tPF authenticator discussion

[missbanff]

I think there is a way to do this.

A simple "looks OK to me but please also wait for X to check" goes a LONG way. Also important is that members who want to help and learn actually follow the rules of thread, as they pertain to each AT thread.

None of us in any of the AT were born with the knowledge we have. I asked (privately) questions to Lee or Addy early on, or even now. They've been immensely helpful and I'm sure it was easier for them to trust me after a certain amount of time.

Frankly, I would not have a problem with someone PMing me and asking questions, provided they were not a brand spanking new member (which could be a little suspicious).

 

[whateve]

I think there is a way to do this.

A simple "looks OK to me but please also wait for X to check" goes a LONG way. Also important is that members who want to help and learn actually follow the rules of thread, as they pertain to each AT thread.

None of us in any of the AT were born with the knowledge we have. I asked (privately) questions to Lee or Addy early on, or even now. They've been immensely helpful and I'm sure it was easier for them to trust me after a certain amount of time.

Frankly, I would not have a problem with someone PMing me and asking questions, provided they were not a brand spanking new member (which could be a little suspicious).

Speaking of that, how do you handle people who PM you asking for private authentications? I don't want to be rude. I know that sometimes they'll do it because they don't want to draw attention to the listing.

 

[merrydish]

I've been a TPF member for a number of years as you can easily see. and once in a while over the years I've asked for the ladies in the Hermes authentication thread to verify if a bag is real or faux.

Yes, I've bought based on what they have told me about the bags (always accurate!) ........and having collected/bought all things Hermes over 45 years at both the boutiques in the US and abroad, I've found the Hermes bag authentication thread to be extremely well run thanks to Misticat (sp?) who totally is on top of everything and Bababei (sp?) who is an expert on all Hermes bags. Plus you can contact Bababei for her paid private authentification service which I have done. You can easily see her extensive Hermes background on her site so it's a confidence builder when purchasing/selling. She is lovely to talk to.

Thanks to Misticat (again sp?) this thread is extraordinarily well run, everything is done per the "first" post spelling out what is required for authentification, etc. I think anyone using this thread is totally confident the advice is accurate so they can make a decision .......as you can totally trust these authenticators.

So, I must say I am very concerned that the authentification LV thread may be severely compromised as nobody, from what I'm reading, is making sure authentificators are legit. Wow, knowing this I would not at this point ask for advice. While I own a number of LV bags bought from Saks 5th Avenue over the years, I would NOT under any circumstances ask for advice on their TPF threads from what I've read. Sure I could change my mind if those asking questions are assured they are getting legit advice from TPF vetted authenticators.

Perhaps the owners of the TPF website (Vlad, etcl) should review this major issue and rectify. TPF has a steller reputation thus far and I truly would hate to see people losing faith on a matter that can be easily solved by the top people.

Just my opinion but this issue is a major concern.

 

[missbanff]

Speaking of that, how do you handle people who PM you asking for private authentications? I don't want to be rude. I know that sometimes they'll do it because they don't want to draw attention to the listing.

I know, I've heard grumbling over the years about people sniping listings that people post in the AT threads. But honestly, it could be anybody, you know? Heck, I've put something on my saved list and half hour later, it's been bought.

I know it's frowned on and truthfully it doesn't happen to me that often (I guess I'm not warm and fuzzy enough). But, if it was someone I knew and trusted, I wouldn't have a problem with it.

 

[alansgail]

I've been a TPF member for a number of years as you can easily see. and once in a while over the years I've asked for the ladies in the Hermes authentication thread to verify if a bag is real or faux.

Yes, I've bought based on what they have told me about the bags (always accurate!) ........and having collected/bought all things Hermes over 45 years at both the boutiques in the US and abroad, I've found the Hermes bag authentication thread to be extremely well run thanks to Misticat (sp?) who totally is on top of everything and Bababei (sp?) who is an expert on all Hermes bags. Plus you can contact Bababei for her paid private authentification service which I have done. You can easily see her extensive Hermes background on her site so it's a confidence builder when purchasing/selling. She is lovely to talk to.

