What Happens If You Submit the Wrong Brand (and How Refunds Work)

In the fast-paced world of online resale, mistakes can happen. You are juggling multiple listings, sourcing new inventory, and trying to get items authenticated quickly. In the rush to get an expert opinion, you might accidentally upload photos of a Chanel flap bag to a service that specializes exclusively in Louis Vuitton. Your heart sinks as you realize the error. Did you just waste your money? What happens now?

This is a common scenario and a frequent question we receive at ProAuthenticators. A wrong brand submission can cause confusion and anxiety, especially for new users. Understanding how this situation is handled is key to navigating the authentication process smoothly and without financial loss. Our policies are not designed to penalize simple mistakes; they are structured to ensure fairness while respecting the specialized nature of our work.

This guide will walk you through exactly what happens when you submit a brand we do not service. We will demystify our authenticator refund policy, explain the difference between refunds and credits in this context, and show you how our process is designed to protect your investment, even when an error occurs.

 

The Power of Specialization: Why We Focus Only on Louis Vuitton

Before diving into the refund process, it’s essential to understand why we are so strict about the brands we authenticate. ProAuthenticators is not a generalist service; we are deep specialists. Our expertise is focused exclusively on one brand: Louis Vuitton.

This specialization is our greatest strength and your biggest advantage. The world of luxury goods is vast and complex. The construction techniques, hardware suppliers, date code systems, and material compositions of a Hermès Birkin are entirely different from those of a Louis Vuitton Speedy. An expert in one is not automatically an expert in the other.

By focusing solely on Louis Vuitton, our authenticators develop a level of knowledge that is incredibly deep and nuanced. They can spot subtle inconsistencies in a 1980s French Company piece or identify a rare hardware change from a specific month of production. This level of detail would be impossible to maintain across dozens of different brands.

How Specialization Protects You

1. Unmatched Accuracy: Our singular focus leads to a higher degree of accuracy. When you submit a Louis Vuitton item, you are getting an opinion from someone who lives and breathes that brand, which is reflected in our client reviews.
2. Fighting Super-Fakes: Modern counterfeiters are creating “super-fakes” that can fool generalist authenticators. It takes a deep specialist to identify the minute flaws that give these fakes away.
3. Integrity in Claims: When providing a certificate for a PayPal or bank claim, our specialization lends our opinion more weight. Platforms see us as authorities on Louis Vuitton, not just a jack-of-all-trades.

When you submit a Gucci, Chanel, or Dior bag to us, we cannot provide this level of service. To pretend we could would be a disservice to you and would compromise the integrity of our brand. Therefore, our first step upon receiving a wrong brand submission is to halt the process.

 

What Happens Immediately After You Submit the Wrong Brand?

Our system and our authenticators are trained to identify Louis Vuitton items. When an order comes through with photos of a different brand, it is quickly flagged. Here is the step-by-step process of what occurs behind the scenes:

Step 1: The Order is Flagged and Paused

As soon as an authenticator opens the order and sees photos of a non-Louis Vuitton item, they immediately pause the assessment. No work is performed on analyzing the bag for authenticity. This is a critical point: because the core service (the authentication itself) has not been rendered, we can be flexible with the fee. The authenticator simply marks the order as “Wrong Brand Submitted” and sends it to our support team for resolution.

Step 2: You Are Notified of the Error

Our support team will then contact you, typically via email, to inform you of the mistake. The notification will be clear and to the point, stating that the submitted item is not a brand we service and that the authentication cannot be completed.

Step 3: Your Options are Presented

This is where our authenticator refund policy comes into play. We understand that this was likely an honest mistake made in a hurry. Our goal is to resolve it fairly and efficiently. In the case of a wrong brand submission, you are generally presented with two options: a service credit or, in some cases, a refund.

 

Service Credits vs. Refunds: Understanding the Difference

For administrative errors like a wrong brand submission, our primary method of resolution is to issue a service credit. It is important to understand why this is often the default and how it benefits you, especially if you are a regular buyer or reseller.

What is a Service Credit?

A service credit means the fee you paid is returned to your ProAuthenticators account balance, not to your original payment method (like your credit card or PayPal). This credit sits in your account and can be used to pay for any future authentication service. It does not expire.

