Auction site eBay has added NFC tags that enable buyers to authenticate their purchases with a tap of their smartphone to 1.5m pairs of sneakers worldwide since adding sneakers to the products eligible for its Authenticity Guarantee service in 2021.

The NFC tags attached to eligible products allow purchasers of new and pre-owned sneakers from leading brands such as Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Puma and Converse to link to a guarantee of authenticity provided by a qualified authenticator.

The Authenticity Guarantee service for sneakers is currently available to eBay customers in Australia, Canada and the US for purchases of more than US$100 for new sneakers and over US$150 for pre-owned pairs.

eBay has also now expanded the service to include sneakers in both youth and grade school sizes, Ragtrader reports.

“eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee is a service designed to protect sellers and allow buyers to shop with confidence,” eBay says.

“Our expert authenticators physically inspect all eligible items before they are shipped to buyers and inspect all returns prior to sending them back to sellers.

“When an eligible item is purchased, it automatically ships to our team of qualified, professional authenticators.

“After eBay’s expert authenticators receive the package, they will confirm the item and accessories are consistent with the listing title, description and images. They will then perform a multi-point physical authentication inspection.

“Finally, an eBay Authenticity Guarantee tag will be attached and programmed with the unique details of the shoes.”

eBay UK added NFC-enabled authenticity guarantees for pre-owned luxury watches in November 2021.

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