Authenticity cannot be settled on a video call. Counterfeit bats and rackets are a real problem in this category, and they are a problem precisely because the difference is in the build rather than in the sticker.
What to ask them to show
The stickers and the item in one frame. A sticker is the cheapest thing to replace, so a photograph of it alone tells you least.
Any maker's mark or model stamp, photographed close.
The weight on a scale, on camera, if weight is part of what is claimed. For bats and rackets it usually is.
The grip, the toe, the edges — the parts that wear.
It being flexed or swung, if that is safe to do on camera.
What a refusal means
"It is the same model the professionals use" is marketing, not an answer. Ask what it says on the item itself and ask to see that.
A seller who will not weigh a bat or a racket on camera has declined a thirty-second request about a number that is part of the item's identity.
What this page will not do
It will not tell you what a genuine build looks like or how a counterfeit sticker differs. Those details change with each production run, and this is a category where the counterfeits are specifically designed to survive that kind of inspection.
What protects you if you get it wrong
A counterfeit is not as described — returnable for 7 days whatever the store's policy, and reportable.
Also ask about delivery before bidding. Long, awkward items can cost more to post than they are worth, and a delivery price that looked fine can turn out to be the expensive part.
Questions people ask
Is a signed bat a different question?
Yes, and a harder one — that is a memorabilia question as well as an equipment one. Ask for photographs of the signing.
Does Metzee check equipment?
No. We do not handle items and we do not authenticate.
Is used equipment worth buying?
Often, and the useful questions are about wear and repairs rather than authenticity.
More: spotting a counterfeit before you bid, Metzee's position on counterfeits, reporting a seller, questions to ask before bidding on sports equipment.