Unless you are an expert who researches luxury goods day in and day out (hey, lucky person!), it's all too easy to fall into the trap of buying fake fashion wares. With the pre-loved and resale markets booming, sites like VestiaireCollective.com are here to step in and solve your e-shopping woes.
Vestiare Collective in particular has in-house teams dedicated to vetting each and every pre-loved designer item that get sold on their site, not allowing a single one to reach a consumer should it be considered counterfeit. Of course its crew has many authenticity-tracking practices in process, but there are tips you can personally employ in order to never be tricked into a bad purchase again.
We drilled Fanny Moizant, co-founder of the site, for her top tips. Scroll down to start using them today—then shop from the site's best designer handbag buys.
"It is important to familiarise yourself with the product, go into a store, feel and touch it. Once you know how the genuine item looks and feels in detail, you’ll find it easier to spot a counterfeit version."
"When checking for counterfeits, the first point to inspect is the stitching—uneven or slanted stitching is a sign of a poorly made item and therefore a potential counterfeit."
"Do your research on retail price and be price aware. If you see a designer bag for sale for £250 when it's new season and worth over £1000, it's unlikely to be genuine. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!"
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"Check the lining; again, this is another area counterfeits often slip up. The people who create fakes often work from photos, so the colour match or quality of the material can be a giveaway."
"If you're buying a handbag, check for a serial number, and ask to see proof of purchase if you're buying from an online resale site."
"Check the logo and the hardware closely as this is where many copies slip up; each brand has a few unique details that will help them identify a genuine piece from a fake."
"Only buy pre-owned designer goods from trusted sites. It's important to check that the pre-owned sites you shop on have an experienced authenticity team who will check each item sold to ensure that it is a genuine piece."
Shop the best resale designer bags below…
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