Designer fakes on ebay

[Zubberah]

Given the previous thread on the authenticity or fake identity of the Versace tie, I though it would be a good topic to discuss fakes on eBay (and there are plenty).

I was once bitten by buying Gucci jeans that turned out to be fake.  

I was sooo p/off 3 years ago when I bought "Gucci" jeans that I thought were genuine, and were offered as "genuine", but turned out to be fake (My local Gucci store pointed out nine "problems" with the jeans).

I promised myself it would never happen again and I would ensure if I didn't bid from reputable sellers I would do my homework 1st then ask heaps of questions. I have not been disappointed over 100 prurchases later. Caveat emptor.

Please also note that fakes are pretty good these days - they even do the embroidered linings, fake tags, proper size tags with where made, fabric and cleaning instructions and authenticity tags.

In my searches, fakes seem to be weighted to accessories and cheap clothing, hence the abundance of fake belts, t-shirts, wallets, bags, key rings, shirts (usually polo), socks, watches, rings, hats, etc.

The worst case I saw was one guy buying a Gianni Versace leather jacket for US$800 and it was one of those cheap GV US$50 numbers.  And they are still selling upward of US$200+.

Another time one guy admitted (after the auction) that he had sewn on a Isaia label on a cheap suit and sold and labelled it as Isaia.

My experience shows that Gucci and Versace are the two most "faked" (if that's a word?) items on eBay for male items, given the widely known signature logos of the Medusa and GG monogram.  Do a search on Versace/Gucci belts and wallets and I guarantee at least 70% are fake.

Then there is the Prada triangle, the Armani Eagle, the LV and D&G logo which are all also effortlessly ripped off.  We can at least be thankful we are not female given the oceans of fake Chanel and Louis Vuitton.

So:
(1) have you been stung and how?

(2) what are tips you have to avoid this malaise afflicting eBay?

(3) what are some of the worst examples of "fakery" u have seen on eBay pls?

 

[VMan]

I got ripped off on a Versace shirt back in my younger, more stupid highschool days. I don't know what the heck I was thinking, this thing was a gaudy red, yellow, and blue plaid with the medusa embroidered on the chest pocket, along with a small 'Versace' tag on the pocket. No size tag or washing instructions. I think I got it for $30 w/ shipping out of Australia, knew instantly it was fake.

I see a ton of Diesel/Energie shirts on ebay that are fakes, all coming out of Hong Kong with BIN prices of $11-$16.

 

[Nick M]

I've only been stung once, for a fake Etro tie. This was a few years ago, when you'd see an Etro item on eBay only once every few weeks, if that. The pictures were pretty poor, so I only paid, I think, about US$8 for it, but when I got it, it was obvious that it was just an old paisley tie with an Etro tag hastily slapped on.

Outside of eBay, I see those fake Versace, Armani and D&G jeans, t-shirts and polos everywhere, and people are willing to pay huge sums for items that are obviously, upon cursory examination, no better than discount-store clothes.

It's the little hologram stickers that fool them every time...

 

[Stu]

Another time one guy admitted (after the auction) that he had sewn on a Isaia label on a cheap suit and sold and labelled it as Isaia.

I sure hope someone pressed charges. That would amount to a pretty serious fraud rap.

 

[A Harris]

There is a German ebay seller who likes to mix in fakes among his authentic Kiton suits. I've seen him sell a "Kiton" with a picture of a label that had clearly been sewn in (badly I might add.) Even worse he sold a TON of three-button black suits as NWT Kiton and they were clearly machine made suits of mediocre quality from the pictures. I saw them bid up to as much as $600 and some buyers even gave positive feedback..

It's amazing what some ebay sellers pull on the unsuspecting public and GET AWAY WITH because the customers don't know any better. Look at the feedback record of the guy selling those fake ties - people are loving them.

Generally, fakes are confined to accessories and very well known brands. I don't think you are going to find fake Brioni Kiton or Oxxford unless someone is making them up himself (sewing labels in.) I've seen a few labels sewn into junky thrift store suits in the past couple of years so that does occasionally happen.

 

[LA Guy]

I have actually sent emails to bidders suggesting that they examine the pictures more closely and ask some very pointed questions of the seller. I have actually been threatened with lawsuits more than once from irrate sellers; but they've got no case and I've got no money. And it is hardly in the interest of someone pawning off "variants" as the real thing to call attention to themselves.

AHarris, I know the German seller you are talking about. In general, his stuff seems okay, although he talks it up a lot. Another things to beware of, and this is more the case for jeans and casualwear, is that lots of sellers will try to pawn off factory seconds, store returns, or damaged goods as first quality. My favorite are sellers who claim that a flaw is there on purpose and adds the authenticity of the article.

A few sellers are quite good. Theworldsfinest (sp?) who used to be VintageUSA, is terrific, and ScottandCo, a terrific store on Sunset has an Ebay presence now. The prices at both places is a little higher than the Ebay average, but I think that most people wouldn't mind paying for the piece of mind. discostu004 is good too, although some of the retail prices quoted seem a little high. I've never seen Campers cost more than $160, whereas he lists the retail at over $200. Maybe he got the stuff from a Canadian retailer or something.

