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Don't Get Snagged By A Fake Handbag
Search This Site:
Online Shopping Guide (eBay)
Louis Vuitton Speedy Bags
Louis Vuitton Speedy 25 Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 Louis Vuitton Speedy 35 Louis Vuitton Speedy 40 Coach Madison Sabrina Coach Madison OP Art Coach Madison Carryall Coach Madison Maggie Coach Madison Audrey Coach Poppy Graffiti Handbag Coach Poppy Tote Coach Poppy Wallet Coach Poppy Wristlet Coach Beach Tote Coach Julia Tote Coach Charm Tote Coach Kristin Collection Coach Peyton Collection Coach Brooke handbag Coach Carly Handbag Coach Zoe Handbag
Buying designer handbags online can seem risky and confusing. But it doesn't have to be. With this tutorial, we will show you how to signifigantly lower your chances of buying a fake handbag online, before it's too late and you realize you have been ripped off. 
Note: We will show you how to signifigantly lower your chances of buying a fake handbag.
Not eliminate it completely. There are some truly convincing fake handbags out there. But they
are rare. These bags make up only a tiny percentage of the counterfeit market. For those rare bags it may take
a team of experts to spot them.
For the vast majority of the fake handbags, we can help. With thousands of websites offering discounted handbags, the question is, where do you look? A website that accepts payments through PayPal checkout is recommended. Paypal's buyer protection adds another layer of insulation when buying online. For this tutorial we will use eBay as a case example, (we have helpful tips for non-eBay webstites in our case study four). Ebay is a secure site, has a comprehensive feedback system, and the buyer protection offered via PayPal checkout are all highly advantageous tools to the online shopper. Unfortunatly, for all the great deals available on ebay, there are many land mines out there as well. In this guide, we will maximize your shopping security by showing you how to insulate yourself from the many fake handbags that are out there, and if a fake handbag slips through the cracks, how to identify it as counterfeit. To see these tips utilized on actual eBay listings, check out our online case studies: Case Studies link. Once you've established that you will be shopping for a handbag on eBay, you need to start with with a search. This brings us to our first power point: 
Power point 1. Use detailed keywords when searching. Using detailed keywords relating to the brand or specific handbag model in the search engine will help you weed out many of the fakes immediately. So let’s talk keywords and the eBay search. It is always best when entering keywords into the eBay search box (or Google), to use as much detail as possible: Weak keywords: Louis Vuitton handbag Strong keywords: LOUIS VUITTON Epi Bowling Montaigne PM Ivory Bag LV (See more weak keyword examples in Case Studies.) By simply typing in, "Louis Vuitton handbag", every handbag, fake or not will come spilling down the page. Then you are left with the strenuous task of sifting through hundreds and hundreds of listings. But by using detailed and specific keywords, you are more likely to weed out many of the fake land mines.
Note: We might even suggest when searching for a specific handbag, to leave the word "handbag" or "purse"
out of the search. Try typing in only the brand/model/color, and eliminate the general
keywords like handbag, purse etc. The model/style/color keywords should offer enough specific information
to the search engine to locate what you
are looking for rather accurately.
Nearly all fake handbag listings will have one if not all of these keywords: Handbag, purse, leather, and authentic. That doesn't mean that legitimate sellers do not use these keywords, they do. However, they will usually have detailed and specific keywords mixed in along with them. Whereas the fake handbag peddler will always have the weak keywords, but ususally without the detailed keywords to go with them. The image below are the results of the weak keywords "Louis Vuitton handbag." Notice how many listings came up. 
The image below are the results of the strong keywords "LOUIS VUITTON Epi Bowling Montaigne PM Ivory Bag LV." An astronomical decrease in the number of results.
Note: The keywords handbag, purse, leather or authentic were not used in this search.
By using the weak keywords, you returned 2937 listings. Where do you start? Plus with those simple keywords you snagged every fake Louis Vuitton handbag on eBay. However, as the second image reveals, the strong keywords only returned 21 listings. A much more managable number to work with. Hundreds of fake handbags have been weeded out, and with this smaller number, you can better focus on applying our power points to the listings. 
Beware: Take extra caution when you see the words "AUTH" in an item description. This is
a way that sellers can represent an item as being "AUTHENTIC", but not actually have to mean it.
It is a little trick many phony bag peddlers do. However, the word AUTH does not automatically
convict a handbag listing, sometimes legit sellers use this to make room for more keywords in the
description. Just use extra caution when you see the keywords "AUTH".
