TikTok taps Real Authentication for handbag sales

TikTok has announced its second partnership with an authentication service provider in as many months as it tries to prevent the sale of counterfeits on its new e-commerce platform TikTok Shop.

The latest alliance with Real Authentication in the US will see the latter’s experts deployed to evaluate pre-owned handbags prior to sale on the platform, expanding on an earlier tie-up with Entrupy on the same product category.

“As the demand for resale luxury increases, it is imperative that buyers and retailers have confidence that merchandise they are purchasing and selling is genuine,” commented Real Authentication’s co-founder and expert authenticator Anastacia Black.

Sellers hoping to find a new home for their handbags via TikTok Shop will have to sign up to become an approved seller and obtain an authenticity certificate, with the bag subjected to analysis by Real Authentication’s appraisers. Once the bag is approved, the seller can create a listing and upload the certificate which will then be approved for sale on the platform.

The service differs from authentication approaches used by other online retailers because items are authenticated before they are listed, rather than after, according to Real Authentication co-founder and expert authenticator Jenna Padilla.

In the case of eBay, for example, the authentication takes place after a customer has bought an item, although eBay pledges to refund the purchase price to the buyer “immediately” if the item fails the authentication process and is returned to the seller.

The explosive growth of TikTok, which now has a user base estimated at around 1.5bn, has made it a magnet for product promotion and marketing campaigns but also a source of counterfeits.

That has sparked concerns that TikTok Shop – which officially launched in the US in September after months in beta mode and a rollout in Asia – could become an avenue for knock-off products.

TikTok seems to be attempting to tackle that issue proactively with the new partnerships. SecuringIndustry.com has asked the social media giant of the service will be extended to other product categories, but at the time of writing had not received a response.