Vintage Collective is not an open marketplace. You cannot upload a bag and start selling. Every piece on this site is consigned to us from one of two sources: established boutiques we have personally visited and partnered with, or individual sellers we have vetted before accepting anything from them.

We know the origin of every piece we list, and we decline more pieces than we accept. Curation is the first layer of authentication.

Before a piece is ever listed, it goes through two independent checks.

1. Our own review. We examine each piece in detail, working from the item itself or from extensive documentation provided by the consignor. We check the construction, materials, hardware, stamping, date or serial codes, and the details specific to that brand and model. If anything about a piece does not sit right with us, we do not list it. No exceptions, including for our partner boutiques.

2. Independent expert verification. Every piece is then submitted to LegitApp, an independent authentication service whose specialist authenticators and verification systems assess each item without any involvement from us or from the seller. We do not list a piece until it has passed this review.

Each piece that clears both checks receives a digital Certificate of Authenticity issued by LegitApp. The certificate is linked to your specific item and can be verified independently on LegitApp's website at any time. It stays valid if you ever choose to resell.

If you believe a piece you purchased from Vintage Collective is not authentic, contact us within 7 days of delivery at team@vintagecollectivein.com or on WhatsApp at +918123341263. Tell us your order number and what concerns you, with photographs where possible.

We will take it from there. We may ask you to return the piece to us so it can be re-examined, at our cost. If the review concludes that the piece is not authentic, you receive a full refund of everything you paid, including shipping.

Two conditions apply, and we think both are fair:

• Theclaim must reach us within 7 days of the date of delivery.
  
• Thepiece must be returned in the condition it was delivered in, together with everything that came with it.
  
  If the review confirms the piece is authentic, it is returned to you and the sale stands. We will share the findings with you either way.

A piece that fails verification is never listed, full stop. If a consignor knowingly submits a counterfeit, we end the relationship permanently, and we reserve the right to report the matter to the brand concerned and to the relevant authorities. This applies to individual sellers and partner boutiques equally.

We want to be precise here, because most resale platforms are not.

Authentication is an expert assessment of an item, based on detailed examination of its physical characteristics against known standards for that brand and model. It is carried out by Vintage Collective and by LegitApp as independent parties. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the brands whose pieces we sell, and a Certificate of Authenticity is not a document issued by the brand.

No authentication process in the world is infallible, which is exactly why our guarantee exists. If a piece ever gets past both checks and turns out not to be genuine, the risk is ours, not yours.

If you want to know more about how a specific piece was verified, ask
us. We are happy to walk you through it. Write to team@vintagecollectivein.com or message us on WhatsApp at +91 81233 41263.

This policy applies to all purchases made on www.vintagecollectivein.com. We may update it from time to time; the version published on this page is the one that applies to your order.