Why Credits are Often a Better Option

1. Speed and Efficiency: Issuing a credit to your account is instantaneous. A refund to a credit card, on the other hand, can take 5-10 business days to process through banking systems. For a reseller who needs to authenticate another bag today, waiting a week for a refund is a roadblock. A credit allows you to immediately turn around and submit the correct Louis Vuitton item without any delay.
2. No Lost Value: The full amount you paid is preserved. You don’t lose any money; it is simply held for you to use on the correct service. This is a crucial part of our flexible refund process for claims and administrative errors.
3. Simplified Accounting for Resellers: For high-volume sellers, managing small refunds can be an administrative headache. A credit balance simplifies things. It acts like a prepaid account, allowing you to draw from it as needed for new submissions.

When is a Refund Possible?

While credit is our standard procedure for its speed and convenience, we handle refund requests on a case-by-case basis. A full refund to your original payment method may be processed for a first-time user who made a genuine one-off mistake and may not have another Louis Vuitton item to authenticate in the near future.

The key is communication. If you receive the “Wrong Brand” notification and would prefer a refund over a credit, you can simply reply to our support team and make the request. We review each situation individually, but our goal is always to be fair. We are not in the business of keeping fees for services we did not perform.

 

Common Scenarios Involving Wrong Brand Submissions

Let’s explore a few real-world scenarios to see how this policy plays out.

Scenario 1: The New Buyer’s Mistake

A first-time luxury buyer finds a great deal on a “Gucci Marmont” bag. They’ve heard about ProAuthenticators and, in their excitement, quickly purchase an authentication without realizing we are Louis Vuitton specialists.

• What Happens: The order is flagged. Our support team emails the buyer, explains the error, and issues a service credit.
• The Resolution: The buyer, who doesn’t own any Louis Vuitton, replies and requests a refund. Given that they are a new user and this was a clear mistake, our team processes a full refund to their credit card. The buyer is grateful for the understanding and leaves a positive review about the fair process.

Scenario 2: The Busy Reseller’s Slip-Up

A professional reseller is listing 20 bags from a new consignment lot. Ten are Louis Vuitton, but the other ten are a mix of Chanel and Fendi. While multi-tasking, they accidentally upload photos of a Chanel Boy Bag to our system.

• What Happens: The order is flagged. A service credit is automatically applied to their account.
• The Resolution: The reseller sees the notification and the credit in their account. Five minutes later, they use that exact credit to submit one of the Louis Vuitton bags from the same lot. The process is seamless. There was no financial loss and no delay to their workflow. This is our authenticator refund policy working at its most efficient for our professional clients.

Scenario 3: The “Mixed Lot” Submission

A user submits photos for a single authentication order, but the photos show two different bags: one Louis Vuitton and one a different brand.

• What Happens: This is a more complex situation. The authenticator will proceed with authenticating the Louis Vuitton item. The order will be completed, and a verdict will be issued for the LV bag.
• The Resolution: The fee paid is considered payment for the authentication that was successfully completed. No refund or credit is issued because the service was rendered on the valid part of the submission. The user will be notified that we could only assess the Louis Vuitton item. This is why it is critical to submit one item per order, as outlined on our services and pricing page.

 

How to Avoid Making a Wrong Brand Submission

While our policies are designed to be a safety net, the best approach is always to prevent the error from happening in the first place. A few simple checks can ensure a smooth and successful submission every time.

1. Read the Website Carefully

Before you purchase, take a moment to read the homepage and the main service descriptions. We are very clear about our specialization. Our services and pricing page explicitly states that we authenticate Louis Vuitton items. A quick 30-second read-through can prevent a submission error.

2. Organize Your Photos

If you are authenticating multiple items from different brands, create separate folders on your computer or phone for each brand. Label them clearly: “Louis Vuitton for ProAuthenticators,” “Chanel for other service,” etc. This simple organizational step can prevent you from accidentally uploading the wrong set of images.

3. Double-Check Before You Click “Submit”

Before finalizing your order, quickly review the images you have uploaded. Do they show the correct bag? Taking that final five-second look can save you the time and effort of correcting a mistake later.

