Are Those Designer Purses For Cheap The Real Deal?
There are a number of questions that you should be asking yourself before you go out spending money on that Designer Handbag or Purse you wanted. Is the bag or purse you want really authentic or just a cheap replica? How do you tell the difference between them? With the current economic crisis more and more people than ever (both online and offline) are trying to get the uneducated shopper to buy designer purses for cheap that are actually replicas. This article has been specifically written for those who are thinking of buying at eBay, however, some of the tips offered in this article may prove useful and help to protect you in most offline transactions.
As a great many of us know already, eBay offers a unique place where designer purses and handbags can be purchased at highly discounted prices. To put it simply, eBay offers you the chance to save money on some of the best known brands compared to anywhere else. I myself, have over the years saved thousands of dollars on purchasing not just designer bags, but accessories and clothing through eBay. However, there are still some unscrupulous sellers on eBay who are claiming that the products they are selling are genuine but which are in fact fakes.
Please keep in mind that eBay has a zero tolerance policy against these types of sellers, but every so often one of these sellers may slip through the cracks taking advantage of an unsuspecting buyer. Within this article Im going to layout the steps you can take to avoid these types of eBay sellers and ensure that the purse you are buying is really legit.
Step 1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK
You should learn as much as you can about the designer brand as well as the model you are thinking of purchasing. I recommend visiting a local department store or boutique where the handbags you want are available and spend some time looking at and studying the bag’s various characteristics. If you don’t have such stores close to you then visit a website where the handbag is available. A great many of the online retailers including Nordstrom offer several pictures of the purses and bags that they carry. If they don’t have the one that you are looking for then look closely at those which resemble it. After finding the bag you want on eBay, make sure you spend time comparing it to the characteristics of the known authentic purse you’ve previously researched. See common characteristics listed below.
Color: The color of the item that you see displayed in the auction should be the same color as what the authentic designer purse should be. It is a good idea to visit the manufacturer’s website to verify that the color is one that they actually offer in the style of purse or handbag you are after.
Seams: Study the stitching and seams of the purse being auctioned. Do the seams meet in the same manner as the known authentic? Is the stitching proportioned evenly across the bag? If not, chances are its a fake.
Exterior Material: Nearly every designer today will use leather accents NOT plastic ones.
Markings/Logo: Each designer places their brand name or logo on the hardware or leather of their purses or handbags. So you should check and verify that the logo or letters on the bag you are thinking of buying are displayed in exactly the same way as the on the authentic one. On the one from the manufacturer the logo or mark will have been engraved on to the leather, if it has been printed then you know that this will be a fake. Also, you should notice with the vast majority of authentic designer purses that the logo or brand name has been placed inside the lining of it as well.
Hardware: Take a close look at the purse or handbag’s hardware and make sure that each of the pieces color matches. Also, look to see if the logo is engraved in to the hardware. If it has been printed or embossed then the chances of it being a replica are high.
Step 2. FIND A TRUSTWORTHY SELLER:
Location: Be wary of those sellers who are situated in Asia. There are also lots of factories around this region of the world that produce replica products.
Large Amounts Of Same Item: Look out for those sellers who have a large number of listings where they are selling the exact same bag. However, if they are selling several different styles of Juicy Couture handbags you should be alright. Always be wary of a seller who has 20 listings of the exact same juicy couture model, especially when they have “Buy It Now” at a price that seems too good to be true.
Seller Feedback: The feedback rating of a seller is one of the most important ways to identify whether you can trust that the item being sold is a genuine item. I wouldn’t recommend that you purchase an expensive item from those sellers with less than 15 to 20 reviews and where the positive feedback score is lower than 98%. Any reputable seller at eBay simply won’t risk damaging their feedback score by selling something to you that’s a replica.
Step 3. REVIEW THE PICTURES
Verify Authenticity: Make sure that the seller included at least one picture of the Designers Brand Name/Logo engraved on the bag. If the seller didnt include a picture or the picture is fuzzy then ask the seller to post a better picture.
Request Additional Pictures: The seller should include several photos of the bag from different angles so you can verify authenticity by checking the various characteristics as previously described in this article. If you feel that he did not include enough pictures then simply ask him to post some more, just be sure to be specific in your request. If you want to see the bottom of a purse, then dont hesitate to ask for a close-up photo of it.
Hopefully you haven’t been discouraged by what is written from shopping at eBay. To be honest, the odds that you will run into any problems is low, but you should still take some precautionary steps to avoid making mistakes, especially when you are going to be spending quite a bit of money on your purchase.
So to recap, before you buy design purses for cheap, make sure that you do the following to verify it is authentic. Do your homework, find a seller you can trust and make sure that you review all pictures supplied. Taking these steps you can be confident in knowing that you are buying a genuine designer purse or handbag rather than some cheap knock off.
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