This guide is written with a focus upon several key areas of which to be aware when deciphering a fake item and locating the real deal - we hope you find this useful!

introduction

Counterfeit items account for a huge percentage of all luxury goods for sale online. Goods which continue to flood the market and which are often purchased without awareness of the origin and the detrimental social and economic effect which the production and subsequent funding of these items entail. It has been estimated that with reference to particular brands, as much as 90% of all handbags on a well known auction site are for counterfeit goods. 

Many fraudsters will have no inhibitions in having these items drop shipped in bulk from China and other locations, to then rapidly sell them in succession upon auction websites or their own websites as authentic goods.  Counterfeit websites are now two a penny and many are so close in appearance to the authorised brand owner site. Goods are purchased from these sites with no consumer back up, which unfortunately leaves genuine buyers investment in tatters.  The level of deceit involved is shameful as many buyers are sadly unaware of the inferior quality of the goods they have purchased at a premium luxury price

There are some great bargains out there, however you really do have to do your homework if you want the real deal... and when you find your item, get this checked out by the brand name in question for total peace of mind.

location of purchase

Unless you are purchasing your luxury item at the brand boutique, online store or from an authorised seller it can be a mine field to find an authentic item.  Unless you are confident, avoid flea market bargains, purchases from handbag parties, street sellers and most unauthorised websites, especially those offering current season high end luxury at near high street prices, as the goods found in these locations are going to be questionable.  If you find a website which you are partly convinced by, make sure you check the about us page and any other information relative to authenticity, refund policy, history of the seller etc.  Contact details are a very good gauge especially if you can get to talk to someone personally regarding the goods. One of the best ways of finding trusted places is often through the grapevine (word of mouth), forums such as the Purse Forum, ebay feedback etc.

If you are buying fro online auction, ask questions: find out if your item was purchased from the brand store, make sure you question as to which store, if it was purchased personally, the date of purchase, exact price etc, if you get no response or receive hazy answers, then avoid as you never forget the purchase of an expensive luxury item!  If your seller states a family member, sibling, son-in- law, parents or ex partner originally purchased this, also be very wary as this is a tactic used on a regular basis by sellers to distance themselves from any come back upon selling a counterfeit bag.
There are of course many genuine exceptions to the above, where a family member etc will have purchased the genuine item as a gift etc.   The key is to communicate, asking all the questions and making sure you are 100% confident with the answers you receive.

craftsmanship

Craftsmanship, premium quality and exclusivity account for the high price of luxury goods. So if the item you are considering seems a bargain and a little to good to be true, it may well be just that! Craftsmanship is an area of distinction with luxury goods and most design houses have particular leather tanning, cutting, forming and stitching methods, relative to style, length of stitch, number of stitches per detail etc, so beware of untidy details, stitching and uneven stitch counts etc. Pay particular attention to areas which are not immediately on display such as the underside of an item, interior pockets, beneath and around the edges of fastening zippers.  If the results of your investigation lead to finding any questionable elements, take your investigations further until you are convinced either way.

details

Many elements combine to denote the authenticity of a luxury branded handbag.  The leather quality and type, colour and craftsmanship which covers various elements in itself, hardware and the association between age and style are just a few of these important factors.

Many brands have specifically tanned or treated leathers and designed fabrics, fixtures and fittings. Although the high end counterfeiters have a seemingly convincing grip on many of these, there are often various giveaways such as incorrect leather type for product, texture, colour variation, alignment of pattern, edges not sewn in correctly, zippers which open from the incorrect side, print of lining fabric wrongly aligned etc.  If you are looking at purchasing a current season item it makes good sense to examine the item in-store, focusing on the finer details.

new packaging

When purchasing a new item, the design of the packaging of luxury goods can have as much relevance as the handbag itself.  Does your item have a keeper bag? and if so what is the quality like? is it soft and luxurious, made from good quality cotton and leather friendly fabric?.  A few keeper bags will also state the fabric 100% cotton or the country of origin upon a sewn in tag, ie made in Italy for Prada etc.  Does your item come with fine tissue paper, correct authenticity cards, product care information, luxury boxes and store bags? As luxury packaging is also copied and is readily available to purchase alongside fake receipts from the same sources of the fake bags, beware and make sure to look for the finely tuned details, taking into account (if possible) the exact colours, sizing etc of the authentic packaging and steering clear of any poor quality details.  

authenticity documents and store receipts

The information upon a fake authenticity card will often not apply to the bag in question, so a card which is distributed with a blue Prada handbag may well have the colour code for a black bag, ie if your all blue Prada handbag comes with a colour description upon the card stating 'nero' black... this is a fake.  Also there are various leather types which design houses such as Prada state in Italian upon the authenticity cards (so research if you do not have a knowledge of the language - google babelfish - this is a great online translation service). A bag which is made from fallow deer skin 'daino' should not have a description stating 'cinghiale' wild boar skin etc.

To make the sale convincing many fraudsters will sell their counterfeit bag with a counterfeit store receipt.  Fake store or brand receipts are purchased alongside paper store carrier bags for a few pounds from the original source of the counterfeit items.  These receipts will be distributed with the fake goods, however just like fake authenticity cards the receipt may have information relevant to another colour/style etc..  So make sure you ask questions and if in any doubt don't buy.

immediate countefeit giveaways

Counterfeiters often place plastic protective wrapping on the handles of new bags - which you will not see with a luxury branded item. 

