Authenticate4U.com experiences?

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#1,216
jmc3007 said:
I would interpret that something is amiss and hence led one expert not to put her affirmation behind the opinion. You paid for an authentication and inconclusiveness is one of the 3 possible outcomes not just 2 like guilty, not guilty or can’t agree in the case of mistrial. I would have gone back to inquire further why their expert wasn’t confident and what more would they want to see in photos. From my experience, A4U have always shared details about what made them paused, it’s more illuminating than just accepting a yes answer. And you should ask what zebra check means when someone uses a term you’re not familiar with, it’s all part of the learning curve so to speak.
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Thank you for your insight. Likewise, would you be able to provide more information where you got the "3 possible outcomes from"? According to the Authenticate4U 'About Us' page this was written:
"Auction listings for Designer items are littered with fakes, and its our hope that we can help you before you buy. We can, without doubt, provide you with a concise Authentication Service, which will enable you to know whether or not that Chloe Paddington, Chanel Jumbo Classic, Hermes Birkin, Mulberry Alexa - the list is endless - is AUTHENTIC or FAKE."

http://www.authenticate4u.com/About-Us.html

This was taken from their page and I didn't find "inconclusive" as an option.
 
#1,217
slxli said:
Update: I have a received a response from Bababebi. I am aware of the different time zones so I very much appreciate her quick reply. Bababebi has clarified everything for me and I am extremely satisfied by her prompt response and professionalism.
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I was in the same exact situation a few years ago. A4U said my vintage Kelly was fake, Bababebi had no doubt it was authentic and I ended up sending it for spa (slow way to get a conclusive answer) and it came back with no issues whatsoever.
 
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#1,218
I will never EVER use A4U. I sent in pics of an LV clutch. Over 3 weeks they asked for more and more pics (leaving me 5-7 days between responses). I sent every picture they asked for and after 3 weeks and 3 “rounds” of pictures, they stopped responding to me. I never got an answer on my LV clutch and they kept my money.

I was so fed up, I just walked away. This was in May 2017 and I haven’t heard from them since. Never again
 
#1,219
fashion16 said:
I will never EVER use A4U. I sent in pics of an LV clutch. Over 3 weeks they asked for more and more pics (leaving me 5-7 days between responses). I sent every picture they asked for and after 3 weeks and 3 “rounds” of pictures, they stopped responding to me. I never got an answer on my LV clutch and they kept my money.

I was so fed up, I just walked away. This was in May 2017 and I haven’t heard from them since. Never again
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They can be a bit slow sometimes but have you tried messaging them on FB chat? I think they're pretty responsive there
 
#1,221
jmc3007 said:
I would interpret that something is amiss and hence led one expert not to put her affirmation behind the opinion. You paid for an authentication and inconclusiveness is one of the 3 possible outcomes not just 2 like guilty, not guilty or can’t agree in the case of mistrial.
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slxli said:
Thank you for your insight. Likewise, would you be able to provide more information where you got the "3 possible outcomes from"? According to the Authenticate4U 'About Us' page this was written:
"Auction listings for Designer items are littered with fakes, and its our hope that we can help you before you buy. We can, without doubt, provide you with a concise Authentication Service, which will enable you to know whether or not that Chloe Paddington, Chanel Jumbo Classic, Hermes Birkin, Mulberry Alexa - the list is endless - is AUTHENTIC or FAKE."

http://www.authenticate4u.com/About-Us.html

This was taken from their page and I didn't find "inconclusive" as an option.
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In the brands I authenticate, there ARE cases where it's not possible with 100% certainty to confirm or deny authenticity. It's not always black or white; there can be gray areas where the factory making the item made a mistake (i.e., stamping error for a serial number, incorrect factory code, etc.) and other cases where repairs may have been made and because of the age/condition of the item and the difficulty in confirming whether the item was actually made that way or if there was an alteration, sometimes an authentication will be expressed as one of the following:
  • "probably authentic but can't be confirmed so it's not advised to try to sell it"
  • "probably fake but not provable as such so it shouldn't be reported" (because it's not 100% certain)
  • "authentic but unless you plan to keep for your own use, it's not recommended to be resold" (because of legitimate errors/irregularities)
In other words, it's not always possible to 100% confirm or deny authenticity. (A search of the Coach authentication subforum will find such comments.)
 
