Authenticate This COACH - **see first post for format**

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#47,869
IMPORTANT READ-ME

Please post authenticity questions related to COACH in this thread. No PMs please.
For further information, please refer to the first post on page 1 of this thread.

Please follow the following requests:
  • Before you submit a request for authentication, please search this thread to make sure that the item has not previously been authenticated by searching the seller ID and/or item number. This is not a thread to ask general questions about COACH, please refer to our main Coach forum for such information.
  • Note that authenticators have the right to refuse any requests. This is a free service, but it is imperative that you help our authenticators by using the following format:
  • FOR ITEMS LISTED ONLINE:
    Item:
    Listing number:
    Seller and site where listed
    Link:
    Comments:

  • FOR ITEMS NOT LISTED ONLINE:
    Item:
    Where purchased or how obtained
    Comments:
BASIC PICTURES REQUIRED (but more may be requested): If necessary pictures are in the listing, it's not necessary to upload and duplicate them.
  • Front of item
  • Back of item
  • Full clear and legible creed text and serial number
  • Made in tags (when available)
  • Measurements
  • For bags with turnlock closures, show pictures of back of female side of turnlock
  • For bags with magnetic snaps, show pictures of the male part of the snap so that the numbers and letters on it can be read
  • If applicable, search interior of bag and/or pockets for small white tag with production information and include a picture of that.
Thank you and be safe!
 
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#13,366
Andalucian said:
Okay, attempting to put some quickie photos up. These were taken by my phone. I need to get the camera out and take some better photos before anything is done with the bag, but I don't have time for that this morning, so this can at least get us started.

A couple of the creed:
FakeCoach.jpg

FakeCoach2.jpg


There were also several quality issues I found interesting, but these two seemed particularly noteworthy (and easy to photograph). Not sure if they're necessarily significant, but I did think they were interesting. (Such an odd, prominent place to put that seam!)
FakeCoach3.jpg

FakeCoach4.jpg
Click to expand...

When you have time, can you take a longer-length photo of the entire length of the inside pocket zipper including the left and right edges of the pocket itself, and the back of the turnlock plate on the flap showing the prongs holding the turnlock together? Thanks!

The original listing is still clickable but none of those details are shown:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NWOT-COACH-...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Just so you know, the serial number prefix alone is enough to prove it fake. The N plant code was ONLY used for Mexico and then only from 1998 to 2000 and there are no examples at all of it being used in 2001, IF that's supposed to be a number ONE between the B and the N. If it's actually supposed to be the letter "i" which is what it looks like, then it's completely invalid since the year codes in the prefix are always numbers, never letters. And every :BIN" code we've ever found used the exact same font and has always been fake.

Another thing I'm not happy with is the hangtag although we can never base an authentication on that because hangtags are often changed, or lost and replaced. I don't think that hangtag was made by Coach in 1999, the shape and letter font both seem "off".
 
Last edited:
#13,367
Andalucian said:
Okay, attempting to put some quickie photos up. These were taken by my phone. I need to get the camera out and take some better photos before anything is done with the bag, but I don't have time for that this morning, so this can at least get us started.

A couple of the creed:
FakeCoach.jpg

FakeCoach2.jpg


There were also several quality issues I found interesting, but these two seemed particularly noteworthy (and easy to photograph). Not sure if they're necessarily significant, but I did think they were interesting. (Such an odd, prominent place to put that seam!)
FakeCoach3.jpg

FakeCoach4.jpg
Click to expand...
I agree with Hyacinth: the creed is enough to prove 100% it is fake. I've had several court bags and none of them have an overlap of piping there. I'm curious about the back of the female part of the turnlock.
 
#13,368
Andalucian said:
Okay, attempting to put some quickie photos up. These were taken by my phone. I need to get the camera out and take some better photos before anything is done with the bag, but I don't have time for that this morning, so this can at least get us started.

A couple of the creed:
FakeCoach.jpg

FakeCoach2.jpg


There were also several quality issues I found interesting, but these two seemed particularly noteworthy (and easy to photograph). Not sure if they're necessarily significant, but I did think they were interesting. (Such an odd, prominent place to put that seam!)
FakeCoach3.jpg

FakeCoach4.jpg
Click to expand...
I just read the whole LONG story AND I want to see" double the money back guaranteed" enforced.
TO SELLER COACHVINTAGE:
You can't make that claim if you don't play the game :pokey:
Back up your guarantee & give the buyer what you promise...
 
