PSA: Authentication of preloved branded goods!!

[Fabtwinsmom]

I was thinking about this very problem after looking at items at a local auction house. While scrolling through the catalog looking for anything interesting I came across 6 'luxury handbag' listings. They were Louis Vuitton " style"...Chanel "style"... Hermes "style" .... I'm assuming that the House figured that they couldn't be charged for selling counterfeit goods if they tacked "style' onto the listing. Of course the bags were all fake and totally reproduced the brands identifying trademarks. People were bidding hundreds of dollars.... I guess 'style' wasn't enough of a warning. They also were selling , as legit, several Chanel jewellery pieces as well as Bulgari. These are not items that are usually sold at this House... it's 99% furniture / household items. So I'm assuming its the same source as the bags.... again... lots of bids.

Scary. I just feel bad that this really takes away from legitimate sellers of authentic items. There’s no accountability on this seller’s part. They mentioned ‘style’ and then it’s up to the buyers to bid as is. Oh well!

 

[RunningwithScissors]

... They were Louis Vuitton " style"...Chanel "style"... Hermes "style" .... I'm assuming that the House figured that they couldn't be charged for selling counterfeit goods if they tacked "style' onto the listing.

This reminds of something I see in American grocery stores. "Cheese" that isn't real cheese (as in it isn't made with milk and the other natural ingredients that true cheese is made with) is marked as "cheese food" or "cheese product". Its not allowed to just be labeled as cheese.

Take at look at Kraft Singles the next time you are shopping. They "ain't" cheese.

 

[yssie]

This reminds of something I see in American grocery stores. "Cheese" that isn't real cheese (as in it isn't made with milk and the other natural ingredients that true cheese is made with) is marked as "cheese food" or "cheese product". Its not allowed to just be labeled as cheese.

Take at look at Kraft Singles the next time you are shopping. They "ain't" cheese.

Yes!! And pumpkin!! Lots of things called “pumpkin” that don’t have a whit of pumpkin in them. They’re not as bad though, because they use a cheaper gourd, not a… Chemical flavour profile cocktail.

- - - - -

Re. Law enforcement/customs/etc. targetting people who buy and own counterfeit goods, not just sellers and manufacturers - I know that France does this. I’ll have to look up specifics later though.

 

[Cerulean]

This reminds of something I see in American grocery stores. "Cheese" that isn't real cheese (as in it isn't made with milk and the other natural ingredients that true cheese is made with) is marked as "cheese food" or "cheese product". Its not allowed to just be labeled as cheese.

Take at look at Kraft Singles the next time you are shopping. They "ain't" cheese.

…so far from being cheese it’s practically vegan

 

[AprilBaby]

All over Reddit are chinese offers of exact replicas of almost any you want.

 

[Fabtwinsmom]

I ordered a travel moissanite band from a vendor in China that I found on Reddit this summer and the workmanship is excellent. It wouldn’t be difficult for the Chinese vendors to replicate the luxury brand jewelry. What irks me is that these replicas have brand name and serial number stamped on them and came with a branded box and certificate which to me is an attempt at fraud. For sellers that tell their customers these are replicas then there’s not much one can do unless the luxury companies take action. However, what happens when customers are unaware that these are replicas when people resell them (whether new or preowned) as genuine luxury items?

 

[Home73]

I ordered a travel moissanite band from a vendor in China that I found on Reddit this summer and the workmanship is excellent. It wouldn’t be difficult for the Chinese vendors to replicate the luxury brand jewelry. What irks me is that these replicas have brand name and serial number stamped on them and came with a branded box and certificate which to me is an attempt at fraud. For sellers that tell their customers these are replicas then there’s not much one can do unless the luxury companies take action. However, what happens when customers are unaware that these are replicas when people resell them (whether new or preowned) as genuine luxury items?

There were several threads on here as well where people unknowingly bought counterfeit, well made items. I guess it's a process. First trying to make sure something is not fake and then getting your money back. But let's say you bought a pair of earrings that don't need any repair or adjustments, you would have to go to the store and ask them to service your item and then you would know. It would cost a fee. Now you have to try to get your money back after it's found out they are fake. You have to make sure you payed through a system with recourse and not Paypal friends and family for instance. You have to make sure you stick to certain timelines for return charges, have proof like shipping data and signatures etc., maybe file a police report and so on. All that is a lot to make sure the pre-owned item is real. I am sure many of us here do that (I am) but how many buyers are naive and don't have the resources or knowledge to do that? It's kinda sad if you think about that the whole pre-loved market is under that suspicion.... I have no answer really.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I was thinking about this very problem after looking at items at a local auction house. While scrolling through the catalog looking for anything interesting I came across 6 'luxury handbag' listings. They were Louis Vuitton " style"...Chanel "style"... Hermes "style" .... I'm assuming that the House figured that they couldn't be charged for selling counterfeit goods if they tacked "style' onto the listing. Of course the bags were all fake and totally reproduced the brands identifying trademarks. People were bidding hundreds of dollars.... I guess 'style' wasn't enough of a warning. They also were selling , as legit, several Chanel jewellery pieces as well as Bulgari. These are not items that are usually sold at this House... it's 99% furniture / household items. So I'm assuming its the same source as the bags.... again... lots of bids.

