I think we are all pretty much aware that if you go to Turkey you can buy fake designer jeans and Louis Vuitton goods and that there are now websites dedicated to selling fake Louboutin Shoes and Chanel handbags.
Yes you can pick up a fake designer Chanel handbag for about £250 but what seriously worries me is the fact that people purchase these and then go on to sell them on ebay for £1,000 + and I find this whole practice utterly disgraceful to be honest.
I have sold designer items on ebay for many years now and always find myself repeating over and over the fact that my item is "100% authentic guaranteed" because I know full well that it is, and it is one reason why I hate the fact that I haven't always kept the receipts for expensive items that I have bought in the past or that my husband may have bought for me, he is just as useless at keeping hold of such things! Then come the annoying influx of questions about authenticity, which drive you nuts when you know your item cost you a small fortune and is in no way a fake! This whole situation is a nightmare for genuine owners and sellers of high end goods. If I buy my 11 year old son a pair of Armani jeans and a Ralph Lauren polo top (which I frequently do) I am very unlikely to be able to find the receipt when he has outgrown them, sometimes 6 months or even a year later, depending on growth spurts.
So I am happy to sell on ebay but personally I am not so happy to buy, well not designer goods anyway and wouldn't dream of purchasing a Chanel bag or similar without a receipt, as another huge problem is the fact that the "fakers" are now so sophisticated that they can emulate holograms and care cards with ease, I was also once asked whether my receipt was genuine as you can apparently get "fake" receipts, but I am still astounded by the fact that certain individuals are fuelling these businesses and providing sellers with an income of £700 + plus with each Chanel bag they purchase. If somebody has a thousand pounds to spend on a fake item, surely it would be better to save another similar amount and purchase the real thing? If I was going to purchase such an item from ebay I would be looking for a used vintage item rather than new without receipt, but again, they go for so much money, you may as well save the extra and get a new one.
Apart from the obvious fakes, the ciggies and booze (yes its true, never buy cheap knock off, it probably isn't real, fake fags will kill you quicker than proper ones!) I was amazed to see that High Street clothing brands are also being copied by the "fakers". Karen Millen was a brand that featured and this completely shocked me! I could never imagine buying a Karen Millen dress or a pair of shoes on ebay and finding out that they are not authentic, it seems that every brand is at the mercy of the "fakers" who make a fortune out of vulnerable purchasers who may not be able to afford to shop directly from the retailer in question and honestly believe they are getting a bargain!
Karen Millen did mention the programme on their blog and are currently trying to reassure buyers that they are doing their best to put a stop to this situation as are ebay, but I wouldn't let any ebay statements give you reassurance to be honest. You can view Karen Millens information on the situation here where you will also find a link to the programme, which I highly recommend you watch.
Meanwhile you can read Pearl of "Fashion Pearls of Wisdom" advice on counterfeit goods here and if I can just take the time to remind you that Chanel can be bought from Harrods, Selfridges and any Chanel store and Louboutins can be bought from similar outlets but also online at high end retailers such as net-a-porter, matches fashion and browns fashion. The outnet also have a Louboutin sale once or twice a year, so sign up for email alerts as you will need to be quick as they sell out within minutes of the sale going live although I was lucky enough to snag a pair in 2010!
The Louboutins I can't walk in.
As for the buying and selling of designer goods on auction sites, my only advice is to always keep your receipts so that you can send them to your purchaser but do remove any personal information, I usually cut this out with a small pair of scissors rather than just scribbling out with a pen. You will also probably find that if the buyer has confidence in your item then you are more likely to get more money for it. As for buying, be very wary. Ebay is great for furniture, vintage goods and other clothing but when it comes to buying designer goods, have a look at the sellers previous history. If you looked at mine for example, you would see that I am a family who sells boys designer clothes from my son along with a mixture of high street and designer items from a man, a woman and a couple of teenage girls. Always check a sellers feedback and look at what they have sold previously. If a seller has previously sold 5 pairs of Louboutins, chanel bags or Karen Millen dresses and they are all brand new with tags - avoid them like the plague and refuse to become a part of "rip off Britain".