#13,369
BeenBurned said:
Okay, it's bad enough that coachclassics sold a fake. But to back down on her double-your-money-back guarantee plus making you pay return shipping for a fake IMO earned her a BIG RED NEGATIVE feedback.

Perhaps if ebay removes the listing for the fake, she'll get the message.

Please leave feedback because if the listing is removed, you won't be able to leave it after the removal.

At this point, file a dispute by requesting a return for counterfeit item. (Be sure to choose counterfeit as the reason.) WHen you win the dispute, the seller's account will be dinged and the seller will have to pay return shipping.

IMHO, she should have just issued a refund and told you to destroy the bag. She isn't allowed to relist or resell it anywhere and now that she knows it's fake, if she did resell, she's knowingly selling fakes.

I don't recommend coachclassics.

ETA: The listing has been removed. Maybe she'll get the message.:p
Click to expand...
I never backed down on my double your money back guarantee. We never got to that and as far as saying you were lying. No on that. SheIn response to your question, will I stand behind my offering double your money back etc, if it is fake? . . . Absolutely!!! I know this bag to be authentic. I am perplexed however why when the buyer wrote to me of her concerns, she asked me how I wanted to handle this? I promptly responded that it was real but wanted her happy and offered her a full refund. I even phoned her to tell her that as well. The next thing she is contacting Purse Forum and then Ebay pulls my listing.

I also want to mention that two other listings in my store were questioned, and you can be sure I will be posting better pics on the patches this afternoon. One bag I simply forgot to go back to add the pic as I wasn’t able to get a clear shot with my camera inside the bag as the pics were taken in the evening. I will find a way with maybe a little flashlight down inside.

You also asked me why I covered the authenticity patch first numbers on the backpack? Well, I sold a bag a few years back and told the buyer they could get a hangtag from Coach for it. According to my buyer, someone had phoned in with the same number to get a tag right before her. So they declined her a tag. So a few others I told this to, just suggested covering it but giving the full serial number if someone messaged me for it. That bag is mine. I will retake a pic of the patch and add it today.

I also phoned COACH today and spoke with Ext. 7640 who told me that they could not authenticate and do not get involved or offer a service of such. But I did talk her into typing in the serial numbers and told her I did not know if it was BIN or B1N and she said it came back and responded with Court. I also asked her if she could tell me if she typed in B1N or BIN She said she could not. That was all she could tell me. I asked her if she could at least give me an e-mail stating what she said and she said unfortunately she could not. So I asked her for her employee id and she just gave me her extension and said she was the only one at that extension today.

I have only ever had two requests for returns in the 13 years and never have sold a fake COACH. I have also refunded the shipping even though I didn’t have to.

I have authenticated a few myself over the years. My entire and extended family have purchased COACH bags and I have owned over 30 up until 2005. Don’t buy the new ones anymore as they have really cheapened them. For what it is worth, I have a very good friend who worked at the COACH outlet in Michigan for quite a few years and she said that the knock off classic bags that people brought in for repair never had leather inside the flap on the Court bags or inside the front pocket. The one I sold is high grade leather.

There have been discrepancies about BIN or Bin and even here on Purse Forum I have cut and pasted the following to show you just a couple but will be looking for more. Here are two cut and paste responses from this Purse Forum. The responses are not in regards to my listing however, they are in regards to the BIN or B1N



.
Originally Posted by DemRam
Tell her to send a photo of the creed.

B1N would be a bag from 2001. Need pictures!


Originally Posted by rocksee3
Item: Vintage Station bag
Listing: 80659747
Seller: amking01
Link: http://www.etsy.com/listing/80659747/vintage-red-coach

There isn't a picture of the creed but I convo'd the seller and she said the serial is BIN-5130.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Tell her to send a photo of the creed.

B1N would be a bag from 2001. Need pictures!
 
#13,370
SheriDahlin said:
I just read the whole LONG story AND I want to see" double the money back guaranteed" enforced.
TO SELLER COACHVINTAGE:
You can't make that claim if you don't play the game :pokey:
Back up your guarantee & give the buyer what you promise...
Click to expand...
Actually, the seller of the fake bag was coachclassics . Coachvintage is the name used by the person who posted here.
 
#13,371
BeenBurned said:
Regarding your 100% feedback, while that's wonderful, the sad thing is that unlike your buyer of this bag, many buyers don't know about fakes, don't know TPF or other purse discussion boards and don't know they got fakes. So 100% feedback doesn't necessarily mean that 100% of what you've sold were authentic items. And without good listings, neither you nor we can determine that.

