Fake Designer Handbags

Designer bags aren't sold at flea markets.

With the cost of designer handbags rising every season, many women who desire the look of high fashion without the high price tag turn to fake designer handbags. Unfortunately, fake bags are not only poorly constructed and less durable than the true items, they are also illegal.

How to Spot Fake Designer Handbags

Savvy consumers can easily spot fake designer handbags even if they've never seen a true designer bag. The quality of workmanship and other factors stand out on fake bags, and when designers are highly renowned for the exquisite work of their products, fakes are easy to notice.

Cost

One of the biggest indicators of fake bags is the price. True designer bags can be discounted, but they are never marked down to rock bottom clearance prices. Any seller that claims to have designer bags at too-good-to-be-true prices is telling the truth in one respect: the prices are too good to be true because, after all, they're not prices for true bags.

If you see a Louis Vuitton Bag, for example, being sold for $40, you can bet your money it's a fake, since the prices for a real bag from this designer usually start at around $800.

Location

The location the bags are being sold at is another indication of their authenticity. To keep demand soaring, designers limit the number of each style in circulation, often restricting the number of bags one consumer may purchase in a specific time frame (typically three bags of one design per month).

Any seller with a dozen of the same type of purse is likely trying to sell knockoffs rather than the genuine article.

Features

The bags themselves are always the biggest source of verification about whether they're authentic or counterfeit. When examining a bag that may be fake, check different features, including:

Fabric and Materials: Fake bags use lower quality materials; leather may feel like plastic instead of being soft and supple or the dye job of the fabric is uneven and splotchy.

Check small details for authenticity.

Stitching: True designer bags have tight, even stitches, while knock-off bags may have loose, shoddy workmanship, uneven stitches, or even missing stitches where fabric (especially on the interior) is glued rather than sewn.

Labels: Interior labels of designer bags will say made in Italy, and while some fake designer handbags do as well, others will stipulate made in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, or other manufacturing nations.

Designer Logos: Most designers affix signature logo plates to their bags. Those plates should be crisply printed, while fake plates may be blurry or slightly inaccurate. A common trick is to misspell the designer's name: Prada becomes Proda, for example. Also look for logos printed on interior linings - fake bags often lack this detail.

Authenticity Documentation: Designer bags often come with certificates of authenticity to prove their origins. Fake bags will be missing this paperwork, though sellers may claim it will be mailed or was simply lost.

Incorrect Styling: Counterfeits may be offered in colors or styles that authentic bags are not. Don't believe sellers who try to claim that the unusual design is simply rare and therefore a better deal.

Misaligned Details: Bags that use rivets or crystals, such as Juicy Couture handbags, should have straight lines and symmetrical spacing; fake bags are less carefully assembled and may have poorly aligned accents.

Initial Damage: Designer bags are carefully wrapped (typically in paper or tissue) for protection until they reach the consumer. Any bag that exhibits damage when it is supposedly "new" is likely a fake item - look for scratches, scuffs, small tears, and other seemingly minor imperfections. The fashion handbag industry prides itself on superior quality, and such scratch-and-dent items would never be permitted to be sold.

If you find yourself with a fake bag, the affected designer may want to be notified so they can alter their designs and make such counterfeits easier to spot. Furthermore, it is a good idea to report any suspicious transactions or materials to the authorities.

Origin of Fakes

Because of the lucrative profit margin on designer bags, the temptation to counterfeit sought-after styles is very tempting for unscrupulous manufacturers. Asian nations, in particular, have the necessary technology to create knockoff bags with slight differences that can still fool the majority of consumers, especially individuals that may not be intimately familiar with true designs.

Some fakes may even be produced in European nations, giving them the authority to claim they are made, for example, in Italy (one of the most respected nations for high fashion).

To increase the profit margin of counterfeit bags even further, the quality of fake purses is far lower than actual designer bags. Pleather or plastic may replace true leather, and gold-plated hardware may replace true gold pieces. Eager and naive consumers often fail to note those discrepancies before inadvertently purchasing a knock-off piece.

Fake Bags Create Legal and Ethical Issues

With true designer bags so expensive, many people question why fake designer handbags are bad. In fact, fake purses are illegal because they infringe on the designer's copyright, in effect taking credit for work that is not their own.

Some companies do market purses as designer-inspired replicas - using disclaimers stipulating that the bags are not from the well-known designer and having enough differences to avoid copyright accusations. These types of designer replicas are legal. The crime is committed, however, by companies that do nothing to inform consumers, and in fact may attempt to market their product covertly under the designer label.

Counterfeit purses are also a source of income for many illegitimate groups, such as terrorist organizations, gangs, and other criminal organizations. Counterfeit dealers do not pay taxes, meaning the cost of stemming the flow of fake merchandise falls to the consumers who thought they were getting a bargain.

Maintain Fashion Integrity

Fake designer handbags may seem like a good deal, but the ethical and practical implications of such shoddy merchandise rapidly devalue even the best bargain. By knowing how to examine different features and details for quality, it is possible to quickly spot a counterfeit bag and help maintain the integrity of your fashion sense.