If you are fully aware that you are buying a copy and you pay a price accordingly, then that is up to you. One lovely blogger I know bought a fake handbag as she felt she would never be able to afford the real thing and I have to confess it looked great in her photographs. This is all a matter of personal choice, the most important thing being that she knew what she was buying and was not ripped off. I won't go into child labour, money laundering, or drug barons who are all associated with counterfeit goods, as that would make for a lengthy rant but people need to be aware of the individuals who are very often behind these businesses.
I've learnt my lesson with losing receipts and keep the Alexander Wang Rocco one in a small zip pocket on the side of the bag that I never use, just incase I ever need to sell her.
I may never get my 2.55 but I don't wish to carry a fake, ever. I'd rather go without.
What is your take on "Fake Britain"? Do you think this culture has grown due to the recent recession and the sheer volume of people out of work and in receipt of benefits, or is it just that we all get a thrill from a bargain and people are naive enough to think they are getting the real deal?
* Chanel do have a website but you are unable to purchase from it. Louboutin also have a website but an ecommerce site only exists for the US. Lets hope that these global brands realise the importance of selling their product range online in the very near future, France needs their economy boosting at present and I am sure this would help.
ooooh now you got me started!
ReplyDeleteI agree that those selling fake goods as genuine are terrible and give the sellers of genuine articles a harder time. However, it goes with the territory of reassuring potential buyers your items are real.
Since a genuine receipt does not make a fake item real, it truly no longer matters as these can indeed be obtained. I once caught out a seller when the date on her receipt did not correspond with the time frame a bag was made.
I think these programs are great to raise awareness, anything to educate and inform is good so people can make a choice.
Unfortunately a lot of the 'fuel' for certain designer goods is driven by the celebrity culture. Some people don't see hard work and saving up and waiting for expensive things as an option anymore. I think if they did, they would place more value on these items and therefore less likely to forget about them after a short time.
The information and resources are out there mostly for free to use regarding how to spot fakes. I didn't see the program but I was shocked to learn about the sheer scale of it all!
At the end of the day, I think it boils down to what sort of person you are, whether you just want a quick bargain or are prepared to do the homework and save for the real thing? Less about being naive in this age where we are so very connected to each other the world over in terms of information.
CC - thank you for your comment, although I do think a lot of people are more naive than we think when buying from ebay, whereas many are "clued up" like the person who told me about fake receipts!
ReplyDeleteLovin your blog, are you sure you not a pro? Great article....AGAIN!
ReplyDeleteAnon - thank you for the compliment, sadly I'm not but sometimes manage to pull something out of my head that might resemble something written like a pro!
ReplyDeleteHaving worked in fashion and retail all my life fakes- forgeries – knock offs etc not only do they do the brand damage but also can damage the real industry – as your diverting the money from the company who employ the designers and talent and nurture this – it’s been going on all my time in retail and will only carry on while if people are not more prudent about asking for the provenance of the product they are buying – what annoys me is when people think it’s harmless – like a victimless crime – it’s not someone pays somewhere.
ReplyDeleteMy view is if you want cheap be brazen and go to Primark but don’t be cheap and buy a fake – even the Chinese have now closed down what where thriving fake markets as they know big companies will not manufacture in China knowing their designs are being sold as fakes down the road.
The French which is the home of haute couture they take a very draconian view and all the African markets which used to be flooded with fakes etc are now gone and just sell cheap rubbish - the French policy is tourists purchasing counterfeits in other countries can face prosecution. In France, the maximum fine for buying fake goods is 300,000 euros or three years in jail. Maybe this should be adopted globally as it’s about supply and demand – plus if your educated enough to know it’s an “it” bag then your educated to know it’s a fake ………
At a big retail conference last year in the UK the head honcho of EBay did a talk and it was very interesting as all the retailers in the room ripped him to shreds as they complained about the fakes and also the stolen stuff – yes this is where all the shoplifters fence their product!
As they say Caveat emptor "Let the buyer beware”!
I hear you! People buy something because they can't afford the real thing and want people to know that they LUFF the real thing. One little handbag, it won't hurt, SURELY?!
ReplyDeleteBut as you have shown, yes, it does hurt - someone, somewhere.
And those shoes are SPLENDID!!!!!!
