Marketplace authenticity complaint: what to do
Pause sales of the disputed stock, preserve the complaint and connect each affected listing to original invoices, supplier authorisation and physical product identifiers. Submit a factual response that distinguishes verified evidence from gaps. Supplier enquiries in China can be coordinated by Cambridge China Bridge.
Define the complaint before building your response
Save the complete notice, case reference, affected listings, attachments and response deadline. Read the request in your seller account and check the submission route there. Establish whether the concern is suspected counterfeit goods, missing sourcing evidence, disputed brand permission or a listing mismatch. Ask for clarification if the notice does not identify the issue.
Pause sales and dispatch of the disputed stock while investigating. Keep it separate, including returns, and preserve the listing as it appeared when the goods sold. Create a case file containing the notice, customer photographs, order records and correspondence. Do not create a replacement listing to continue selling the same disputed goods.
Establish where the invoice came from
Retrieve the original invoice from your purchasing records, together with the email or account download through which it arrived. Check the issuing company, buyer details, invoice reference, date and product descriptions. Connect it to the purchase order, payment record, shipment and warehouse receipt. A quotation or pro forma invoice alone does not demonstrate delivery of the disputed stock.
Ask the issuer to explain discrepancies in company names, payment beneficiaries or product descriptions. If you bought through a trader, request supporting records tracing the goods upstream. Preserve originals unchanged. Keep any translation alongside its source, and obtain corrections from the issuer with an explanation. Check the complaint's document instructions before redacting a submission; retain a complete private copy.
Separate supplier authority from authenticity
Use our guide to avoiding counterfeit products for the underlying brand checks. For this case, connect the authorisation and independent brand confirmation to the actual invoicing supplier, disputed products, transaction and sales channel. Explain any intermediary relationship. A letter covering manufacturing does not establish permission to sell surplus stock.
UK government guidance describes parallel trade as trade in genuine goods protected by intellectual property. Authenticity and import or resale permission therefore need separate consideration. If the complaint concerns territorial rights, ask a UK intellectual property solicitor to review the stock's route and permissions. Do not present a genuine-looking sample or a supplier assurance as resolving that question.
Match documents to the physical goods
Build a cross-reference linking the marketplace listing identifier and your stock code to the invoice description, brand, model, variant, barcode and batch or serial markings. Photograph the actual disputed stock and its packaging. Explain different naming conventions with supporting records. A barcode match alone does not establish authenticity.
Reconcile stock received, sold, returned and held against the relevant invoices. Identify mixed batches, substituted variants and returns that cannot be traced to your supply. Use factory-to-customer batch traceability for the wider record system and barcode validation for identifier checks. Mark missing connections clearly instead of assuming every unit shares the same origin.
Submit a response the reviewer can verify
Open with the case reference, affected listings and your factual position. Index the attachments and explain what each proves. A useful structure is: what was purchased and from whom; how the supplied records connect to the disputed goods; which checks are complete; what remains unresolved; and what action you have taken. Describe a root cause only when the evidence supports it.
For example, explain which invoice describes the affected model, which receipt connects it to stock and which photographs show matching batch markings. State plainly if brand confirmation is pending. Save the submitted files, confirmation and subsequent replies. Submission does not establish acceptance. Keep disputed stock paused until the evidence supports your next action; if a safety concern emerges, follow our imported-product recall guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is a supplier invoice enough for an authenticity complaint?
Treat it as part of the evidence. Establish who issued it, connect it to payment and delivered stock, and investigate brand authority separately. Address the documents requested in the actual complaint.
What if the invoice uses a different product name?
Explain the mapping with order records, model references and stock photographs. Ask the issuer to clarify or correct errors. Preserve the original; do not rewrite it yourself.
Does a matching barcode prove a product is genuine?
No. Use the barcode to connect records and listings, then check stock provenance and brand confirmation. Photograph model, variant, batch and serial markings where present.
What should I say while brand confirmation is pending?
State what you have verified, identify the pending confirmation and describe the stock controls taken. Check the case instructions for requesting more time. Do not claim approval or authenticity you cannot support.