Note: A legitimate seller knows the details of the handbag they are selling, and will use those specific details in their listing title. Someone selling a fake handbag may not know, or use, these details. Using specific keywords will also weed out the fake handbag styles that the original designer never even made. And this is important. Many of the fake handbags on the market are colors, styles, models etc, that the designer never produced. By using brand specific keywords, a listing like: "Authentic Louis Vuitton cherry blossom speedy LV" can be avoided. Why? Because Louis Vuitton never made a cherry blossom Speedy. And this fake Louis Vuitton handbag listing will pop up in your search if you simply type: "Louis Vuitton handbag." Or even, "Louis Vuitton speedy handbag." So, before you run a search on eBay, learn the handbag's specific details, and use them as keywords in your search. All the specific information can be found on any of the designer’s websites. LouisVuitton.com, Gucci.com etc. Ok, so now you did a little research and have detailed keywords to utilize for a handbag search on eBay. You type in: LOUIS VUITTON Suhali Le Talentueux Handbag Bag Black LV. A great detailed, brand specific search that brought back only a handful of listings. You pick a handbag and click on the listing. Now it’s time to scrutinize the seller. This brings us to power point two:
Power point 2. Meticulously scrutinize the seller’s feedback.Example of seller feedback located in the top right corner of every listing: 
First and most obvious is always avoid a seller that has private feedback, they are hiding something. Now for the majority of sellers who display their feedback, do not just look at the feedback percentage. Don’t just take someone with a 98.9% positive score on the percentage’s merit alone. Dig deeper. Read the feedback. It is common sense to avoid a seller with blatantly obvious negative feedback saying their product was a fake. But sometimes it comes a little more disguised. Scroll down the seller’s most recent feedback and look for clues in the actual buyer’s remarks. Sometimes it is right there in black and white. I have seen plenty of positive feedback where the buyer says, “was not authentic Prada but was given full refund. Thank you.” A quick glance at the seller’s feedback percentage alone would fail to reveal such a telling remark. However, other times it is not so obvious. Try and look for feedback that verifies the seller’s handbag’s authenticity claims. A sharp buyer may go and have the bag checked out after buying it for authenticity verification. And the buyer that does this may announce it in their feedback remarks. They may say things like, "Great seller!! Beautiful authentic Gucci as described. A+++++. highly recommended. thank you". Example of some positive feedback remarks. Note the buyer claiming the bag to be authentic. This is usually a good sign. 
Beware: Keep in mind that this type of feedback can be manufactured as part of the scam. Use your own judgment. If you see the same buyer again and again on the same seller’s feedback page, use caution. Take a look at the buyer’s feedback record. See what they have to say about other sellers, then decide if you think the positive feedback is credible. The more investigating you do, the more the big picture comes into focus. Feeback power tip: Also pay attention to the seller's NEUTRAL feedback left by buyers. Many times some of the best tells are within the seller's neutral feedback. On occasion when a buyer is unhappy with her purchase, the handbag is fake, damaged or not as described, but she gets her money back, she may leave neutral feedback, with remarks like, "smaller than described but got money back," or "not genuine Gucci but was refunded." So pay close attention to the remarks in the neutral feedback.
Note: Positive feedback can be manufactured to deceive. And negative feedback can sometimes be unfair
or undeserved. But nobody, I mean nobody, manufactures or uses deceptive neutral feedback.
Ok, so if the feedback looks good, what next? Well, so far you have found a handbag using brand/model specific keywords, and have meticulously scrutinized the seller’s feedback revealing no glaring red flags, it is now time to scrutinize the handbag pictures. This brings us to power point three.
Power point 3: Scrutinize the handbag pictures for tells.Again it comes down to detail. The more handbag pictures provided, the more chances you have to identifying a fake. Some necessary picture angles: Now if you know of any specific details about the handbag model, then try to find a tell in a picture that will help decipher the handbag’s authenticity. If the tell is in an area of the handbag that is not visible, email the seller and ask for a picture of that specific part of the bag. An example being: A picture of the stitches per inch. The serial number. Close up of the buttons, snaps, the zipper etc. If the buyer refuses to send the pictures it is an obvious red flag.
Note:
Many of these specific details can be found in our "brand specific" details
tutorials (left nav table).
Beware: Stock photos can also be used, taken from the original designers website, or
another listing. Someone selling a fake handbag can use photos of the real handbag.
So beware of photos that look too stockish and professional if they do not blend with
the overall appearance of the way the seller is presented. If a seller has a primitive
listing, low quality templates, no eBay store, bad item description etc, but is
showcasing beautiful, sparkling pictures of the handbag…beware. We have a good
example of how stock photos were used on eBay to attempt deception in case study two.