Thanks to Misticat (again sp?) this thread is extraordinarily well run, everything is done per the "first" post spelling out what is required for authentification, etc. I think anyone using this thread is totally confident the advice is accurate so they can make a decision .......as you can totally trust these authenticators.

So, I must say I am very concerned that the authentification LV thread may be severely compromised as nobody, from what I'm reading, is making sure authentificators are legit. Wow, knowing this I would not at this point ask for advice. While I own a number of LV bags bought from Saks 5th Avenue over the years, I would NOT under any circumstances ask for advice on their TPF threads from what I've read. Sure I could change my mind if those asking questions are assured they are getting legit advice from TPF vetted authenticators.

Perhaps the owners of the TPF website (Vlad, etcl) should review this major issue and rectify. TPF has a steller reputation thus far and I truly would hate to see people losing faith on a matter that can be easily solved by the top people.

Just my opinion but this issue is a major concern.

I agree with you that it's a major concern because there aren't a lot of viable alternatives out there at the moment for secure authentications. Wish I had more knowledge, I'd open up shop..
But seriously, they do need to get a handle on this as so many on the LV AT forum sound almost desperate at this point to get their bags authenticated.

 

[merrydish]

I know, I've heard grumbling over the years about people sniping listings that people post in the AT threads. But honestly, it could be anybody, you know? Heck, I've put something on my saved list and half hour later, it's been bought.

I know it's frowned on and truthfully it doesn't happen to me that often (I guess I'm not warm and fuzzy enough). But, if it was someone I knew and trusted, I wouldn't have a problem with it.

While I'm not buying LV at the moment (yes, I have a lot and may buy more both from LV and on Ebay), I sincerely hope you will reconsider going back to doing your legitimate and trusted verification of those items on that thread. Please don't be turned off by some snarky comments as there are more of us who truly value your opinion.

After reading this thread I would not entertain a TPF verification if I wanted to buy an LV outside of their boutiques. At this point I'd rather purchase from an LV boutique than than take a chance getting a counterfeit.

Really think the TPF owners should chime in at this point to rectify this matter. They are lovely people and have made the right decisions over the years.

 

[missbanff]

While I'm not buying LV at the moment (yes, I have a lot and may buy more both from LV and on Ebay), I sincerely hope you will reconsider going back to doing your legitimate and trusted verification of those items on that thread. Please don't be turned off by some snarky comments as there are more of us who truly value your opinion.

After reading this thread I would not entertain a TPF verification if I wanted to buy an LV outside of their boutiques. At this point I'd rather purchase from an LV boutique than than take a chance getting a counterfeit.

Really think the TPF owners should chime in at this point to rectify this matter. They are lovely people and have made the right decisions over the years.

Thanks, merry, you are too kind.

 

[Megs]

Hi all - sorry for the late response to this thread, Vlad and I were at SXSW (it's a big conference) and it was so much busier than anticipated!!

I read this entire thread and I have tons of thoughts, so I want to try to put them all down in this thread.

First off, I want you all to feel comfortable sharing your thoughts - both positive and negative when it comes to how the forum is run. So please continue to do so. We love praise (who doesn't!) but many times hearing what is not working for many ends up being even more helpful as we can really sit down and figure out the best way to try to rectify the problem.

There's been an ongoing problem for many of the Authenticate This threads/areas on the forums. I have seen the authenticators who are burned out and frankly turned off by how things have been run. I am really sorry this has happened, and if you are an authenticator who's given much of your time to the forum, I apologize that it has come to this.

There are so many facets to the forum and how we want to run it, want to continue helping it, and what we can and can not do. I want to share a little bit of that which will help explain some of the background of AT.

