A convincing counterfeit copies the marks, so your own inspection is always a necessary condition and never a sufficient one.
Authentication programmes are different in kind: they put an organisation other than the seller on the hook for the outcome. On a four-figure purchase that is the thing worth paying attention to.
Nuvinty is not that organisation. We index listings and link you to the seller; we do not inspect anything. Where a listing carries this guarantee, the guarantee is eBay's.
What is covered, and from what price
These apply to buyers with a UK delivery address, buying on eBay.co.uk.
- Handbags
- Automatic and free at £200 and over. Below that it can be added for £20.
- Sneakers
- Free at £200 and over; optional at £20 below.
- Fashion
- Same structure — free at £200 and over, £20 optional below.
- Jewellery
- Eligible at a sold price of £500 and over, excluding postage. Free to the buyer.
- Watches
- Eligible in Wristwatches and Pocket Watches at £1,500 or more. There is an optional service for watches between £1,000 and £1,499.99 for a £99 fee.
How the process works
The seller does not post the item to you. They send it to an eBay authentication facility, where it is inspected — eBay says inspections are generally completed within two business days — and then repackaged and forwarded to you.
For handbags, the inspector verifies that the item and any brand papers are consistent with the listing title, description and images, physically inspects it, and attaches an authenticity card with a QR code. For jewellery, authenticators verify metal type, purity and gemstone quality against the listing within defined tolerances.
If you return an authenticated item, it goes back to the authenticator to be re-inspected before your refund is processed.
If it fails
The item is not sent on to you. eBay's wording: if the item's authenticity cannot be verified, or the item is not consistent with its listing, you are notified and issued a full refund.
Note the second limb — 'not consistent with its listing'. The check is not only genuine-or-fake; a genuine item described wrongly also fails.
The exclusions that catch people
- Delivery outside the UK
- The guarantee applies to UK delivery addresses on eBay.co.uk purchases. An international address takes you outside it.
- Local pickup and P.O. Boxes
- Both excluded — the item has to travel through the authenticator.
- Paying off-platform
- Excluded, as are miscategorised listings. A seller steering you off eBay is removing this.
- Some jewellery
- Items containing jade, opal, turquoise, quartz, amber or pearl are excluded; customised branded pieces are excluded; treated diamonds are not verified for colour or clarity, and clarity is only assessed on diamonds of 0.15ct and above.
- Customisation
- Hot-stamped initials on handbags are not themselves authenticated; customised or modified sneakers are excluded.
- Watch accessories
- Smart watches, watch parts and watch accessories are not eligible.
The other protection running underneath
Separately from authentication, the eBay Money Back Guarantee covers purchases that do not arrive, arrive faulty or damaged, or do not match the listing — provided you paid through eBay checkout with an eligible method. The window is 30 calendar days from the estimated or actual delivery date.
After you report, the seller has three business days to respond, and you can ask eBay to step in for up to 21 business days from the report date. It applies to private sellers as well as businesses, which often makes it a stronger practical remedy than your statutory position.
Common questions
Does the Authenticity Guarantee cost the buyer anything?
Not above the category threshold — eBay covers authentication and tracked delivery from the facility to you. Below the threshold it is an optional paid add-on: £20 for handbags, fashion and sneakers, and £99 for watches between £1,000 and £1,499.99.
Does Nuvinty authenticate anything?
No. We are an independent aggregator — we index live listings and link you to the seller. Any authentication is carried out by the marketplace or the seller, never by us.
Can I use it if I'm having the item shipped outside the UK?
No. The UK programme applies to purchases on eBay.co.uk delivered to a UK address. Local pickup and P.O. Box addresses are also excluded.
Is a piece without the guarantee more likely to be fake?
Not necessarily — most listings sit below the thresholds, and plenty of genuine items are sold by reputable sellers without it. It changes who carries the risk, not the base rate.
Where this comes from
Every figure and rule above is taken from the sources below. Rules, fees and brand practices change — check the source before you rely on it for a specific purchase.
- eBay UK — Buying with Authenticity Guarantee — 2026-09-19
- eBay UK — Authenticity Guarantee: handbags FAQs — 2026-09-19
- eBay UK — Authenticity Guarantee: jewellery FAQs — 2026-09-19
- eBay UK — Authenticity Guarantee: watches FAQs — 2026-09-19
- eBay UK — Authenticity Guarantee: sneakers FAQs — 2026-09-19
- eBay UK — Money Back Guarantee policy — 2026-09-19
Put it into practice
Buying guides and live listings for the models this applies to most: