MammaFiglia Blog

How to Spot & Avoid Conterfeit Designer Handbags

26th June, 2009 - Posted by admin - No Comments

One of the problems plaguing the designer handbag industry is the alarming proliferation of fakes. It’s really a huge problem. Many women would kill for a designer handbag. They’re a luxury item. They signify status and class and all that jazz. And there’s a pretty hefty price to pay to get it. Designer handbags can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars. One bag alone could cost more than your car; more than two cars even. You could probably even pay off your mortgage with a high end luxury handbag.  So it’s really not surprising that so many people opt for the much cheaper counterfeit bags. While some fakes are very, very obvious, others are not so. Counterfeit artists have gotten extremely good at what they do. It’s a whole cottage industry. The fact remains though, counterfeiting is illegal. It robs the economy of a significant amount of money each year. Whilst regular citizens have to pay taxes, these guys pocket everything. A lot of crime syndicates, gangs and even terrorists sell counterfeit products as a way to fund their activities. Some evidence indicates that the bombing of the World Trade center in 1993 was in fact funded by illegal and counterfeit bag sales.

Even though you may feel like you got a steal when buying a counterfeit, you are actually doing a disservice to your country and to those who put hard work into making legitimate products. And were you ever to want to purchase the real deal, think about what a shame it would be if the bag you paid a small fortune for ended up being a fake.  While there are people who have the means to buy handbags whenever the desire strikes them, there are still others who have saved up money for months or years even, to own a real luxury handbag; they don’t want to waste their money on a mere counterfeit.

So, how do spot a real bag from a counterfeit one? One big tipoff is where you purchased the bag. Knockoffs are easily had by the dozen on street corners and the internet. Authorized dealers for LV, Chanel, Fendi et al do not sell their wares out of a car truck, nor do they hawk bags from inside an old duffel bag. These are usually of significant poor quality and they are appreciably cheaper than what you’d pay for the real deal. For instance, if you pick up a bag on Canal Street in New York for $100, you’ve just been had. Real luxury bags are going to cost you a pretty penny; they aren’t going to be made from pleather with metal that chips and falls apart when you touch it. Also, consider the tag—if it says Made in Bangladesh or Made in China, it’s not real.

Inspect the bag carefully. One clue to a knockoff is poor stitching. There should be no loose or missing stitches; all stitches should be evenly spaced and perfectly aligned. The color of the thread should match the color of the bag. Real leather designer handbags should have the logo engraved and not simply printed in them. Many counterfeit bags have labels hanging from the handle rather than stitched inside the bag. Check the zippers too. They should glide easily along the zipper track, unzipping and zipping effortlessly.

Check for misspelled words. Make sure the bag isn’t flimsy and doesn’t bend in odd ways.

Look inside the bag. The lining shouldn’t be made out of cheap, flimsy material. Usually, the lining will be composed of satin or some other shiny fabric; most designer bags will have their logo imprinted on the lining as well.

Many bags have serial numbers on a tab or sticker inside the purse. In Fendi bags, the serial number is printed on the inside pocket. Gucci bags come with a small leather tag attached to the zipper seam of the bag which contains the number. Louis Vuitton tags never come attached to the handbags themselves. The serial number is usually also included in the authenticity card, which comes especially encased in a dark envelope. Authenticity cards are a whole other issue on their own. Many counterfeiters have become extremely adept at forging these cards. Usually, these consist of a little card with the logo embossed on the front and there should be a magnetic strip or barcode with the serial number below it. The serial number on the card should match with the serial number within the purse.  Usually, you should be able to enter the serial number online to find out if it is real or not.

Another way to find out if a designer bag is real or not is to look at the packaging. Most bags come with specially designed dust bags, which have the logo printed on them. It is easy to fake these, but you can look online to find out where the logo should be positioned and also if the drawstrings should actually tie at the top or not. Most designer bags are packed with packing material that includes tissue paper. If it comes in a box, make sure the box actually fits properly. The box should be of the same brand as the bag itself, obviously.

If you’re buying online, you have to be extra cautious. Remember that many high end brands do not do wholesale. They also have legitimate, authorized online dealers.

Many counterfeiters will pepper their product descriptions with words like authentic, genuine and real; if you find that the occurrence of these words is quite frequent, than it’s probably a fake. No real dealer with have to entice you with such ample descriptions. Also look for wording such as inspired by…this means that they are simply copying a design.

If you do decide to purchase online, do so with a major credit card. Document all transactions and keep receipts, and copies of auction listings as well as any emails from the seller. Don’t buy from a seller with low feedback. If you find something that is too good to be true, than it is too good to be true—do not buy it. 

If you do end up with a fake, report it. Remember, your best bet is to buy from an authorized dealer and avoid shady websites or back alleys. You get what you pay for.