Ali x
AC - thanks Ali xx
ReplyDeleteMrs D - thank you so much for giving us further insight into this situation due to your extensive retail knowledge xx
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs D. Just wanted to introduce myself and say 'I'm so glad I found your blog' I'm also a 40-something mum - I've got three kids 17,16 and 11. However, unlike you, I feel I'm teetering over the edge into style suicide as my daily uniform is more suited to walking the dog than the catwalk (that's because I am walking the dog usually). But I know I can do better, and your blog is the place to start! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI havent seen the programme but would be interested to see it. I only buy from ebay where I think it is from a genuine person and it is their own personal "cast offs" ... I know thats not quite the right word to use but brain wont work today lol. I sell personal stuff on ebay and do u know my timberland boots never sell and they are almost brand new and in some cases I havent worn them at all. I used to work in an outlet village and knew when the sales were on and used to get good discounts on top of the discounts and must have beena shopaholic, but i think people think they are fakes because I have got quite a few pairs ... so annoying .... or maybe they just dont like them in my case ! xx
ReplyDeleteBombshellicious - that is so annoying, maybe try selling them one at a time mixed in with other items so that it doesn't look like you have loads of pairs that could be fake. Thats what I mean, so annoying when people are genuine and can't prove it!
ReplyDeleteWould love to have seen the programme! I don't think you would ever feel the same way about a bag or shoes if you know they are fakes!!Great post X
ReplyDelete~Anne
Fab post, and an issue I am passionate about! One thing that also happens is that people knowingly buy fakes, then bring them to legitimate shops and say they purchased them there, but need a different size, switching the fakes for the real thing! This has happened in NY notably at Saks, but just as there are unscrupulous people everywhere, I'm sure it's happened just about everywhere. Worst part is if the shop doesn't catch it, they get passed on to the next customer. A viscous cycle...
ReplyDeleteXXX
Suzanne
Anne - the link to the programme is on the Karen Millen blog which I have linked to xx
ReplyDeleteSuzanne - Wow, I can't believe people take fakes back to legitimate retailers, that is awful!
ReplyDeleteI detest fakes. I would rather buy a leather bag from a high street store than carry anything that is pretend designer. It just isn't going to happen.
ReplyDeleteThe Purse Forum is really fab for helping get items authenticated, and I help to authenticate myself.
My general rule of thumb on ebay when buying designer - if it SEEMS to good to be true, it absolutely always is ...... !
Jools - I'm the same as you. Re: Purse Forum can they really tell the difference, aren't the fakes so good now, must be hard to tell without seeing the item x
ReplyDeleteWow!! this SO fits in with my last post (that you commented on). Very timely.I had no idea that there were such things as fake cigarettes!!!
ReplyDeleteHere in Spain we are very close to Morrocco which is a haven for counterfeit designer goods. Sometimes it's impossible to tell the difference. I've never bought a designer bag from e-bay simply because I don't think I'm clued up enough to know until it's too late :-(
Wish I'd seen the programme. Will hope someone downloads onto YouTube in the next few days.
Vanessa - the link is there in the post!
ReplyDeleteGod you know I can rant about this topic for days on end. I buy and sell on eBay and it is a risky place if you don't know what you are looking for. My advice is that if you don't 100% know what the real version looks like then don't try to buy it on ebay. I get emails everyday from people asking me to help them find a cheap Louis Vuitton leopard scarf - my answer is that you cant, of course you cant get a £500 scarf for £50 from a random website but people just don't get it, they think and hope they can find a bargain. I was even in a little shop in Afflecks Manchester the other day and saw them selling fake Vivienne Westwood!! Also people knowingly buying fakes don't think about the conditions the people who made them were working in, if your making illegal goods you arent going to worry about health and safty!!! Hmm ok I will stop ranting, but my god if you can't afford the real thing don't buy the fake!!!
ReplyDeletePearl - I am amazed that there was a shop selling fake Westwood scarves how bad is that!
ReplyDeleteI have been dying to get home and read this post all day!
ReplyDeleteAs someone who is deeply involved in our brand integrity program at work (unfortunately not in fashion though), I know all about these counterfeiters. They are a sneaky lot and once you take them down in one area they pop right back up elsewhere.
You should know that a lot of the money obtained by counterfeiters has been proven to fund terrorist organizations - so that is something to ponder before you even think about buying a knock-off.
Many company's may be limiting their online presence in order to thwart counterfeiters. I know that we do not sell our product online anywhere. So if we find our product online then we KNOW, without a doubt, that it is the work of counterfeiters.