Note: Don’t be afraid to ask the seller specific questions. Scrutinize their answers. Don’t just ask. "is this really authentic?" Be specific, "what material is the lining?" This is one of my favorites.
Why? Because certain authentic handbags do not have liners. So if you see a listing of a handbag with no
inside pictures, a bag you know does not have a lining, then be tricky. Instead of saying, "This bag does not have a
lining, right? Cause the real ones don't." Say this, "What material is the lining?" If you get an answer other than,
"there is no lining," run.
And how the seller answers your questions can be a tell. Vague, uncooperative, or dismissive responses are red flags.So far so good? Well, up to this point, you have found a handbag using specific brand keywords, have meticulously scrutinized the seller’s feedback and the handbag pictures, have asked a few questions and received coherent responses and were e-mailed a few pics of some different angles…Ready to buy yet? Not quite. Now it’s time to look at the seller’s return policy. And this brings us to our fourth power point.
Power point 4: Check out the seller’s return policy.You want a seller with a fair return policy. "All sales are final" can be a red flag. An example of a red flag return policy: 
Always look for a seller offering a money back guarantee if there is a problem. If the bag is not as described, or fake, a money back guarantee should be provided. Most likely, a seller that passes all these power points will have a fair return policy.
Note: Many honest sellers who sell used designer handbags/merchandise have a "no returns accepted"
policy for normal returns. However, they should (and usually do) honor a return when the item
is not as described, damaged and especially if it's counterfeit.This is an example of a description in an actual listing with an "all sales are final" return policy (above image). "Hi this bag Louis Vuitton , never been worn, real leather .This bag was a present , so I couldn't give any garanties , but it's very beautiful and modern. Size aprx W-7.5, H-9,L-12 Golden brass hardware,decorative signature padlock, number inside... Comes with dust bag. All questions ask me ,I will be glad to answer, I make shiping all over the world, usually it's takes 2 weeks or less, shipping is for free"The seller writes: "This bag was a present, so I couldn't give any garanties" Translation: "I have no idea of the origin of this bag, therefore I cannot vouch for the authenticity of this handbag. All sales are final." (Many sellers who sell fake merchandise on eBay use this "the bag was a gift" line, trying to avoid any responsibility or inconvienent authentication questioning).
Note: All glaring misspellings aside, it is clear by the description alone that this is a fake Louis Vuitton handbag. And there are even more tells in this description, see if you can spot them (answers below). This listing also failed
power points one and three. The seller provided only two pictures of the handbag, and both images were from an unhelpful distance. Also, the title of this listing is "
LOUIS VUITTON speedy30 orange handbag." This listing will likely be weeded out if you use detailed and specific keywords. The words
"speedy30" running together will hurt its search results. However, if you simply use the keywords "Louis Vuitton handbag," you will
snag this listing in your search. And then you will just waste time sifting through it and the many more like it. Also, this seller's feedback percentage
is 100%. An example of power point two and why feedback percentage alone is no guarantee.
Answers: 1. The seller declares, "real leather". This is a ridiculous statement. Why would anyone think that an authentic Louis Vuitton would not be leather? Because Louis Vuitton makes fake leather handbags? 2. The seller writes, "number inside..." but then provides no number. Instead, follows up the comment with...dot dot dot?? Return policy power tip. Many sellers that do allow returns will charge a "re-stocking fee" (I have seen some as high as 25%). This interesting seller policy will be located in the listing's Return Policy. So make sure you look for that little detail before you decide to buy. A 25% re-stocking fee means if you paid $300 for a Coach handbag and wish to return it, you will only be refunded $225! I believe this is implemented to discourage returns, and obviously to profit from them. So beware of this detail before you pull the trigger. An example of a ridiculous re-stocking fee policy can be found in case study four. Now that you have learned the dangers of an "all sales are final" listing, you now command some powerful fake handbag spotting weaponry. You have searched for a handbag using specific brand keywords, have meticulously scrutinized the seller’s feedback and the handbag pictures, have asked a few questions and received coherent responses, were e-mailed a few pics of some different angles, studied the images for tells and have checked out the seller‘s return policy…now what? You should be ok to buy. However… If you still have a funny feeling in your gut, you can always ask an expert. This brings us to our final power point:
Power point 5: When in doubt, get a second opinion:There are authentication services available that can help keep you from making a mistake. Always get a second opinion if you are still unsure. Authentication services: www.purseforum.com So now that you have learned how to greatly improve your chances of spotting a fake handbag online, it’s time to learn how to win an auction. Often times you will have to fight it out with several other bidders for that great handbag deal on eBay. Louis Vuitton Speedy 25 Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 Louis Vuitton Speedy 35 Louis Vuitton Speedy 40 |