We have never deemed someone an official authenticator - there are plenty of authenticators who have been recommended and trusted by mods and members, but as owners, Vlad and I have never given a title to anyone. There are many reasons, but to simplify the answer - it's because we can not have an authenticator officially speak on behalf of the forum. These authenticators are amazing at what they do, and super savvy - their advice and opinions as they help members of the forum really have made this forum an amazing resource.

Vlad and I have really been thinking hard about how we can set up the AT better for the authenticators and members alike. The authenticators have done a great job setting up a format they would like used, and of course I wish everyone who came to the forum looking for help would follow that format. I understand how frustrating it is when members don't follow this format and I can only imagine as an authenticator it is beyond frustrating. The only thing I can say about this is from the other side, if you are a new member and found this forum as you believe it will help you with a bag, it's probably a bit overwhelming getting here and figuring out the right thread to be in and right format to follow. I like to think I'm tech savvy, but I just struggled to learn how to use snapchat!! (I feel like it's starting to show my age!) and I am guessing many newbies feel that way about this forum when they arrive.

Every authenticator is able to authenticate anything they would like at anytime. *HOWEVER* we DO NOT want to allow people to authenticate improperly - to authenticate, one should have a very very deep understanding of a brand. I don't authenticate and I don't at all feel confident to do so. If there are people coming in and giving opinions and you see it's wrong, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE report it and PM me directly - I will handle it. I always handle something like this behind the scenes versus in the thread, that is why maybe you don't see something happening, but I promise if I am told there is an issue, I am on it along with the mod team.

On that same note, one of the issues that we run into as admin/mods is seeing members (authenticators included) calling out members in threads - we don't like to allow that anywhere on the forum and never have, so we try to clean that up in the AT threads as well. I think this causes a lot of contention because it may seem like I'm siding with someone other than the authenticators, but that isn't the case. I don't want anyone to mod other than the mods/admins, and I want people to feel comfortable letting me know there's an issue and I promise I will step in to help.

I am so passionate about this community and feel so lucky to have such a great group of members, moderators, and authenticators. I appreciate the authenticators more than they probably know because they offer a service to so many who need it so much, and I know the people who have received the help are so grateful. I realize I need to show it more and figure out a good way to keep authenticators feeling heard and supported as well as members.

Ok this response is so long it feels like a mini-novel. Vlad and I have a couple of ideas, one that we are trying to research to have built out, that would allow a much easier authentication process. Any suggestions, comments, complaints, are appreciated! Please feel free to PM me as well if you'd like!

 

[merrydish]

Megs that is a most heartfelt post as you always do and I must include Vlad as you both always step up to the plate.

Yes, may I take you up on your offer to PM you privately just to give you my thoughts for whatever they are worth in the spirit keeping the TPF community a totally trustworthy, viable and flourishing community for those of us who truly love it.

 

[Megs]

Megs that is a most heartfelt post as you always do and I must include Vlad as you both always step up to the plate.

Yes, may I take you up on your offer to PM you privately just to give you my thoughts for whatever they are worth in the spirit keeping the TPF community a totally trustworthy, viable and flourishing community for those of us who truly love it.

Yes, please do PM me!

I wanted to give a look into where my head is at - I know I can never make everyone happy, but I want to do all I can to make this a great community for everyone involved!

 

[missbanff]

Megs, I understand the reasons that there really can't be "official" authenticators. Like I mentioned before - might there be a difference between "official" and "trusted" (or another word of choice)? Perhaps the connotation there is less, I don't know.....binding?

 

[Megs]

Megs, I understand the reasons that there really can't be "official" authenticators. Like I mentioned before - might there be a difference between "official" and "trusted" (or another word of choice)? Perhaps the connotation there is less, I don't know.....binding?

Yes, and Vlad and I are discussing that to see if there is some way we can notate the authenticators that have a long standing record and are trusted by so many.

It's on my list to figure out because I do think this would be helpful for so many.