It amazes me the lengths these guys will go to to get their "product" on the market. It seems to me if they put that much effort into a legitimate business they could do just as well.
The only real way to stop it is for people to wake up and quit buying it. The problem, for some companies, is that somehow some of this stuff is slipping into the real marketplaces (i.e., prescription drugs) somehow. And God only knows what is in those pills that you bought at your local drugstore. Yes, these guys are sneaky and crafty enough to make it look like the real deal to your pharmacist.
And don't get me started on eBay - because I am here to tell you they don't care about the problem. They figure if you get ripped off it is your own damn problem. I've been battling with these bastards for over two years (not about our product but about fake coupons - yes folks. There ARE fake coupons out there).
Thank you so much for writing this article. Maybe people will begin to realize just how much these counterfeiters are damaging not only reputations of good companies, but possibly also hurting the very people who are buying the "product."
x
Gigi - thank you so much for your insightful comment, fake medication was also featured in the programme but I had forgotten to mention it. As for ebay, I totally agree with you, so long as they get their seller fee's, I don't believe they care that much and sellers of fake goods will just open up a new account anyway!
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteThe fake industry is fascinating and much of the negative hype is generated by the brands who are effected by counterfeits.
I work in manufacturing and have had many items made in China (luxury goods and accessories, so the comments below relate only to what I know about those industries). Rest assured the only reason that the Chinese can offer counterfeits is because the lines are being made on site. They simply do not bother 'faking' an item that they cannot see. It is the brands themselves that are to blame for the proliferation of forgeries on the market.
In the last 3 decades the face of the luxury goods industry has changed beyond all recognition. The labels have been bought out by equity firms who are looking for a return on their investment, the first thing that they do is assess the manufacturing and if costs can be cut by moving the maunufacturing to China, there is goes, (remember Burberry) It is their greed that motivates the move to the far east and then they try to tell us that if we buy fakes we fund terrorism, come on, think about it, how is that actually possible?!
The whole issue is further complicated by the 'dual factory set up' this is where a garment or item is made in China and then 'finished' in a sister factory in Europe, this allows a 'made in France/Italy etc' to be stamped on an essentially Chinese item.
The luxury goods market that our parents knew is dead and the excessive prices that we pay do not fund better made product, they support the advertising and marketing to create hype around a brand. If you have £2000 to spend on a bag try to find something local, handmade, and exquisite. I am completely jaded by what I have seen in the far east and would not buy ANY well known luxury brand, instead I commission bespoke jewellery a couple of times a year and this purchase really makes a difference to the income and viability of a local business, and of course this represents real value for money to me as I have something that will last many lifetimes and will always retain an intrinsic value.
If you are thinking about buying anything check out 'ioffer.com' if it is available there, the chances are that some of the item, not necessarily all of it, is being made in China. I love shoes and only buy 'Gina'and 'Rene Caovilla', as the quality is second to none and they are not to be found anywhere in China, (except in the luxury malls where the Chinese can not get enough of them as they are truly exclusive brands).
The next decade will be an interesting time, of course the glossy magazine industry, whose existance depends on advertising revenue, will never blow the whistle on the reality of how this industry works. It is consumers who should think twice before paying £1000+ for an item that was possibly made in a factory that makes for Accessorize.
Perhaps buying a few fakes is a good idea to make luxury goods brands (who operate as 'brand managers' rather than actually making anything, need to understand that it might be an idea for them to become manufacturers again.
Anon - thank you for your insightful comment. It really does give food for thought. Burberry made in the same factory as Accessorize, now that is something I have never thought about and the fact that something can be stamped with a made in France or Italy tag, just because it is finished there is unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteAnon - is spot on I know from my days in manufacturing you can have a factory in Morocco making polo shirts for both ends of the market and of course the only difference is logo and price
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting post. I'm not keen at all on buying "fakes" myself - I don't really see the point, you're buying into a look and a lifestyle ok I get that, but one of the nicest things about designer items I think is the investment you made in the first place, they are much coveted much loved items. I'm heading to Turkey this year -I'll have my eye out for the fakes!
ReplyDeletewww.styleonthecouch.com
Am completely with you. Not a fake person either - and there's absolutely no need to be! There are lots of great young designers who do affordable fashion if your budget doesn't include a LV monogram bag or a Chanel 2.55. Fake is just so... fake!!
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