Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know your items are authentic?

Acquiring your favorite piece of autographed memorabilia can be one of the most exciting investments you can make - as long as it is real. At Pay It Forward Sports Marketing, the integrity of each piece of our hand-signed collectibles is paramount. Pay It Forward Sports Marketing guarantees the authenticity of your hand-signed sports collectible. PIFSM representatives witness athlete signings and each athlete signs an affidavit. In some instances there are athletes that are outside of our control who may have contractual obligations with other companies. In those instances in order to bring our customers the best we will work directly with those 3rd party companies like PSA/DNA or JSA.

What is a player hologram?

A player hologram is a form of authentication approved directly by the athlete. Player holograms are applied to items as the athlete signs in order to ensure authenticity. A player hologram is a “first-party” form of authentication which is considered to be equivalent to a JSA or PSA witnessed product.

I forgot my password. What should I do?

From the login page, click the “Forgot Password” link at the bottom. Enter your email address and click “Submit.” Then follow the instructions in the email that you receive.

Why isn’t the JSA or PSA website verifying my recent purchase?

After a third party authenticator authenticates an item, it can take a short time before their online database has updated to reflect the new certification number. Please check back in 7-14 days and the number should be verifiable. If it has been over a month since purchasing the item and you continue to have issues, please contact us and we will be happy to help further. It is not uncommon for the database of an authenticator to have a clerical error. If you come across such an error, please contact us and we would be more than happy to assist in correcting the error. Email us at: info@payitforwardauction.com or call us at (862) 238-7268.

Why didn’t my item come with a matching physical Certificate of Authenticity (COA)?

Pay It Forward Sports Marketing lists all our items with a detailed description of the included authentication. Some items include a hologram and the matching COA while others will include only the tamper proof serially numbered hologram. The tamper proof hologram alone is considered to be acceptable authentication within the industry and is verifiable on the authenticator’s website. If an item contains only the authentication hologram but not the matching certificate, it will be noted as such in the listing. JSA authentication can be verified at http://www.spenceloa.com/Search.aspx and PSA at http://www.psacard.com. If your item is not found in the database, please see the previous question for further assistance.

The item I received is not what I expected, can I return it?

If your item was damaged during shipping or is grossly misrepresented, we want to do everything in our power to correct that for you! Please send us an email with specific details so that we can further assist you. If the item that you received does not match the description or was damaged during the shipping process, please send us an email with photos of the item for review. Due to the nature of an auction, items that are delivered as described are not returnable. Please be sure to inspect your items immediately after receipt as we do require notification within 7 days of receipt if there is any discrepancy.

What is a Beckett Value?

Beckett magazine is widely considered to be the most trusted source for sports card values. A Beckett value is considered to be merely a guideline. There are many reasons why a card may sell for more or less than the current Beckett value. The condition of the card is one factor while the current performance of the athlete on the card is another factor. Ultimately, the true value of an item is defined by what the item sells for.

What are stock images and why are they used?

When multiple similar items are available to be offered at auction, we often will use stock images to represent the item being offered. We only use stock images when the item being offered is nearly identical. For example, when an athlete conducts a private signing there are often hundreds of jerseys signed during that single session. The jerseys are signed in the same place, with the same color and with very little variation between each signature. Images of a single jersey from that session would well represent any one of the jerseys that were signed. When stock images are used in an auction listing, we guarantee that the winning bidder will receive an item of equal quality to the one pictured.

FAQ About Bidding

Why am I am unable to place bid?

Several things can cause this to happen. First, please ensure your account has been verified via email or phone/text message. Go to the verification page to complete this process. In addition, if you recently won an auction but have not yet paid for the invoice, our website may restrict bidding on new items until the unpaid invoice has been paid. If you continue to experience problems with bidding, please contact us for further assistance. Email us at: info@payitforwardauction.com or call us at (862) 238-7268

I bid on an item that I no longer want, what should I do?

In order to maintain the integrity of the auction, once a bid is placed it cannot be removed. Our bid system requires a 2 step process in order to eliminate the possibility of errors.

Why was I immediately outbid?

Our auction allows bidders to enter a hidden maximum bid. If a bidder places a maximum bid on a lot, the system will take the bid only as high as is necessary to become the high bidder. From there, the system will automatically bid, only when necessary, up to the hidden maximum. If you are immediately outbid, it would indicate that a previous bidder has placed a higher hidden maximum bid on the lot.

Do lots have a reserve price?

In some cases, lots in our auction are offered with a reserve. In this case you will see on the specific lot that you are bidding on, Reserve Not Met.

What is a maximum bid?

Our auction format allows bidders to enter a hidden maximum bid. By placing a maximum bid on a lot, the system will take the bid only as high as is necessary to become the high bidder. From there, the system will automatically bid, only when necessary, up to the hidden maximum.