I'm a computer recycler and have recently started selling on eBay. I purchase second hand ex-lease Macs and resell them.
My account was restricted 2 weeks ago after selling a few MacBooks. eBay asked for proof of ownership and a certificate of authenticty. I understand that the sale of this quantity of laptops could flow up a red flag.
I sent them a tax invoice for the purchase and they eventually accepted it as proof of purchase.
Now they want a certificate of authenticity. New MacBooks aren't supplied with a certificate of authenticity, let alone a second hand one. They refered me to a page with recommended authentication companies. Of these, only one is appropriate given the nature of the product - and they only provide an opinion of authenticity - not a certificate of authenticity.
eBay won't provide a yes / no answer as to whether they will accept an opinion of authenticity - all they do is send me their standard "we require a certificate of authenticity" statement - given their strict adherence to the rules, I consider that to be a no.
At this stage, I have no way of prooving these MacBooks are authentic, and my account is restricted from listing anything else until I do. I also find it very unusual to have to authenticate a computer - I understand jewlery, antiques etc, but this makes no sense - and eBay aren't helping me make any sense of it either. It's like talking to a brick wall with no common sense.
Does anyone have ant experience or suggestions in these matters?
Thanks,
Bowdie