I was the one who mentioned that you put your watermark over the serial number in at least one of your listings.

So what if buyers get a hangtag from Coach? Why does that concern you? Your serial number has absolutely nothing to do with whether Coach sends hang tags as a service to its customers.

And if others steal your picture(s), report them but don't prevent your own buyers and authenticators from proving authenticity of your item! That's like cutting off your nose to spite your face!

And as Whateve asked, I also want to know whether your promise of "double your money back" will be honored or if that's an empty promise.

As an authenticator but also as a buyer and a seller, my advice to anyone who wants to resell items they didn't personally purchase directly from Coach or an authorized reseller department store is to have those items authenticated before listing them, something you clearly didn't do. And DO NOT REDACT information that is necessary for authenticating.

If you have other bags of which you weren't the original owner, I recommend ending those listings and verifying that the bags are legal.

Self-authenticating is dangerous for your reputation as well as for your ebay account because now that you're on ebay's radar, they'll be watching your listings more carefully.
Click to expand...
In response to your question, will I stand behind my offering double your money back etc, if it is fake? . . . Absolutely!!! I know this bag to be authentic. I am perplexed however why when the buyer wrote to me of her concerns, she asked me how I wanted to handle this? I promptly responded that it was real but wanted her happy and offered her a full refund. I even phoned her to tell her that as well. The next thing she is contacting Purse Forum and then Ebay pulls my listing.

I also want to mention that two other listings in my store were questioned, and you can be sure I will be posting better pics on the patches this afternoon. One bag I simply forgot to go back to add the pic as I wasn’t able to get a clear shot with my camera inside the bag as the pics were taken in the evening. I will find a way with maybe a little flashlight down inside.

You also asked me why I covered the authenticity patch first numbers on the backpack? Well, I sold a bag a few years back and told the buyer they could get a hangtag from Coach for it. According to my buyer, someone had phoned in with the same number to get a tag right before her. So they declined her a tag. So a few others I told this to, just suggested covering it but giving the full serial number if someone messaged me for it. That bag is mine. I will retake a pic of the patch and add it today.

I also phoned COACH today and spoke with Ext. 7640 who told me that they could not authenticate and do not get involved or offer a service of such. But I did talk her into typing in the serial numbers and told her I did not know if it was BIN or B1N and she said it came back and responded with Court. I also asked her if she could tell me if she typed in B1N or BIN She said she could not. That was all she could tell me. I asked her if she could at least give me an e-mail stating what she said and she said unfortunately she could not. So I asked her for her employee id and she just gave me her extension and said she was the only one at that extension today.

I have only ever had two requests for returns in the 13 years and never have sold a fake COACH. I have also refunded the shipping even though I didn’t have to.

I have authenticated a few myself over the years. My entire and extended family have purchased COACH bags and I have owned over 30 up until 2005. Don’t buy the new ones anymore as they have really cheapened them. For what it is worth, I have a very good friend who worked at the COACH outlet in Michigan for quite a few years and she said that the knock off classic bags that people brought in for repair never had leather inside the flap on the Court bags or inside the front pocket. The one I sold is high grade leather.

There have been discrepancies about BIN or Bin and even here on Purse Forum I have cut and pasted the following to show you just a couple but will be looking for more. Here are two cut and paste responses from this Purse Forum. The responses are not in regards to my listing however, they are in regards to the BIN or B1N



.
Originally Posted by DemRam
Tell her to send a photo of the creed.

B1N would be a bag from 2001. Need pictures!


Originally Posted by rocksee3
Item: Vintage Station bag
Listing: 80659747
Seller: amking01
Link: http://www.etsy.com/listing/80659747/vintage-red-coach

There isn't a picture of the creed but I convo'd the seller and she said the serial is BIN-5130.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Tell her to send a photo of the creed.

B1N would be a bag from 2001. Need pictures!
 
#13,372
Coachvintage said:
I know this bag to be authentic.
Click to expand...
You are wrong!!

Coachvintage said:
You also asked me why I covered the authenticity patch first numbers on the backpack? Well, I sold a bag a few years back and told the buyer they could get a hangtag from Coach for it. According to my buyer, someone had phoned in with the same number to get a tag right before her. So they declined her a tag. So a few others I told this to, just suggested covering it but giving the full serial number if someone messaged me for it. That bag is mine. I will retake a pic of the patch and add it today.

