If the Pokémon card inside a slab differs from the listing, stop handling it, document the mismatch, and open the appropriate return request immediately. A slab is the sealed grading holder; do not open it to inspect the card. This is a generic mismatch scenario, not a verified report of one named incident. PSA does warn that counterfeit grading inserts may copy legitimate public certification numbers, so a matching lookup alone does not settle the issue.
Table of Contents
- Preserve the evidence first
- Identify exactly what differs
- Start the marketplace return
- Do not crack or repair the slab
- Use payment protection if the seller path fails
Preserve the evidence first
Save the evidence before contacting the seller. Listings can change or disappear, while packaging may help establish what arrived.
Take comparison photos showing the received slab beside the relevant listing image on another screen. Make the visible difference easy to identify, such as the card number, artwork, set, language, grade, or certification number.
- Screenshot the full listing, including photographs, description, seller name, price, and return terms.
- Save the order confirmation, payment record, tracking details, and delivery date.
- Photograph every side of the slab under clear lighting.
- Capture the certification number, grading label, card, packaging, and shipping label.
- Keep all sleeves, boxes, seals, and inserts.
Identify exactly what differs
Compare the received item with both the listing text and photographs. Record each mismatch separately rather than making a broad accusation of fraud. Check whether the listing showed a different card, a different grade, or a different certification number.
Also note conflicts between the card and its grading label—for example, when the label names one card but the holder visibly contains another. Search the certification number in PSA's database if the slab carries a PSA label. The result can confirm what PSA's database associates with that number, but PSA warns that copied numbers can appear on counterfeit inserts. A matching database result therefore does not prove that the physical slab or card is genuine.
Start the marketplace return
Contact the seller through the marketplace and state the mismatch plainly. Use a concise description such as: "The listing shows card X, but the delivered slab contains card Y." Attach the clearest listing and delivery photos.
On eBay, a different card can qualify as "item not as described" even if the seller says "no returns." For trading cards, eBay gives buyers three calendar days after delivery when the seller offers no returns; otherwise, the seller's stated return window applies under the eBay Money Back Guarantee policy. Keep the slab in its received condition and follow eBay's return process. For an Authenticity Guarantee return, eBay says the item is re-inspected; a different or altered returned item may be sent back without a refund.
Do not crack or repair the slab
Do not open the holder, press loose pieces together, remove the label, or attempt a repair. Opening it can destroy useful evidence and complicate both the return and any grading-company review. PSA's guarantee excludes items removed from their holders and items showing tampering or fraud.
If a PSA holder appears fractured, unsealed, mislabeled, tampered with, or counterfeit, preserve it as received and consult PSA's Financial Guarantee terms. For a suspected counterfeit card inside a PSA holder, contact PSA customer support for instructions on a Grade Guarantee Review or Customer Request Center submission. PSA says it examines the submitted item and discusses next steps if it determines the card is counterfeit.
Use payment protection if the seller path fails
Use the protection tied to the original payment method, and retain every message, submission receipt, tracking number, and decision. Describe the problem consistently as a materially different item rather than changing theories during the dispute. A PayPal Goods-and-Services buyer may open a "Significantly Not as Described" dispute within 30 days after delivery or 180 days after payment, whichever comes first.
PayPal may require the buyer to pay return shipping under its Buyer Protection terms. For a U.S. credit-card purchase, contact the seller first. To preserve billing-error rights, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says to send the issuer written notice within 60 days after the first statement showing the charge; the issuer must acknowledge it within 30 days and may take two billing cycles to investigate under the CFPB's credit-card dispute guidance.
