Top 10 Tips For Spotting A Fake
- The No.1 rule - if it seems too good to be true. It is. Check that the price and description are realistic for the item being offered.
- It’s all about reputation. Check out the boutique’s feedback, you will be able to see what other buyers have had to say about them. Keep your eyes on any boutiques offering lots of the same item, or lots of different designer pieces at remarkably low prices.
- Has the product actually ever been made? Many counterfeits are items that have never been manufactured – look out for unlikely brand collaborations and designs and check online if they are authentic.
- Wrong logo? This is a sure fire way to tell that an item is fake. Where possible, compare the logo with the one featured on the brands website.
- A lot of counterfeit items have fake labels or have had the real labels sewn back in. Check for double stitches and messy hand stitching, check the labels are perfectly straight, and make sure the care labels are in English.
- Spellcheck! This is obviously a common indicator of a counterfeit item. Channel bag? Miu Muu wallet? No thanks. Check for spelling errors on the logos, tag label, fabric labels and authenticity cards.
- Check the pattern, especially for items covered in the brands logo. For example, Louis Vuitton bags are made from one long piece of fabric, so there should be no half cut off logos or seams at the bottom.
- Look out for loose threads and badly finished embellishments. Good quality designer brands should be finished perfectly, with no loose seams or imperfect hems.
- Obviously spotting a fake is harder online with 2D photos, but try to keep an eye out for the fabric. Does the boutique’s fabric description match what you can see in the photo? Where possible, check what the item should be made of by looking at the brands website online.
- If you are concerned that an item isn’t real, ask the boutique to provide more information or photos, such as close-ups of the labels and logos, you could also ask if they have a receipt or authenticity card available.
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