Luxury Handbag Scammers: Tips to Avoid Bagging a Fake

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By PAGE Editor

From Louis Vuitton to YSL, there are plenty of seemingly high-quality, fake handbags in circulation on the market. It can be easy for savvy scammers to take advantage of unsuspecting customers, especially when they think they’ve found the bag of their dreams on an unverified resale platform. 

That being said, there are some subtle, but key giveaways for how you can tell a fake from the real thing, that may not be so obvious to the untrained eye. Nick Drewe, at online discounts platform, Wethrift has provided some useful tips on spotting counterfeits. 

Is the bag made of real leather? 

A key giveaway of a counterfeit is the quality of the material used. Most of your big-name designer bags will be made from high-quality leather, meaning that they feel heavy. If you lift your back and it feels light, and is also flimsy in terms of structure, it signifies a cheaper alternative was used, and the bag is most likely fake. If you are still unsure, give the bag the ‘smell test’ - good quality leather will have a strong, distinguishable scent.  

Is the stitching poor quality?

Once you have assessed the quality of the material used, it’s time to take a deeper look into the finer details. There are many small, but key giveaways of a replica handbag, and one area to look at is the stitching. 

The stitching on a real designer bag will be extremely high quality and neat. Your classic Hermes or Chanel bags would never hit the shelves with sloppy and uneven stitching, meaning that a badly manufactured bag is a sure sign that is. in fact, fake. 

Check the lining  

It isn’t just the exterior of handbags that hold the tell-tale signs of a fake - take the time to carefully examine the interior, and particularly, assess the overall quality of the bag’s lining. If you are spending thousands on a bag, the lining should be made from high-quality material and match the quality of the bag’s exterior. Again, take a close look at the quality of the stitching. When it comes to faking a designer brand, many producers will attempt to hide their sloppy sewing work on the inside of the bag, hoping it is less noticeable. 

Check the logo 

Another dead giveaway is the logo used on the bag. Compare the logo on the bag with the brand’s logo online. Is it spelled correctly? Does it use the same typography? A poor-quality fake will often include mistakes on the logo, which could be subtle enough to be easily missed unless you are making a direct comparison. 

Check the zip  

Even if the fake uses the correct brand logo, they can sometimes be caught out on minor details. Many designer bags, such as Louis Vuitton, will also feature the brand name or logo on the back of the zip. This small but noticeable detail is something that producers of fake luxury bags will often miss, and is a great method for weeding out the real bags from the fakes. Also, take the time to check the quality of the zip - does it glide easily or is it catching? A poor-quality zip is another key way to identify a fake. 

Is the hardware made of metal? 

Many designer bags such as the Hermès Birkin and the Mini Kelly will include metal embellishments and hardware, making them easily identifiable. These embellishments can also be a key giveaway on whether you’ve bagged yourself a real one or a fake. Counterfeit bags will often use cheap materials such as plastic for their hardware embellishments. Even if a bag does use metal on the embellishments, take a closer look at the engraving. Poor quality engraving work is one way to spot if your bag is authentic or not. 

Check the dimensions 

Many replicas will be produced with the wrong dimensions. Check the brand’s website and product pages for the dimensions of their bags, and measure yours against them. If the bag doesn’t align with its measurements and dimensions, it is most definitely a fake. 

Always be mindful of which variation you have bought, for example, some bags offer mini versions, such as the Mini Kelly, so ensure you are always measuring against the correct size of the product. 

Look out for individual product codes 

It is no secret that producers of counterfeit bags can be savvy when it comes to creating a seemingly good quality replica. Even if all the above boxes appear to be ticked, look out for individual product codes. 

Most luxury brands will include an individual product code on their bags, which can then be checked and verified online. For example, Louis Vuitton bags produced from 2007 to the present date will include a code in the following format: 2 letters 4 numbers: LL WYWY.

To avoid falling victim to scammers and spending thousands on a counterfeit bag, it’s vital to use authenticated resale sites when buying luxury fashion items. As part of the Designer Discounts report, the trends team at Wethrift have analysed which are the best resale sites for purchasing designer fashion items, as well as identifying which luxury bags gain and lose the most resale value. 

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