So, the thing about buying stuff online is that sometimes, it could be a big risk. Therefore, when we know for a fact that the website offers guaranteed authenticity; it makes everything easier. But now, the headlines of every sneaker news source EVERYWHERE read: StockX Removes Verified Authentic Tags.
And yes, we are SHOOKETH.Â
Now, StockX has definitely been going through a lot of things. And, like a teenager through puberty or something. So, we get that there might be backlash and perhaps rash decision-making. However, this decision seems altogether way too harsh! Amongst the issues currently facing StockX, we have:
- The ongoing legal battle with Nike over authentication.
- Trademark infringement battle with Nike over their NFT sneaker vault.
- Their recent 50,000 coupons leaked over the internet.
- Laying off workers for the second time in a period of 4 months.
- Facing backlash over increasing their fees for Single-Item Shipments.
- Getting caught in the middle of people selling stolen pairs of Air Jordan 11 Cherry sneakers.
Yeah, that’s a lot. But, if StockX removes verified authentic tags from their platform, this opens doors to things that could potentially ruin the platform. Of course, there are always other places to buy or sell sneakers on. However, StockX is the OG sneaker reselling platform of the industry spanning back to 2015.Â
Things You Might Be Interested In:
- Buy & Sell Unauthorized Authentic Sneakers
- Where to buy and sell USED Yeezys
- Where to buy and sell USED Jordans
- How to spot FAKE Yeezys
- How to spot FAKE Jordans
STOCKX REMOVES VERIFIED AUTHENTIC TAGS
First, what does it mean when StockX removes verified authentic tags? Is StockX now the Craigslist of the sneaker industry? For a long time now, StockX has claimed to have nearly 100% authentic sneakers. This is something that has given it a LOT of appeal amongst sneakerheads in the industry.Â
Before this decision took action, any product on StockX came with the statements of “100% Authentic” or “Condition: New”. However, now it just reads “Condition: New”. Any and every word related to authentication has since been promptly removed from their website. And now, they claim to online “verify” the sneakers, the transactions, and the processes.Â
On November 11, it was official and StockX removes verified authentic tags from their platform! In a Tweet, they said:
“You may have noticed we updated the name of our verification process, but the work our team does every day to meet our elevated standard of excellence has not changed.”
What does this mean?
So, if StockX removes verified authentic tags, does that mean people will sell fake sneakers? Well, no not really. In fact, this might just be a powerful move on behalf of StockX’s legal team! Here are two things you should know:
– First, removing the term “100% Authentic”, makes it easier for people to sell sneakers online. This means that certain inaccuracies during the verification process can go through. So, this means fewer shoes are rejected because of minor defects or damaged boxes.
– Second, StockX has also claimed that its verification process remains the same in a statement that reads:
“Verification is the new authentication, but our comprehensive approach remains unchanged. While product authenticity remains core to our analysis, our verification process is a better reflection of our broader proposition that we provide customers by reviewing all products sold on StockX”.
So, this means that even if StockX removes verified authentic tags, they’re not technically removing the verification process. In short, it is just a legal loophole to get around the Nike lawyers suing them for the words “100% Authentic”. They’re just being sly and working around their old verification and authentication process without the “authentic” part.
Check out their current “verification” process here!