Australian marketplace eBay has extended its Authenticity Guarantee initiative to eligible luxury wallets over $350 from designer brands such as Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada.
eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee was first launched to cover handbags and sneakers last year.
The etailer conducts verification checks on all eligible items at no cost to the buyer or seller at it’s Sydney authentication facility. Eligible items can be identified by the consumer on its website by a blue tick.
"Giving fashion lovers peace of mind is our top priority,” eBay Australia head of fashion Brooke Eichhorn said. “By introducing Authenticity Guarantee for luxury wallets, we're driving fashion forward and democratising sustainable luxury for one and all.
“With this expansion of our authentication service, customers shopping on eBay.com.au can make fashion go further by buying and selling pre-loved items with confidence - knowing that each item has been thoroughly inspected and verified by our team of experts.”
eBay is also extending the list of eligible luxury brands under its Authenticity Guarantee service for handbags. Over 10 new luxury brands will be added to the designer list eligible for eBay’s handbag and wallet Authenticity Guarantee service, including Dolce & Gabbana, Loewe, MCM, Mulberry and Versace.
The extension into wallets comes as eBay research found that nine out of every ten Australians are still carrying wallets. This is despite a rise in the use of mobile phones for card payments in recent years.
eBay’s research also revealed that 37% of Australians prefer luxury brands when shopping for wallets. Of the 58% of Australians who would consider buying a pre-loved luxury wallet, 51% reported affordability as being the key reason for shopping pre-loved.
The most expensive wallet sold on ebay.com.au in 2022 was a Louis Vuitton Soft Trunk Wallet Clouds sold for over $3,500. The piece was designed by Virgil Abloh while leading Louis Vuitton’s menswear division.
According to the research, Louis Vuitton is searched every minute and Gucci is searched every two minutes.
Some of the most watched wallets on eBay.com.au in 2022 and the first three months of 2023 include the Gucci Horsebit 1955 Card Case wallet, Louis Vuitton Mens Pocket Organiser and Saint Laurent Cassandre Matelasse Wallet.
Across Australia, the most popular styles of wallets include the card wallet, coin wallet and envelope wallet.
The research also found the top five postcodes for purchasing the most wallets in 2022 were Burwood, Victoria; Cabramatta, NSW; Orange, NSW; Portalington and Saint Leonards, Victoria; and Wangaratta and Yarrunga, Victoria.