Is it safe to buy graded cards on eBay?

What eBay Money Back Guarantee covers

eBay says its Money Back Guarantee covers most transactions on eBay. For a card, these are the rules that matter:

• The card does not arrive.
• The card is not what the listing described: the wrong card, a different grade, or it arrives broken or damaged.
• The seller does not honor the return policy stated in the listing.
• You must pay through eBay checkout (card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo and the other methods eBay lists). Anything paid outside eBay is not covered.
• Report a card that has not arrived, or start a return for one that does not match, within 30 calendar days of the latest estimated delivery date.
• Not covered: case, box and pack breaks sold by eBay's pre-approved sellers.

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eBay Authenticity Guarantee for cards of $200 and up

• Eligible single cards priced at $200 and up carry an Authenticity Guarantee checkmark in the listing.
• The seller ships the card to an authentication facility first, where PSA inspects it. For a graded card, PSA checks the case and the label; it does not regrade the card.
• The card then ships to you with signature confirmation required.
• If a card bought as a final sale is damaged in transit, you can still open a return within three days of receiving it.
• eBay says Authenticity Guarantee is backed by eBay Money Back Guarantee.

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How to check a graded card before you buy

1. Read the card's year, set, card number and player on the slab label in the photos, and match them to the listing title.
2. Look up the certification number on the label on the grader's own site (PSA, Beckett, CGC or SGC each have a cert lookup). It should return the same card and grade.
3. Look at the photos of the front and back of the case: a cracked, cloudy or re-glued case is a reason to ask questions or pass.
4. Check the seller's feedback score and recent feedback for cards.
5. Read the return policy in the listing. If the seller takes no returns, eBay Money Back Guarantee still covers a card that does not arrive or does not match the listing.
6. Pay only through eBay checkout, and ignore any message asking you to pay another way.

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Is a graded card a good gift?

For someone who is not a collector, a graded card is the safer gift: a grading company has checked it and sealed it in a hard case with a label naming the card, so it is protected and easy to display. PSA, Beckett (BGS), CGC and SGC are the four graders most collectors know; our grader guide compares their scales.

Order early in December. eBay cards ship from individual sellers, and a card going through Authenticity Guarantee makes an extra stop at the authenticator first.

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