A little trianglular or hide shape leather hang tag (leather sample) on cord can often be seen wrapped around the handle of a counterfeit bag.  This tag which is another trademark counterfeit giveaway has traditionally been acknowledged as a sign of 100% vera pelle or real leather... if you look on auction sites you may well spot one of these hanging from a supposed genuine luxury handbag!  Be aware as the majority of luxury brand names will never use this icon.

Lower end counterfeit items will often have mis-spelt brand names. Look for letters that are in the incorrect order or a letter that is capitalised and is not on the authentic item, and vice versa.

Check your sellers feedback, if they have sold the same bag previously ask yourself why they would have a duplicate - this could be a genuine resale from an item unpaid for - so investigate. Unless a recognised luxury reseller and they have sold several of the identical bag...be very careful indeed!

Avoid sellers who advertise bags which have a long delivery period ie 7-14 days etc, as this is the time period for their fake goods to travel from the foreign counterfeit factory directly to you.

hardware

With most luxury accessories you will find the brand icon or logo on a few, many and occasionally all elements of the hardware, such as zippers, locks, studs and buckles.  Counterfeiters do place these on their goods, though may get the amount of times this is applied incorrect - so check if you can an authentic version of the bag prior to your purchase.  And again the key is down to fine tuning or precision, so look at the nature of the forming of hardware, curves as opposed to sharp edges, embossing, if this is crude or untidy, or if the logo is turned in the wrong direction, upwards, sidewards etc.

labels

An authentic handbag will most often have the brand label (leather, metal or fabric) secured or stitched within its interior as well as /or in other locations on the bag.  Counterfeit items will have this label also, though there will often be giveaways such as occasionally an old design which is no longer used by the design house in question placed on a new bag. Some high end items however have what is almost a carbon copy of the original label and again the key to denoting the counterfeit is down to the fine tuning, the correct leather, finish of the metal - no sharp edges etc, shape of letters, depth of embossing, shape, cut and stitch quality of the leather label etc.

country of origin

With one or two key brands, the country of production is a way of verifying an item and this combined with date codes, fabric quality and pattern alignment alongside other factors are ways of ascertaining authenticity.

In recent years many goods which have only previously been produced in the country of brand origin are now being produced in varying european and continental locations due to the associated cost factors - expect to see a mulberry or miu miu with a 'made in turkey' or 'made in China' label inside.

date / authenticity codes

A key factor in verifying a few brands is the date or authenticity code.  This is often found deep within a pocket, tucked in a seam or on the underside of a leather brand label. A few date codes have been recycled relentlessly on various fake items (these can be googled). A genuine item will often also carry this code, from which it was taken to later be applied to counterfeits - so don't be put off if you find your code is duplicated. 

Due to the nature of poor quality images on the internet, it is often not until you have the item within your hands that you can appreciate the distinctive nature of how elements combine to suggest luxury or fake. Often tactile comparatives such as weight, the thickness and finish of the hide, tone and texture of the hardware can ultimately verify the authenticity of the item.  So take this direct to the brand who will advise you on provenance.

photography

Many fraudsters will illegally use other sellers photography, copied from personal auction listings etc or taken from brand websites stock imagery.  If you do not see images of the actual bag or you think you have seen these images elsewhere ie on another website or listing by another auction seller, then ask questions and if not confident avoid.  It is one of the most common scams to show an image of an authentic bag (belonging to someone else) and then sending out a fake on the back of this!

Does your seller have a returns policy

Obviously a returns policy is not a standard with personal sales, however many trusted sellers will state that they will be happy to negotiate a solution if you are not happy with your purchase - if it is stated no returns under any circumstances - ask questions or avoid, as a genuine seller will respond with a fitting solution.

Also find out if collection is appropriate, as this will give you the opportunity to inspect your goods prior to handing over your well earned money.  Collection may not be possible due to many genuine reasons, however do ask this question, as this can be a measure to the genuine nature of the sale and also the ability of your seller to communicate.

does your seller accept trusted payment methods?

Many fraudsters prefer untraceable payment methods, bank wire transfers, which they will occasionally offer generous discount for your use etc. Bidpay and western union, the fraudsters preferred payment methods are apparently no longer available, so loopholes in the paypal system are being exploited, however this is mostly targeted from buyers towards sellers. 

Paypal is a trusted payment system which works in conjunction with ebay and its anti-counterfeit policy,  so if your item is proven to be a fake and your seller is unresponsive to your communications or will not refund your purchase do not hesitate in pursuing a claim through paypal as they will work alongside you.

fabulous not fake, be anti-counterfeit and anti criminal

Many people are unaware of the illegal activities which the counterfeit industries support, through which direct purchase of these goods can fund appalling social and economic crimes globally.  If you think you have bought into a fake, do something about it, as this is a highly illegal industry and every person who says no to these goods, really does make a difference.

authentic investment

Ultimately you may spend a little more than you originally intend, however the exceptional quality and exclusivity of your luxury item will give you peace of mind that your investment has been well spent on your handbag which will have an inherent resale value or will become a fabulous heirloom!

choose trusted on line sellers

Always check feedback, recommendations, credentials etc to the fullest extent. Don't risk your investment, make sure you use trusted sellers who have a very good history and consideration for you - the buyer.  Look for those who guarantee your purchase fully, as ultimately this gives a degree of peace of mind prior to receiving your item and can be indication of both the level of service and goods provided.

authentication - be safe and if in doubt check it out!

Authentication services for luxury goods are available from a few specialists companies, who will charge a fee for a written confirmation verifying the provenance of your item. The Purse Forum is an online community of handbag lovers, where it is possible to submit your handbag for analysis to the forums Authenticators, whom like ourselves have many years experience dealing with genuine luxury goods.