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#1,222
slxli said:
Thank you for your insight. Likewise, would you be able to provide more information where you got the "3 possible outcomes from"? According to the Authenticate4U 'About Us' page this was written:
"Auction listings for Designer items are littered with fakes, and its our hope that we can help you before you buy. We can, without doubt, provide you with a concise Authentication Service, which will enable you to know whether or not that Chloe Paddington, Chanel Jumbo Classic, Hermes Birkin, Mulberry Alexa - the list is endless - is AUTHENTIC or FAKE."

http://www.authenticate4u.com/About-Us.html

This was taken from their page and I didn't find "inconclusive" as an option.
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On paper yes, a designer brand item is authentic or fake but in reality and in my personal experience, not necessarily so. Once I got a Chloe where the serial tag was present but no serial stamp code, instead it was blank. There were lots of back and forth such as the where/how/why and eventually (2-3 weeks) their expert said it was genuine. it turned out to be a designer sample that never went into production. Same thing happened to a Valentino crocodile bag where the missing date code tag took them forever to ascertain. I already had one authenticator said it was fake due to missing tag and wouldn't entertain any other possibility. Well duh, if the tag was there even my dog could authenticate it! But to their credit, they kept at it, we discussed why someone would go through the expense of faking a genuine croc bag, and also it't not easy at all to export exotic skin without an international license etc. They finally returned with a positive affirmation and I sent it to Valentino for service and everything was smooth sailing.

Bags are made by hand on the most part, in such a manual process, many parts and components can and do go off piste as they say. With Hermes their leather bags are entirely handmade and the process has changed over time. it's never been made clear from your posts what/why a particular detail about this bag set off doubts. Or it could be as simply as A4U wasn't as experienced with this Hermes model/series because they had never authenticate it before. The only way to guarantee authenticity is to purchase it first hand from the brand itself, in the secondary grey market it's all about guesswork.
 
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#1,223
There is no such thing as third, fourth or fifth possible result when the service is paid not voluntary. If for some reason clear result fake or authentic is not given client should get refund. It is my personal opinion. All other is the door in the field.
In that particular case the other authenticator clearly said it is an authentic Hermes bag.
 
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#1,227
ironic568 said:
Anyone knows if A4U authenticates Chopard (watches)?
If not, any recommendations for a reputable authenticator? Thanks!
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It's not one of the brands listed on their site but they have a jewelry expert who does some other brands not listed so you might try contacting.
http://www.authenticate4u.com/default.html

From the site:
JEWELLERY and WATCHES
Links of London
Louis Vuitton Jewellery and Watches
Pandora
Prada Jewellery
Tiffany Jewellery and Watches
Trollbead
Specialist Watch Associate who can assist with Rolex, TagHeuer, Cartier etc. Please contact us for details. (Normal Fees apply)
 
#1,228
BeenBurned said:
It's not one of the brands listed on their site but they have a jewelry expert who does some other brands not listed so you might try contacting.
http://www.authenticate4u.com/default.html

From the site:
JEWELLERY and WATCHES
Links of London
Louis Vuitton Jewellery and Watches
Pandora
Prada Jewellery
Tiffany Jewellery and Watches
Trollbead
Specialist Watch Associate who can assist with Rolex, TagHeuer, Cartier etc. Please contact us for details. (Normal Fees apply)
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I'll contact them. Thanks BB, appreciate the info!
 
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#1,229
Looks like they're still providing poor service/scamming. I wish I would have seen this thread sooner.
I paid them via Paypal and sent them photos of a bag to authenticate. I never got a confirmation email from them confirming receipt of my payment or receipt of my request. After a few days passed, I called them internationally using a calling card and was sent to voicemail on each attempt to call their "office" ( I tried on two separate days, which was 1am PST). They finally responded to me via email and said my request went to their spam folder and that they couldn't see my pictures (even though I uploaded them successfully on Photobucket ). After giving them explicit instructions on how to view the pictures (I made the album "public" so they could just easily view them), I still haven't heard back from them. I called them again, still no answer. I'll be requesting a PP refund.
 
#1,230
Angel1219 said:
Looks like they're still providing poor service/scamming. I wish I would have seen this thread sooner.
I paid them via Paypal and sent them photos of a bag to authenticate. I never got a confirmation email from them confirming receipt of my payment or receipt of my request. After a few days passed, I called them internationally using a calling card and was sent to voicemail on each attempt to call their "office" ( I tried on two separate days, which was 1am PST). They finally responded to me via email and said my request went to their spam folder and that they couldn't see my pictures (even though I uploaded them successfully on Photobucket ). After giving them explicit instructions on how to view the pictures (I made the album "public" so they could just easily view them), I still haven't heard back from them. I called them again, still no answer. I'll be requesting a PP refund.
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How long ago did you originally send in the request?
 
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