Posts Tagged ‘Cheap Designer Purses’

There are a number of questions that you should be asking yourself before you go out spending money on that Designer Handbag or Purse you wanted. Is the bag or purse you want really authentic or just a cheap replica? How do you tell the difference between them? With the current economic crisis more and more people than ever (both online and offline) are trying to get the uneducated shopper to buy designer purses for cheap that are actually replicas. This article has been specifically written for those who are thinking of buying at eBay, however, some of the tips offered in this article may prove useful and help to protect you in most offline transactions.

As most of us know already, eBay offers us a very unique platform that we can buy designer handbags from at very good discounted prices. To put it simply, eBay can help you to save money unlike anywhere else on premier brands. Over the last few years I have saved thousands purchasing designer purses, bags, accessories and clothing through eBay. But unfortunately there are still some sellers on eBay that are crooked and are claiming their items are the real McCoy when in fact they are replicas.

Please remember that when it comes to these kinds of sellers, eBay has a zero tolerance policy regarding them. Yet although they do carry out several checks, some bad sellers are able to get through the net and will take advantage of any unsuspecting buyer. In this article I am going to layout the steps that should be taken to avoid these kinds of eBay sellers and to ensure that the purse you get is the real deal.

Step 1. DO YOUR RESEARCH

Learn as much about the designer brand and model that you are thinking of buying. I would suggest you go to your local department store or boutique to look at the handbag you want and study its various characteristics. The other option you have is to visit a website that has the handbag you are after. Most of the online retailers including Nordstrom, provide a number of pictures of the bags they carry. If you cannot find the exact bag then you should look at one that closely resembles it. After finding the bag you are thinking of buying now is the time to do your due diligence and spend time comparing the following characteristics with the designer purse or handbag that you have carried out research on previously.

Color: Make a note of what color the item displayed at the auction site is. Is it the same color as the authentic designer purse or handbag you’ve researched? A great way of determining this is by visiting the manufacturer’s website to see if they offer that particular style of handbag in the color shown on the auction site.

Seams: Look closely at the stitching and seams of the purse that has been put up for auction. Do these meet in the same way as would be found on the authentic ones? \ Is the stitching on the handbag evenly proportioned? If it isn’t, then in all likely the bag isn’t authentic.

Exterior Material: Most designers will use leather accents rather than plastic ones.

Markings/Logo: Each designer places their brand name or logo on the hardware or leather of their purses or handbags. So you should check and verify that the logo or letters on the bag you are thinking of buying are displayed in exactly the same way as the on the authentic one. On the one from the manufacturer the logo or mark will have been engraved on to the leather, if it has been printed then you know that this will be a fake. Also, you should notice with the vast majority of authentic designer purses that the logo or brand name has been placed inside the lining of it as well.

Hardware: Look closely to ensure that the hardware on the purse or handbag is of a uniform color. Also make sure you look at the log on the hardware if it is embossed or printed rather than engraved this increases the chances of a bag or purse being a replica.

Step 2. FIND A SELLER YOU CAN TRUST

Location: Please be cautious of sellers that are located in Asia. There are a lot of factories that produce replicas in that region of the world.

Large Amounts Of Same Item: Look out for those sellers who have a large number of listings where they are selling the exact same bag. However, if they are selling several different styles of Juicy Couture handbags you should be alright. Always be wary of a seller who has 20 listings of the exact same juicy couture model, especially when they have “Buy It Now” at a price that seems too good to be true.

Seller Feedback: The feedback rating of a seller is one of the most important ways to identify whether you can trust that the item being sold is a genuine item. I wouldn’t recommend that you purchase an expensive item from those sellers with less than 15 to 20 reviews and where the positive feedback score is lower than 98%. Any reputable seller at eBay simply won’t risk damaging their feedback score by selling something to you that’s a replica.

Step 3. REVIEW THE PICTURES

Verify Their Authenticity: Look to make sure that the seller has included one picture that clearly shows the designer’s logo or brand name engraved on to the bag. If the pictures provided by the seller are fuzzy or none have been included ask them to post some better ones for you.

Ask For Further Pictures: A reputable seller will provide several pictures of the bag taken from different angles that can help you to identify if it is authentic. If you feel insufficient pictures have been taken then ask the seller to post some more. Don’t hesitate to ask them to provide you with more specific pictures say of the bottom of the item or a close up of it.

Hopefully you haven’t been discouraged by what is written from shopping at eBay. To be honest, the odds that you will run into any problems is low, but you should still take some precautionary steps to avoid making mistakes, especially when you are going to be spending quite a bit of money on your purchase.

Just to recap, before you buy that luxury handbag; make sure you take the following actions to help verify authenticity: Do your homework; Find a trustworthy seller; and carefully review the sellers pictures. By taking all these steps you can be confident in knowing that your new bag is truly a designer handbag and not some cheap knock-off.

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