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    • Mercari Authenticate Terms and Conditions

    1. LIABILITY, SCOPE AND APPLICATION OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS

      These Terms and Conditions (hereinafter “Terms”) apply to the process of third-party authentication of the goods you, as a Mercari Seller, intend to list for sale through Mercari. As part of our Mercari program we offer Mercari Authenticate (“Authenticate”) which provides a means to authenticate certain items through a third-party service provider; Real Authentication (“RA”). RA is a team of independent, third-party authenticators. RA is not related to nor are they agents of Mercari. Their Terms and Conditions are available here: https://www.realauthentication.com/terms-and-conditions.
      • Upon authentication by RA, Mercari does not represent, warranty or guarantee the item to be authentic. The purpose of authentication is to ensure that standards of conformity for the product are met. Further, Mercari does not offer a money back guarantee, regardless of RA’s determination of authenticity. Mercari does not indemnify the seller, buyer, or any other consumer or customer from subsequent claims. Some items are eligible for a Certificate of Authenticity (certificate) from RA which may be purchased for an additional fee.
      • Some of the categories of items that complete the Authentication process by RA are not eligible for a certificate. While meeting the standards of authenticity through the authentication process, these items would be required to be inspected in person to qualify for a certificate and that is not yet available as a service through RA. The level of service is determined by RA and dependent on the category of the item being reviewed. Please check the landing page for categories and brands.
      • RA’s services are limited to providing an independent opinion pertaining only to the authenticity of the item submitted by the seller (e.g., whether or not the item is counterfeit, a replica, copy, homemade, or otherwise produced by any entity other than the brand it purports to be) and providing a certificate upon request and/or purchase for eligible items Neither RA nor Mercari take possession of the item(s) as part of the authentication process.
      • Mercari has no input, standing or liability with regard to the determination of authenticity made by RA. RA is not an agent of Mercari. Mercari does not take possession at any time of the item being authenticated and/or sold. The only information Mercari passes to RA are the photographs and the seller ID (a unique number used to identify the seller, which has no meaning outside of this process).
      • Neither Mercari nor RA are affiliated with, or endorsed by, any of the brands being authenticated, sold, or otherwise processed through Mercari Authenticate.
      • Mercari’s Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and other Agreements continue to apply, in addition to these Mercari Authenticate Terms and Conditions, which specifically apply to the authentication process conducted by RA. If not otherwise addressed herein, the terms, as laid out in Mercari’s Terms of Service or the relevant agreement, apply. Terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning as set forth in Mercari’s Terms of Service.

    2. THE AUTHENTICATION PROCESS
      • Real Authentication (“RA”) is the third party responsible for authenticating your item(s). Mercari does not provide any opinion, undertake any role, or assume any liability for RA’s authentication of any item(s) or related outcomes.
        • RA is an independent third-party that provides authentication services. They are not associated or a partner with any of the brands for which they provide these services.
      • For most sellers, listing your item using the Authenticate service on Mercari is optional.
      • However, in some cases, your item MUST use the Authenticate service.
        For example, if the listing price is above a certain dollar threshold or for certain brands.
      • If a seller opts-in to Authenticate or the item MUST use the Authenticate service to be listed on the Mercari platform, the seller will follow the same process, described in the next section.
      • If based on the price point, category or other factors, completing the Authenticate service is required to list the item and a user purposely avoids the process through any means, their account may be suspended or closed.

    3. PROCESS OF AUTHENTICATION
      • Whether your item must use the Authenticate service to be listed on Mercari or you opt-in to do so, the experience is the same.
        • When you are finished creating your listing, after tapping “List,” a series of Authenticate instructional pages will appear, guiding you through the process.
        • These pages will provide you additional information about what you will need to do and what you can expect from getting your item authenticated, like categories, pricing, and time to provide a decision.
        • Take photographs of your item that adhere to the guidelines below. Doing so helps expedite the evaluation process.
          • Copyright/Legitimacy. When submitting photos for authentication (or for your listing):
            • They must be photos YOU take.
            • Do NOT use publicly-available photos or those from the Brand’s website or advertisements.
            • You must take pictures of the actual item you list.
          • Image Quality:
            • Must be clear and close up.
            • Use natural light to reduce blurriness and capture detail.
            • Providing high resolution images will help speed up RA’s authentication process.
          • Image Content.
            For all categories of items, you must submit all photographs required by Mercari in the listing flow. This may include photos such as:
            • Front
            • Back
            • Logos
            • Serial Number or Codes
            • Hardware Engraving
            • “Made in” Tags
      • During the authentication process, the potential statuses are:
        • Pending Review - RA is still reviewing
        • More info needed - User needs to provide additional information

    4. CATEGORIES AND BRANDS
      • The Authenticate services are limited to certain categories, which will be updated from time to time. Brands available through the Authenticate service will vary depending on the category of product. For a current list of categories and brands refer to the Mercari Authenticate page. MERCARI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REVISE THIS LIST AT ANY TIME.

    5. TIMING
      • In most cases, RA will provide you with a decision regarding the authenticity of your item within 24 hours. RA may require additional photos to make a final decision. Time does not begin to accrue until RA has received all required images and the images are of sufficient clarity.

    6. FEES
      • Fees will be communicated at the time of checkout. Separate fees will be charged for the Authenticate service and associated certificates, if available, on a per item basis.
        • Fees are charged at the time of RA’s authentication decision.
        • Fees apply both to approved and rejected authentication. If the results of RA’s analysis result in an “Inconclusive” decision, you will not be charged.
        • Items may not be bundled for purposes of authentication. Each item must be submitted as a separate request to RA.

    7. RESULTS FROM AUTHENTICATION PROCESS
      • The potential outcomes after third-party authentication are:
        • If RA determines your item is authentic, you will be provided a virtual “authentication badge” that can be displayed on your item’s listing. The Badge may only be used for that item which has been verified by RA and is only available on Mercari.
        • The authentication badge does not indicate that the Seller is verified; it is specific to a luxury good item for which pictures were sent, and the badge is just for that particular item.
        • Mercari does not have the ability to alter, edit, or award an authentication badge. The Badge is not issued by Mercari and any related decisions are within the sole power of RA, as third-party authenticators.
      • “Rejected”: RA determined the item is not authentic or legitimate for the brand it is claimed to be.
      • “Inconclusive”: RA could not determine authenticity.
        • An item may be reviewed by Mercari for a second chance to be able to list it. However, even if determined to be authentic, it will not receive the item authentication badge.
        • You may list your item elsewhere (off-Mercari) if RA cannot authenticate.

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