eBay is giving Australian sneakerheads access to nearly 90,000 listings of sneaker listings direct from the US by launching its Authenticity Guarantee program. 

Australians can now shop an array of US-based listings from sneaker brands that show an Authenticity Guarantee badge. eBay currently covers all authentication costs including the cost of international delivery from the authentication centre to the buyer in Australia. For most badged listings this will mean delivery is free. 

eBay has partnered with third-party authenticator, Sneaker Con, for its Authenticity Guarantee. Once sold, the sneaker is sent to a dedicated authentication centre in New York or Las Vegas for physical inspection. Genuine pairs are then shipped to the buyer with an Authenticity Guarantee tag fastened to the sneaker.

Buyers can then scan the tag with their phone, opening an encrypted digital certificate showing the product’s details, size, SKU and date of authentication. As each certificate is unique, the tags cannot be reused or replicated. 

The service will first be available for brand new sneakers sold for more than $USD150 and pre-owned sneakers sold over $USD300. Eligible brands include Jordan, Yeezy, Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Vans, Asics, Reebok, Converse and Puma. 

eBay Australia senior director, David Ramadge said there’s a growing army of sneaker fans in Australia from those who want the latest hot drops to hardcore collectors after rare finds.

“We know that fakes are a real concern for buyers and this launch is part of a broader bid to tackle misconceptions about trust on our platform. The launch of our Authenticity Guarantee means the 12-million Australians visiting eBay each month will be able to access eBay’s huge US sneaker range while feeling confident in the item’s authenticity.”

eBay plans to bring the service to local sellers by establishing a team of third-party authenticators in Australia. A pair of sneakers are sold on ebay.com.au every two minutes.