Authentication Checklist Scorer
Answer a category-specific checklist and get a score that flags doubts and critical warning signs before you buy or sell. A checklist can raise doubts; it cannot authenticate.
Catch the obvious fakes, flag the rest
Most counterfeits give themselves away on a handful of checks — sloppy stitching, light or mis-engraved hardware, a serial that doesn’t match, missing paperwork. Working through a structured checklist forces you to look at each one instead of trusting a glossy listing photo. The score tells you how much doubt a listing raises and whether to walk away or pay for a professional check first. It never tells you a piece is genuine: a good fake can pass every line.
Use it alongside the Resale Value Estimator— a price that looks too good to be true usually is — and the Luxury Size Converter to vet the rest of a listing before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the checklist score work?
Pick a category — handbag, watch, sneakers, apparel, or jewelry — and answer its checklist of tells: is the stitching even, is the hardware correctly engraved, does the serial match, is the paperwork present. Each item is weighted, with a few marked critical, and your pass / unsure / fail answers combine into a 0–100 checklist score with a plain-language verdict about doubt. A failed critical tell turns the verdict into a red flag whatever the total, because a single mismatched serial outweighs a dozen tidy seams.
Is a high score proof that a piece is genuine?
No, and this is important. A high score means the piece passes the common visual and tactile checks, but sophisticated counterfeits can pass those too, and a genuine piece can score low if you're unsure about details. The tool is a screening aid to catch obvious fakes and to tell you where to look harder — it is never a certificate of authenticity.
When should I use a professional authentication service?
Any time the money or the risk is real — a four- or five-figure bag or watch, a non-returnable sale, or a listing where the score lands in the mixed or high-risk range. Professional authenticators and the brand's own client care see thousands of examples and can catch what a checklist can't. Use this scorer to decide whether a deal is worth paying for that check.
What are the 'critical' tells marked with an asterisk?
They're the checks that most reliably separate real from fake for that category — a matching serial or date code, correctly engraved hardware, even stitching, the right movement in a watch. A fail on a critical tell is a bigger red flag than several minor issues, so the tool surfaces those separately even when the overall score isn't catastrophic. Treat a failed critical as a reason to walk away or verify professionally.
A screening aid, not proof. A checklist can raise doubts but cannot authenticate, and a high score is not a certificate of authenticity. Before you pay, use a professional authentication service or the selling platform’s own authentication.