 

[missbanff]

Yes, and Vlad and I are discussing that to see if there is some way we can notate the authenticators that have a long standing record and are trusted by so many.

It's on my list to figure out because I do think this would be helpful for so many.

Thank you!

 

[storeberry]

Hi all - sorry for the late response to this thread, Vlad and I were at SXSW (it's a big conference) and it was so much busier than anticipated!!



I read this entire thread and I have tons of thoughts, so I want to try to put them all down in this thread.



First off, I want you all to feel comfortable sharing your thoughts - both positive and negative when it comes to how the forum is run. So please continue to do so. We love praise (who doesn't!) but many times hearing what is not working for many ends up being even more helpful as we can really sit down and figure out the best way to try to rectify the problem.



There's been an ongoing problem for many of the Authenticate This threads/areas on the forums. I have seen the authenticators who are burned out and frankly turned off by how things have been run. I am really sorry this has happened, and if you are an authenticator who's given much of your time to the forum, I apologize that it has come to this.



There are so many facets to the forum and how we want to run it, want to continue helping it, and what we can and can not do. I want to share a little bit of that which will help explain some of the background of AT.



We have never deemed someone an official authenticator - there are plenty of authenticators who have been recommended and trusted by mods and members, but as owners, Vlad and I have never given a title to anyone. There are many reasons, but to simplify the answer - it's because we can not have an authenticator officially speak on behalf of the forum. These authenticators are amazing at what they do, and super savvy - their advice and opinions as they help members of the forum really have made this forum an amazing resource.



Vlad and I have really been thinking hard about how we can set up the AT better for the authenticators and members alike. The authenticators have done a great job setting up a format they would like used, and of course I wish everyone who came to the forum looking for help would follow that format. I understand how frustrating it is when members don't follow this format and I can only imagine as an authenticator it is beyond frustrating. The only thing I can say about this is from the other side, if you are a new member and found this forum as you believe it will help you with a bag, it's probably a bit overwhelming getting here and figuring out the right thread to be in and right format to follow. I like to think I'm tech savvy, but I just struggled to learn how to use snapchat!! (I feel like it's starting to show my age!) and I am guessing many newbies feel that way about this forum when they arrive.



Every authenticator is able to authenticate anything they would like at anytime. *HOWEVER* we DO NOT want to allow people to authenticate improperly - to authenticate, one should have a very very deep understanding of a brand. I don't authenticate and I don't at all feel confident to do so. If there are people coming in and giving opinions and you see it's wrong, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE report it and PM me directly - I will handle it. I always handle something like this behind the scenes versus in the thread, that is why maybe you don't see something happening, but I promise if I am told there is an issue, I am on it along with the mod team.



On that same note, one of the issues that we run into as admin/mods is seeing members (authenticators included) calling out members in threads - we don't like to allow that anywhere on the forum and never have, so we try to clean that up in the AT threads as well. I think this causes a lot of contention because it may seem like I'm siding with someone other than the authenticators, but that isn't the case. I don't want anyone to mod other than the mods/admins, and I want people to feel comfortable letting me know there's an issue and I promise I will step in to help.



I am so passionate about this community and feel so lucky to have such a great group of members, moderators, and authenticators. I appreciate the authenticators more than they probably know because they offer a service to so many who need it so much, and I know the people who have received the help are so grateful. I realize I need to show it more and figure out a good way to keep authenticators feeling heard and supported as well as members.



Ok this response is so long it feels like a mini-novel. Vlad and I have a couple of ideas, one that we are trying to research to have built out, that would allow a much easier authentication process. Any suggestions, comments, complaints, are appreciated! Please feel free to PM me as well if you'd like!

It is good that the owners are doing something, we just need to see it executed & hopefully the authenticators can be back! Especially colorful belle!

 

[merrydish]

It would benefit all if we give Megs and Vlad a chance to access and rectify this matter. Megs has said she is addressing the issue to let's just chill and give her that opportunity.