# Certificate requests

> Record a buyer's request for a certificate of authenticity, send the lot to the certification authority and follow it to the decision and its return.

- URL: https://www.selloff.auction/features/certificate-requests
- Language: English
- Domain: Sales & bidding
- Last updated: 2026-10-29
- Français: https://www.selloff.auction/fr/fonctionnalites/demandes-de-certificats.md

## At a glance

- Requests recorded with the sale in the console or sale form, later from the sale, or manually for any lot
- Requests grouped by certification authority and sent in a single shipment
- Decision per lot: genuine with the certificate file, not genuine, inconclusive or cancelled
- Payment to the consignor held until the request made on the sale has a decision
- Certificates panel on the lot, with authority, date, reference and file, in your order

## When a buyer asks for a certificate

Some buyers settle a watch, a painting or a rare coin only once an expert has confirmed it is genuine. Selloff records each request and follows it to the end: which authority certifies the lot, when it left, what was decided and when it came back.

A request is recorded with the sale, by ticking a box in the [auctioneer's console](https://www.selloff.auction/features/live-auctions.md) or the sale form, later from the sale on the View/change sale screen, or manually for any lot. Any contact can be flagged as a certification authority.

## From request to decision

The **Certifications** menu shows each step with its count:

- **New**: assign requests to an authority, several at once.
- **To send**: requests grouped by authority. Sending them creates one shipment to the authority, with its date and description.
- **Decision pending**: record the answer for each lot: genuine, not genuine or inconclusive. A genuine decision comes with the certificate file, its date, reference and notes.
- **Awaiting returns**: lots decided but not yet back, marked as returned when they arrive.
- **Archived**: completed and cancelled requests, with the decision and its date.

Each request has its own page with the progress steps, the lot with its estimate and reserve, the delivered certificate, the shipment, the authority's details, notes and an activity feed that records every step.

## Consignor payment and the lot's certificates

A request made on the sale holds payment to the consignor until it has a final decision, and the [consignor statement](https://www.selloff.auction/features/consignor-settlements.md) lists the lot among the amounts still pending. A decision does not cancel the sale or reverse a payment by itself: Selloff reminds you to handle the invoice or the return where needed.

Certificates returned as genuine are added to the lot's **Certificates** panel. Certificates obtained another way can be added there too, with the authority, date, reference, notes and file, and arranged in the order you choose.

## Related features

- [Offers & after-sale](https://www.selloff.auction/features/after-sale-offers.md): Collect offers on unsold lots or in offer sales, decide lot by lot with the consignor's figures at hand, and notify bidders by email.
- [Shipments & shipping slips](https://www.selloff.auction/features/shipments.md): Prepare and track shipments to buyers, consignor returns and lots sent for certification, with preparation slips and tracking emails.
- [Consignor settlements](https://www.selloff.auction/features/consignor-settlements.md): Generate consignor statements for a whole sale, deduct commission, fees and VAT, pay consignors once buyers have paid and export transfers to your bank.
- [Live auctions & online bidding](https://www.selloff.auction/features/live-auctions.md): Run the room from the auctioneer's console and take live online bids through Selloff Live Auction, with every hammer price recorded in Selloff.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the consignor paid while a lot is being certified?

No. When the request was made on the sale, the lot is left out of the amount payable to the consignor until the request has a final decision: genuine, not genuine, inconclusive or cancelled. Meanwhile, the consignor statement lists the lot among the amounts still pending.

### What happens when a lot is declared not genuine?

You record the decision, and the request waits under Awaiting returns until the lot is back, or goes straight to the archive if it has already returned. The decision does not cancel the sale or the buyer invoice by itself: Selloff reminds you that cancelling the sale, reversing the invoice or handling the return are separate steps.

### How do I send several lots to the same expert?

Assign the requests to that certification authority, then select them on the To send screen, where requests are grouped by authority. Selloff creates one shipment to the authority with all the selected lots, and it appears in your [shipments](https://www.selloff.auction/features/shipments.md) like any other.

### Who can act as a certification authority?

Any contact flagged as a certification authority on their record: an expert, a laboratory, a manufacturer or an artist's foundation, for example. Only these contacts are offered when you assign a request or add a certificate to a lot.