Are you an Ebay scaredy cat?

[crabtreemeeko]

When it comes to Ebay, Im really a scaredy cat. While I sometimes go crazy over the good deals, it never went pass the BID button...

Its great that we have the "Authenticate this BV" thread.... but at the end of the day, the fear of not knowing puts me off (at least for now).

Right now I will stick to buying from the boutique... although I know.... one day, I wouldnt be able to resist much longer...

[lara0112]

nope, I am a total ebay nut! I have had issues with fakes now 3 times, other than that I am all good! frankly, I couldn't afford any of the bags I have right now if I hadn't bought on ebay. not all of them are pre-loved though, just some great bargains!

the BV bag I already have is definitely authentic and the one I have on the way I believe is also - at least from the authenticate this it was ok. the vintage pieces aren't faked IMO bec at the time that wasn't popular (I think LV was one of the first..). the deals I got on both bags are just too amazing - hoping this second one will turn out all good as well! will post pics once I get it...

here are my ebay rules: i never buy a fancy it bag on ebay - chances those are faked (like the Miu Coffer e.g.) are very high (dont like those anyway!). there are fake BVs but not at the same rate as, say, LV, because their popularity is only now picking up. I tend to not purchase over the amount you can get from ebay back although there are exceptions when I have, depending on the buyer/seller rapport and the item itself. I check out feedback but we all know that can be flawed so at the end of the day I go by my instincts. the few times I went against my instincts it turned out to be fake. also, i'd rather buy used but real than new and fake. new with tags always puts me off, just something fishy about that, especially at ridiculous low offers.

[ms piggy]

Definitely. Have not even bidded on items less alone buying. I'm an ebay virgin, ha ha ha.

So far, all my bags are new from boutiques. I really don't know if I'm adverse to used bags. I do buy vintage clothes (used and new-old stock) but no designer bags or shoes yet. Hmmm...

[Lyanna Stark]

Yup. I will never buy 2nd hand for fear of a fake.

[C_24]

Oh, I actually did buy a few things from eBay, but haven`t had any experiences with buying new designer goods till now. I scored some vintage pieces and I do believe they`re authentic b/c as lara said, in those times (everything from the 50s to the 80s), counterfeiting was not a real problem.

So, I wouldn`t be scared to buy something if the seller really offered any warranty towards authenticity (such as pictures of all the relevant details, the posiibility to return etc.), but I just haven`t found a piece that I really lived on eBay up till now.

[crabtreemeeko]

I dont mind used bags as long as they are in good condition... we all know that luxury brands dont come cheap, just that to differentiate the real deals from the reel ones, takes an expert eye and plenty of faith.

[ouija board]

I'm totally an ebay scaredy cat! I bought a kate spade bag years ago and I'm fairly sure it is a fake (well I got it for really cheap so what did I expect!). But since I've been on this forum, I have seen a few tPF members on ebay as sellers, so I would be much more inclined to buy from them off ebay. Not sure that's a good thing, since I am lusting after too many BV bags as it is!

[lilpicotin]

i'm totally an ebay scaredy cat. i bought a kooba from ebay last year and thought it was real until i finally went to the department store and saw the real deal - by that time the seller was MIA and i was too naive to figure out how to start a dispute with the seller.

anyway, since then i've only bought from boutiques and department stores. but right now i'm browsing ebay for a chloe paddington (i go in and out of love with this bag) and eh.... i don't know if i will ever actually purchase, though. btw, what are you girls going to do when you need to sell your old, unused purses?

if only my wallet could handle my handbag lust!

[kicksarefortwids]

nope! i have purchased bottegas, balenciagas, guccis, ysl's, chanels, fendis and the list goes on. and other than a signle problem with a crooked buyer, i have never had an issue with fakes or otherwise. and i have been able to find rare discontinued bags in mint (or sometimes brand new) condition for sometimes a fraction of the cost. the key is doing your homework (both with respect to the seller and the item you wish to buy), using your common sense and living by the adage, if it seems too good to be true, don't do it!

[lara0112]

^^ ITA. too good to be true is 99.9% exactly that.

btw, my first purchase off ebay was also a fake - jeans though not handbags. I have since learned how to deal with ebay and know my stuff. doing your homework before a brand purchase is really important. also the bags I bought are always in mint, if not new, condition.

[Bagpuss]

No, I am not afraid of Ebay and feel pretty confident of looking there for something that I can't find elsewhere. I have to kind of laugh sometimes because the boutiques and shopping choices where I live just don't exist. You can't just hop over to the boutique and try on the latest premier designer. I have not seen a single one of my handbags in real life before purchasing- that's just something that I have to live with and Ebay is one of my sources for purchase that I am glad to have. When I have used them I have done my research and much of that is advice from the purse forum.

[Marly]

I've had good success with ebay. But I am extremely cautious. I look at feedback, (I use toolhaus.org a lot) I look at the other things the buyer is selling, what their return policy is, their ID history, etc. I also will ask them a question about the item, and see if/how they respond.
There are some good deals out there-but cautious and being aware is the word, I guess, with ebay.

[NWpurselover]

Yes, (waving my hand). I am just too afraid of getting a fake and all t he hassles that go along with that. I loved the magenta bag someone else bought on here but I was too afraid to bid!

[bete_noire]

I love ebay and have scored no end of amazing bags, clothes and rare vintage pieces I wouldn't find anywhere else. Since moving out of a big city, there are fewer physical outlets in which to track these pieces down, so I make the most of online resources when I can.

You really do have to do your homework. I follow feedback trails on all sides, along with sellers' ID histories and forms of payment accepted. I learn the authenticity signposts for each item, pay attention to the detail, care and even literacy involved in the text of each auction, and will not bid if the seller won't post photos of the actual item. I keep finding stock photos from other web sites in certain auctions and refuse to bid on them.

I also always check the "Completed" listings to see what similar items have actually sold for, and to see just how many times a certain item has been re-listed, and at what price. Doing this is actually more instructive than cruising the active listings, and paints a more complete picture. It also helps me get familiar with each seller's physical setting for photos, which enables me to know when they've stolen from another seller. If you click on the seller's other items, you should see the same background - it's always a red flag when it suddenly changes to something completely different.

If a seller doesn't reply to my queries, I pass them by. If they sell low-ticket, mundane items as a rule and then suddenly have a high-end bag for sale, I get suspicious and move on. I've been really lucky and have honed my radar to the point where I can usually tell from the gallery photo and auction title if it's the real deal. I've reported dozens of fake Hermes sellers and really try to stay alert and awake when looking for the good stuff.

There are a lot of honest sellers on ebay who really do give a damn about their products and service, as it's their sole income and they value their reputation. It's too bad that the thieves out there tend to cast them all in the same light.

[kicksarefortwids]

^very well said bete noir. i would add that i won't do business with a seller who isn't responsive, helpful and generally pleasant even if i have no authenticity concerns and it's something i really really really want (unless it's super cheap which the things i want rarely seem to be). shopping should be a fun, stress-free experience so why would i do business with someone i don't like? even if the item is legit, many things can go wrong with a transaction (package gets lost or damaged for example), so you want a nice person on the other side of the table. i think people become complacent in their ebay transactions because of the anonimity, but for me, it is for precisely that reason that my standards are even higher than they are when i shop at brick and mortar stores. if you walked into a store and the sa was rude or the store was shabby looking, would you do business there? probably not. so why would you entrust a perfect stranger (who you can't look in the eye) with your money unless you knew that the person is worthy of that trust? i certainly wouldn't.