A few months ago I bought my first designer bag! Granted it was a used LV off eBay. But its a Louis Vuitton none the less. In this post I hope to share with you, my lovely readers some tips and tricks on how *NOT* to get scammed by.. Scammers, who try and sell fake merchandise. So if you're interested in grabbing yourself a designer bag off eBay keep reading.
Here are some of the things I did.
1) Do Your Research: Find out as much general and detailed information as humanly possible weather it be online or in a store. Here are some of the websites that I used to find out Louis Vuitton info:
- eBay's How to SPOT fake LV LOUIS VUITTON: authentic Guide # 1
- eBay's Vintage LOUIS VUITTON:The French Luggage Company Part 2
- eBay's How to SPOT fake LV LOUIS VUITTON: authentic guide # 3
- eBay's LOUIS VUITTON Date Code & Production Explanation Guide
- PurseFourm's Louis Vuitton Date Code/ "MADE IN" Information & Locations
- PurseFourm's Louis Vuitton Reference Library
If anyone is interested this is the seller that I bought my 25 Speedy from. I'm not saying in anyway that you will have a good result from them but I did, so hopefully you will too. If you choose to buy from them.
3) Get A Location/Date Code: If possible, when you think you've found your seller get into contact with them and get the Date Code from the bag. Preferably in picture format and make sure that the location/date code correlates with something that is possible. LV bags are NOT made in every country so pay attention to the codes.
4) Get Confirmation: After receiving your item, take it somewhere (if you can) and get it looked at by a professional sales person who regularly deals with Louis Vuitton bags asap. I took mine to Holt Renfrew and had someone from the Louis Vuitton boutique (which is in Holt Renfrew) look and the bag and confirm that its real. She looked and paid most attention to the stitching. The seller I bought my bag from only allowed 2 days for complaints/returns so this was the FIRST thing I did when my bag arrived. If this isn't an option then make sure you're VERY diligent in your research for both pre purchase and post purchase.
Also, make sure you prepare yourself for the love affair of handbags your setting yourself up for.. I can't wait to get my hands on a LV Speedy 30 =)
PS - If anyone has any further tips on not buying a fake bag be sure to post them in the comments! Us newbies need your help!
Congrats!
ReplyDeleteI was thrilled when I got my first Louis Vuitton. I bought my first straight from the boutique, but I do have a small pouchette that I found at Goodwill for $5.99. Learning about what to spot is a good start, but it takes a very long time to be able to authenticate items. I would suggest asking experienced people. I am a member of a site called Effen Haute (many of the members are also Purse Forum members), and the experienced Louis Vuitton ladies helped me authenticate my pouchette.
Also, some of the private sale designer sites sell gently used authentic items. If you check out Effen Haute or the Purse Forum you can find out which sites are reputable if you don't want to go the eBay route (which I personally don't like to use).
Thanks for the tips, when the time comes for me to get another LV (which is hopefully soon lol) I'll be sure to check out Effen Haute =)
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