I'd advise nearly anyone, unless you are *really* savvy, to buy from Yoox or Bluefly, where the prices for lots of cheaper items such as shirts and jeans are comparable to Ebay anyway - with the added incentive of a one month return policy in the case of Yoox, and a 90 day (90 days. I get bored by clothing sooner than that.) return policy in the case of Bluefly.

I'll troll on Ebay occasionally for collectors pieces; but I prefer to inspect vintage designer stuff thoroughly, so I've never bought anything that way.

 

[matadorpoeta]

the thing is that many people knowingly buy fakes. there are lots of people who want them so there will always be people who sell them. if you see a gucci bag for $50, you know it's a fake, but some women will think, "it's a nice bag anyway, and it has the gucci logo, it's worth fifty dollars to me." i suspect the people who bought those versace ties did so knowing they were fakes (the guy is practically advertising them as such) but wanted them anyway.

have you guys ever seen a $500 new rolex? it's obviously fake, but may still be a good looking watch to some, and may be quality wise equivalent to a "real" $500 watch.

 

[LA Guy]

have you guys ever seen a $500 new rolex? it's obviously fake, but may still be a good looking watch to some, and may be quality wise equivalent to a "real" $500 watch.

That reminds me of that old saying about class, style, and taste:

"A real Timex is better than a fake Rolex."

No fronting.

 

[Michael]

 I have actually been threatened with lawsuits more than once from irrate sellers; but they've got no case and I've got no money. 
 

My new quote. Thanks for the laugh LA Guy.

 

[vero_group]

Even though I am a seller on eBay, I second LA Guy's comment about competitive prices on BlueFly. Sometimes, BlueFly's prices are so low -- especially with a 15% off coupon and the occasional free shipping campaign -- I have bought tons of clothes from BlueFly and then turned around and flipped them on eBay for a profit. It's kinda nutty, but it works...

 

[matadorpoeta]

"A real Timex is better than a fake Rolex."  

No fronting.

goes without saying.

i've never bought or sold anything on ebay but i'll bet you could get more money for a rolex advertised as fake than you could for a timex advertised as genuine. it's a strange world we live in.

 

[A Harris]

AHarris, I know the German seller you are talking about.  In general, his stuff seems okay, although he talks it up a lot.

Yes, but if he tries (and succeeds) to sell fakes then I'm not going to trust anything else he sells - who knows what could be wrong with it?? If a seller proves himself to be blatantly dishonest then I will no longer trust anything he says. I wouldn't make a call like that based on a single transaction - everyone makes mistakes - but if you can spot lies on a consistent basis in a seller's auctions then chances are he's lying about ALL his merchandise.

I must say that fakes are pretty rare unless you are shopping for big name brand accessories - Prada, Gucci Vuitton etc. I primarily deal with tailored clothing and I can tell you that fakes are much much rarer than the real thing, almost to the point of being non-existant. Not shopping ebay because one is afraid of fakes is somewhat irrational. Better to just educate oneself.

And as for the prices on yoox and bluefly being lower, that may be true for casual wear and streetwear but they are a lot higher on tailored clothing and shoes. I keep an eye on bluefly and yoox, but I rarely buy. I buy on ebay on a very regular basis though, as there are plenty of ridiculously good deals to be had.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

Quote:

"A real Timex is better than a fake Rolex." Â No fronting.
goes without saying. i've never bought or sold anything on ebay but i'll bet you could get more money for a rolex advertised as fake than you could for a timex advertised as genuine. it's a strange world we live in.
Actually, fake Rolexes have become quite good. Â Long gone are the days that you could tell a fake by the fact that the second hand did not sweep -- today, many fakes have an automatic movement and are the same heft as the original. Â Throw in authentic looking tags and boxes, and buying a Rolex from anyone other than an authorized dealer becomes a dicey proposition. Â I avoid the problem altogether by buying brands that are not popular enough to merit quality replicas. And I agree with the above proposition -- if you can't afford to buy the real McCoy, save your money until you can or buy something else.

 

[bigbadbuff]

I agree with AHarris here. I frequent Bluefly and Yoox but rarely buy. They just don't carry much that I like, and if they do it's usually only a decent price. Ebay has spoiled me. When you're buying new, 1st quality Lorenzini shirts on Ebay for $50, it's hard to plunk $100 for a Zegna, etc.- even if it is, in comparison to most other places, a good deal.

EBay is becoming less of a deal haven than it used to be, of course- many more guys are looking for quality clothing there. I would also contend that the # of quality offerings seems to have dipped a lot this year, but maybe that's just me and what I look for.

 

[LabelKing]

I have bought from Yoox before, and I have been quite happy. Their selection is fairly more eclectic than Bluefly, and the pricing is farily low.

Ebay still has a lot of good deasl though. And as for the fake watches I don't particularly like Rolex. However for brands that one perceives as not being faked much there are exceptions. I have seen fake Daniel JeanRichards before not to mention a plethora of Pateks, Vacherons, and Panerais.