Avoid Counterfeit Designer Handbags When Shopping Online
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009If you love the designer handbag look but don’t have the budget to pay for it, you’ve probably looked at buying a designer knockoff handbag. If you’ve hesitated until now before taking out your credit card to buy a knockoff, good. There are some things you should know before you make this type of purchase so you’ll be walking in with your eyes open.
Two types of designer knockoff purses are being sold in the marketplace, one good and one bad. One type can be a great deal and enhance your wardrobe. The other type can be a complete waste of your money.
The “good” type of knockoff is the designer-inspired handbag, also called a replica handbag. These purses have the designer look but they don’t pretend to be something they’re not. They don’t use designer tags or logos, and they aren’t sold to you with claims of being the genuine article. Inspired handbags, are a fun, economical way to add some designer pizazz to your fashion look without spending a fortune. Sure, you’re not going to fool anyone into thinking it’s the real thing, but you’ll save a small fortune and look great doing it.
The “bad” type of knockoff tries to pass itself off as the real thing. These cheap rip-offs are mass produced from poor quality materials and workmanship, and are gussied up with designer tags to fool you into thinking you’re getting a Vuitton, Prada, or Coach when you’re not. These bags are counterfeits and if you buy one, you’re probably being ripped off, because the seller will charge you many times what the item is worth while telling you you’re getting a big discount on a valuable item.
Spotting a counterfeit designer bag isn’t that difficult. The first thing you should do is ask yourself if the designer would allow his or her designs to be sold in this type of retail establishment. Designer inventories are tightly controlled, and the chances of a Vuitton or Balenciaga being sold at a roadside stand or online auction are practically zero.
If you’re buying a designer handbag online, make sure it’s from a well-known retailer. Anyone else is in a great position to take advantage of you because you won’t be able to see and handle the bag until after you’ve paid for it. When you buy online, you can’t even tell whether a bag is vinyl or leather by looking at its photo.
Another way to protect yourself in the handbag marketplace is to make sure you’re buying from a store with a good returns policy. Thirty days is the absolute minimum you should accept if you’re spending big money on a designer handbag. This is especially true if you’re buying online. Beware of restocking fees from online merchants, who have been known to keep up to 50 percent of the price of the item as a “fee” for you returning it.
Always pay for designer handbags online with a credit card. Your credit card issuer provides additional protection for you by letting you initiate a chargeback if the product isn’t what it was claimed to be. Debit cards and direct payment services provided by online auctions don’t afford you the same protection.
If the online merchant does business outside your home country, think twice about buying from them. Shipping times can extend beyond the returns period, and other countries have their own laws about doing business that might be more lax than yours.
The two magic words that signal counterfeit are “guaranteed” and “genuine.” Imagine your favorite designer at a New York fashion show saying his goods are “genuine.” If a merchant thinks he has to say it, then you know it’s not true