Fake JC Ramona's/Rikis - What to Watch for.....

[robynbenz]

OK JC Lovers... I am going to post some photos and tips to look for in trying to determine the authenticity of Ramona's and Rikis. I purchased a Blue Wet Look Ramona from an ebay seller and luckily she was very willing to refund my money. Before I returned it, I took photos and made notes of all the differences I could see between my Blue Wet Look Riki (purchased from JC store) vs the Ebay Ramona and then I took my Black Patent Leather Ramona (purchased from SFA).
The first obvious detail on Fake Patent Leather Ramona's & Riki's are the underside (handle & closure) straps are done in Patent Leather on both sides.
The Authentic bags are Patent leather on only the outside straps (regular leather on the undersides) additionally the fake bags have the patent leather on the zipper reinforcement pockets vs plain leather reinforcements and the leather band around the entire patent leather bags should also be plain leather vs patent leather.
The screws on the back of the gold JC strap closure tag are Flat head screws on the authentic bags and Philips head screws on the fake bags.
The length of the closure strap on the fake bags is about 1 inch longer.
The gold JC engraving on the fake bags seem to be about 1/2 inch lower than on the authentic Ramona's & Riki's.
The lettering/engraving on the fakes is a little thicker font as well (same goes for the purple JC tag inside the bag).
Next, the grommets on the fake bag are just a 1/4 inch larger. They are thicker too, but I could not give an exact measurement.
The JC bow on the fake Ramona’s is about 1/2 longer and 1/4 inches wider (at the widest spot of the bow).
The leather snap closure on the fake Ramona’s are patent leather, but not on the real Patent Ramona’s. I will add some more photos in another post to give you more details. Please feel free to add any comments you might have as well, to assist all JC lovers from falling prey to all the fake bags on the market.

[robynbenz]

I've included more photos. The first 3 are all from a FAKE Ramona. (The first photo with the blue on the left & black on the right is to show the grommet details. The Black is Authentic.
The final 2 photos are of my Ramona & Riki with the interior zippered area to show it is NOT patent leather. Also, remember all authentic JC bags are lined with Mole Skin, not Suede. I will keep working on the Mahala bags to determine ways to determine the authenticity.
I hope this helps.....

[Ilikemike65]

Very interesting. I'm not (Not yet anyway.....but you know what happens to a girl who hangs around this place!) a big Jimmy Choo fan as I have not had much exposure to the brand. But thanks for taking the time to do that! I am sure those who do appreciate the brand will appreciate your efforts!!!!!!

[NWpurselover]

Robyn, we all appreciate the time it took to do this. This is a great resource.

[Zophie]

my goodness it is so hard to tell though without putting them side by side like that. I'm just going to keep steering clear of ebay. I just don't think I could tell from pictures without the comparison.

[robynbenz]

Originally Posted by Zophie

my goodness it is so hard to tell though without putting them side by side like that. I'm just going to keep steering clear of ebay. I just don't think I could tell from pictures without the comparison.

You are so right I had my authentic blue Riki and the blue ebay bag side by side and it was very close. Anyone who did not know what to look for could easily be fooled. I know I would have been.

[blondecat]

The lining in moleskin is also a tough one. According to an online encyclopedia:

Moleskin, originally referring to the short, silky fur of a mole, is heavy cotton fabric. The word is also used for clothing made from this fabric. It is also used in adhesive pads stuck to the feet to prevent blisters.
Clothing made from moleskin is noted for its softness and durability. Some variants of the cloth are so densely-woven as to be windproof. Most manufacture of this cloth takes place in British mills. Noted clothiers who use a great deal of moleskin in their garments are Barbour and Lambourne.

Worse yet, the description of the lining given by Net-Porter is that it is lined in suede. Go figure.

The fakes are just too good. I also have been had on eBay and am staying away. (fingers crossed)

Can we start a subforum (like over on the Chloe site) for more notes and pictures on detecting fakes? Robyn has us off to a good start.

[Samantha's Collection]

Good job Robyn What a plus to have a fake and the real thing side by side.I am sure this thread will be of great help to those braving ebay!

[asl_bebes]

Love comparison threads! Thanks so much robyn for the great info! I've never seen an authentic JC IRL ... it helps to know what details to look for!

[kssthis]

Great detective work robynbenz.

You rock!

[robynbenz]

bump

[playaddict]

thanks for all the telling. i really hate those fakers!!!!! good job

[jmcadon]

Wow, I just read the info on how to tell the difference between fake and real Ramona's and Riki's. I would never buy one of these bags on e-bay...I think the only safe ones are the older ones or bags that were not so popular. Just do a search for Jimmy Choo replica and see what comes up!! Some of those bags are almost $300.00!! Scarrrry! I just wouldn't enjoy it if I knew it was fake.

[ronsdiva]

Great work. Thanks, that was alot of work to do the comparisons. Confirms I am going to stick to purses available at the JC store.

[nita]

I took a look to the "little more expensive" ebay Ramonas a few days ago and honestly, no matter how I tried, I couldn't see the difference between them and those in NAP based on just few pics. But I know that NO ONE wants to sell their unused bags on those prices, unless they are fakes.

So there is no way I'm buying a bag from ebay.