 

Why Some Services Don’t Refund for This Mistake

It is worth noting that not all authentication services have such a flexible policy. Some companies operate on a strict “all sales final” basis. Their reasoning is that by submitting an order, you are engaging their platform and an authenticator’s time, even if it is just to open the file and identify the wrong brand. In their view, this initial administrative work is what the fee covers.

We take a different approach. Our philosophy is built on building long-term trust with our clients. We believe you should only pay for the expert opinion you came for. Taking a fee for a simple clerical error feels unfair and creates a negative customer experience. Our goal is to be your trusted partner in the luxury space, and that partnership begins with fair and transparent policies. This commitment to fairness is a cornerstone of our business and a reason for our many positive reviews.

 

The Refund Process for Claims vs. Administrative Errors

It is important to distinguish the refund process for claims and administrative errors from refunds related to the authentication verdict itself.

• Administrative Errors (like a wrong brand submission): These are eligible for credit or refund because the core service could not be rendered due to a technicality. The authenticator’s expertise was not applied to the item.
• Authentication Verdicts: If you submit a Louis Vuitton bag and our experts determine it is “Not Authentic,” you are not eligible for a refund. In this case, the service was fully rendered. You paid for our expert opinion, and you received it. The verdict itself is the product. A refund in this scenario would create a conflict of interest, as it would incentivize authenticators to pass items to avoid refund requests.

Understanding this distinction is key to having the right expectations about the authenticator refund policy. We refund for process errors, not for delivering a result you may not have hoped for.

 

What to Do If You’ve Made a Mistake

If you’ve just hit “submit” and realized you sent us the wrong brand, don’t panic. Here is what to do:

1. Contact Support Immediately: Don’t just wait for us to notice. Be proactive. Send an email to our support team with your order number. Explain that you made a mistake and uploaded the wrong brand.
2. State Your Preference: Let us know if you would prefer a service credit (for a faster turnaround on your next LV item) or if you would like to request a refund.
3. Let Our Team Handle It: Our support staff will guide you through the rest. They will ensure the order is properly canceled and that the credit or refund is processed according to our policy.

Our team is here to help. Open and honest communication is the fastest way to resolve any submission error.

 

Conclusion: A Policy Built on Fairness and Trust

A wrong brand submission is a simple mistake that shouldn’t cost you money. At ProAuthenticators, our policies are crafted with the understanding that human error is part of the process. By offering a straightforward resolution through service credits or refunds, we remove the financial risk and anxiety from this common slip-up.

Our specialized focus on Louis Vuitton is what guarantees you an unparalleled level of expertise. Our fair and transparent authenticator refund policy is what guarantees you a positive and supportive customer experience. We stand behind our expertise, but we also stand behind our commitment to our clients. You can submit your items with the confidence of knowing that you are only paying for the valuable, specialized service you need, and that we have your back if a simple mistake occurs.

Ready to get your Louis Vuitton item authenticated by a true specialist? Visit our services and pricing page to get started. And see what our clients have to say about our process in their reviews.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What brands do you authenticate?

We specialize exclusively in the authentication of Louis Vuitton items. We do not service any other brands such as Chanel, Gucci, Dior, Hermès, etc.

I submitted the wrong brand. Will I get my money back?

Yes. For a wrong brand submission, our standard procedure is to issue an instant service credit to your account for the full amount. This credit can be used for any future Louis Vuitton authentication. On a case-by-case basis, particularly for new users, we can also process a full refund to your original payment method upon request.

Why do you issue a credit instead of an automatic refund?

We prioritize service credits because they are instant, allowing you to immediately use the funds for a correct submission without waiting for bank processing times. This is especially beneficial for resellers who need to maintain a fast workflow.

How long does a refund take to process?

If you request a refund to your original payment method, it typically takes 5-10 business days for the funds to appear in your account after we initiate it. This timeline is dependent on your bank or credit card company’s processing speeds.

What if I don’t have a Louis Vuitton bag to authenticate?

If you submitted the wrong brand and do not plan on using our service for a Louis Vuitton item in the future, simply contact our support team and request a refund instead of a credit. We are happy to process this for you.

Does this policy apply if I disagree with the authentication result?

No. The refund and credit policy for wrong brand submissions is for administrative errors where the service could not be performed. If we perform the authentication on a valid Louis Vuitton item and render a verdict (e.g., “Not Authentic”), the service is considered complete and is not eligible for a refund.