caveat emptor

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

There were several threads on here as well where people unknowingly bought counterfeit, well made items. I guess it's a process. First trying to make sure something is not fake and then getting your money back. But let's say you bought a pair of earrings that don't need any repair or adjustments, you would have to go to the store and ask them to service your item and then you would know. It would cost a fee. Now you have to try to get your money back after it's found out they are fake. You have to make sure you payed through a system with recourse and not Paypal friends and family for instance. You have to make sure you stick to certain timelines for return charges, have proof like shipping data and signatures etc., maybe file a police report and so on. All that is a lot to make sure the pre-owned item is real. I am sure many of us here do that (I am) but how many buyers are naive and don't have the resources or knowledge to do that? It's kinda sad if you think about that the whole pre-loved market is under that suspicion.... I have no answer really.

i think its a good reason to save up and buy new

and if its inherited ...well so long as nana or mom enjoyed thinking she had a real one, the person who inherits it just has to suck it up

 

[Home73]

i think its a good reason to save up and buy new

and if its inherited ...well so long as nana or mom enjoyed thinking she had a real one, the person who inherits it just has to suck it up

Well that's exactly it right. Maybe it's better not to find out. If it's inherited and the previous generation presented it as genuine and the new owner does not intend to sell a piece, just assuming it's real is maybe the path of least resistance. A piece can still be cherished and adored even if "not real". There is usually a sentimental value.

But I do have an issue with your first sentence (well not really but you know what i mean). Not all pieces are available new and some people value vintage jewelry, watches, bags etc. And again to me it all goes back the re-using valuable resources and recycling. The designer companies could be more helpful in this regard. But why would they. It's much more profitable to sell new and have that constant doubt out there for pre-owned items. Again I am just thinking out loud.....

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Well that's exactly it right. Maybe it's better not to find out. If it's inherited and the previous generation presented it as genuine and the new owner does not intend to sell a piece, just assuming it's real is maybe the path of least resistance. A piece can still be cherished and adored even if "not real". There is usually a sentimental value.

But I do have an issue with your first sentence (well not really but you know what i mean). Not all pieces are available new and some people value vintage jewelry, watches, bags etc. And again to me it all goes back the re-using valuable resources and recycling. The designer companies could be more helpful in this regard. But why would they. It's much more profitable to sell new and have that constant doubt out there for pre-owned items. Again I am just thinking out loud.....

i absoltly agree about preloved in general
its just easier and a lot less heartache for the average laymen to just buy new on some of these high vale and often counterfit itrms rather than endure the heartache and stress of being ripped off

 

[katbran]

While a bit off the branded goods....when it comes to pearls ... beware the use of the words Tahitian Black pearls. Vendors will use this to pass off dyed Freshwater as Tahitian . If questioned they say ... 'oh that's the colour -tahitian black ... " And don't get me started on"South Sea baroque" .... 25$ when it's a Freshwater baroque.

 

[Fabtwinsmom]

Not all pieces are available new and some people value vintage jewelry, watches, bags etc.

This happened to me about 10+ years ago. I bought a Tiffany X style diamond pendant that I really liked. It was a classic style that Tiffany carried for years. Then the next year I went to buy a pair of earrings to match and was told that they discontinued the line! It took me a couple of years to come across a pair of pre-loved earrings being sold on ebay by a jewelry store out of Florida. I got them and immediately took them to Tiffany for service. All was as it should be but either I was lucky or that was before all the really good replicas coming out of China and Europe.

 

[Home73]

I guess the big ones are not interested in this. I am not surprised. I am not a Gucci or Burberry fan but at least they are considering second-hand participation. Good for them.

This will be an interesting concept playing out in the next years as the younger generations will demand more sustainability from the top designers. I am betting now that they will all change their tunes and participate in the pre-owned market if the retail starts suffering. There is only so much new "Lagerfeld" innovation a brand can come up with.

Gucci, Burberry Join Booming Secondhand Luxury Trade

A Gucci handbag for $250 instead of $2,000? The increasingly popular used-goods market is splitting the industry.

www.wsj.com

 

[Ibrakeforpossums]

I had a coworker who's Chinese. She told me they attend all the big fashion shows and the replicas are being made the next morning.