Product Authenticity

  • Live authenticity

    On Whatnot, trust starts with seeing the real thing in real time. Sellers go live, hold what they're selling up to the camera, and answer your questions. When you want a closer look – stitching, stamps, tags – you can ask before you bid. 

  • Our approach

    Counterfeits are illegal across retail, and they're a challenge every marketplace deals with. Authenticity on Whatnot is built live, and reinforced by three things: proactive detection and seller vetting, expert pre-sale authentication, and Buyer Protection on every order.

  • 1. Proactive detection and seller vetting 

    On Whatnot, sellers are responsible for the authenticity of everything they list. For categories that demand more expertise or have a higher risk of counterfeits – like Luxury Bags & Accessories – sellers have to apply and be approved before they can go live. To keep Whatnot a trusted place to buy authentic items, we monitor every seller to maintain our high bar for authenticity – when we identify a pattern of counterfeit items, the account faces penalties, such as suspensions and bans. 

    We’re also always working to adapt our technology, operations, and knowledge to protect buyers from counterfeits and leverage proactive technology to identify and remove accounts dedicated to selling counterfeits. As we see counterfeit trends emerge, our in-house team develops deep knowledge to spot fakes, in some cases working directly with brands. 

    Sellers who consistently meet our standards also earn more visibility in the app through our Premier Shop Program. Rewarding authenticity is part of how we keep Whatnot trustworthy.

  • 2. Authentication partnerships 

    We partner with trusted names in the authentication space – Entrupy and Real Authentication – to make it easier and more affordable for sellers to authenticate items before they go live. 

  • 3. Buyer protection, every time

    Your purchases on Whatnot are backed by our Buyer Protection Policy, which covers item authenticity. If an item is found to be inauthentic, you get a full refund. And the seller is responsible for the refund and faces consequences – from warnings to a permanent ban, depending on what happened. Accounts dedicated to selling counterfeits are always banned. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • First, for categories that demand more expertise or have a higher risk of counterfeits – like Luxury Bags & Accessories – sellers have to apply and be approved before they can go live. To keep Whatnot a trusted place to buy authentic items, we monitor every seller to maintain our high bar for authenticity – when we identify a pattern of counterfeit items, the account faces penalties, such as suspensions and bans. 

    We’re also always working to adapt our technology, operations, and knowledge to protect buyers from counterfeits and leverage proactive technology to identify and remove accounts dedicated to selling counterfeits. As we see counterfeit trends emerge, our in-house team develops deep knowledge to spot fakes, in some cases working directly with brands. 

  • If you think you received a counterfeit, let us know as soon as you can. Open the order in the app, tap Request Help, and share what happened. If authenticity can't be confirmed during review, you're covered under our Buyer Protection Policy. We also take action on the seller, with consequences ranging from warnings to a permanent ban depending on the situation. 

  • Yes. If an item is inauthentic or otherwise not as described, it's covered. You have up to 30 days from purchase or 14 days from delivery to file a claim. See the full policy.

  • Accounts dedicated to selling counterfeits are always banned. However, we recognize that not every counterfeit sale is intentional, and mistakes may lead to a warning or suspension.

  • No. Counterfeits cost us in time, money, and trust. When a counterfeit is confirmed, buyers are made whole and we don't receive commission. We know that preventing them is in everyone's best interest, which is why we continue to invest in how we approach them.