I also phoned COACH today and spoke with Ext. 7640 who told me that they could not authenticate and do not get involved or offer a service of such. But I did talk her into typing in the serial numbers and told her I did not know if it was BIN or B1N and she said it came back and responded with Court. I also asked her if she could tell me if she typed in B1N or BIN She said she could not. That was all she could tell me. I asked her if she could at least give me an e-mail stating what she said and she said unfortunately she could not. So I asked her for her employee id and she just gave me her extension and said she was the only one at that extension today.
Click to expand...
All this goes to prove is that the advice we frequently give about not contacting Coach with "authenticity" questions is good advice from us!

Clearly, if someone was denied a hangtag because a serial number was the same as that from a previous request, it's obvious that those working at Coach aren't trained or educated regarding the translation of creeds and serial number.

When you were told that it's a Court bag, that's only because they look up style 9870. It doesn't mean that the bag it's on is authentic. But as has been said many, many times, sometimes fake bags will show a style number that is seemingly correct for the bag!

It doesn't matter whether the prefix is BIN or B1N. Both are invalid, both are only on fakes and when Coach searches style names and/or numbers, they don't look up prefixes.

Coachvintage said:
I never backed down on my double your money back guarantee.

I have authenticated a few myself over the years. My entire and extended family have purchased COACH bags and I have owned over 30 up until 2005. Don’t buy the new ones anymore as they have really cheapened them. For what it is worth, I have a very good friend who worked at the COACH outlet in Michigan for quite a few years and she said that the knock off classic bags that people brought in for repair never had leather inside the flap on the Court bags or inside the front pocket. The one I sold is high grade leather.

There have been discrepancies about BIN or Bin and even here on Purse Forum I have cut and pasted the following to show you just a couple but will be looking for more. Here are two cut and paste responses from this Purse Forum. The responses are not in regards to my listing however, they are in regards to the BIN or B1N



.
Originally Posted by DemRam
Tell her to send a photo of the creed.

B1N would be a bag from 2001. Need pictures!


Originally Posted by rocksee3
Item: Vintage Station bag
Listing: 80659747
Seller: amking01
Link: http://www.etsy.com/listing/80659747/vintage-red-coach

There isn't a picture of the creed but I convo'd the seller and she said the serial is BIN-5130.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Tell her to send a photo of the creed.

B1N would be a bag from 2001. Need pictures!
Click to expand...
Coachvintage said:
I have authenticated a few myself over the years. My entire and extended family have purchased COACH bags and I have owned over 30 up until 2005. Don’t buy the new ones anymore as they have really cheapened them. For what it is worth, I have a very good friend who worked at the COACH outlet in Michigan for quite a few years and she said that the knock off classic bags that people brought in for repair never had leather inside the flap on the Court bags or inside the front pocket. The one I sold is high grade leather.

There have been discrepancies about BIN or Bin and even here on Purse Forum I have cut and pasted the following to show you just a couple but will be looking for more. Here are two cut and paste responses from this Purse Forum. The responses are not in regards to my listing however, they are in regards to the BIN or B1N



.
Originally Posted by DemRam
Tell her to send a photo of the creed.

B1N would be a bag from 2001. Need pictures!


Originally Posted by rocksee3
Item: Vintage Station bag
Listing: 80659747
Seller: amking01
Link: http://www.etsy.com/listing/80659747/vintage-red-coach

There isn't a picture of the creed but I convo'd the seller and she said the serial is BIN-5130.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Tell her to send a photo of the creed.

B1N would be a bag from 2001. Need pictures!
Click to expand...

1. You need to stop self-authenticating until you do a bit more studying and research
2. If the bag on Etsy (now removed) had a BIN or B1N serial number, it's fake. As we've said, the invalid numbers on the "fakes list" are those that are fairly common
3. I don't know how old the post was that you quoted from DemRam but authenticating and determining invalid serial numbers, exceptions to rules, etc. are works in progress and depending on when that post was made, it could have been prior to determining that N was only used by the Mexican plant.
4. I hope you do stand by your 2X guarantee

And finally, I hope you hang around here. There's a lot to learn and as long as you're open to learning, you'll get a lot out of TPF.

ETA: I found the post from DemRam (who knows Coach) and you neglected to read her followup post:
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-694619-113.html#post19849719

BIN is definitely not a prefix found on an authentic Coach. It's clear now that it actually is the letter "I" because you can see the difference in the number "1" in 5130.

And Hyacinth's followup:
http://forum.purseblog.com/showpost.php?p=19852042&postcount=1690

The plant number is wrong too, the "N" plant code belongs to a Mexican, not a US plant.
 
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#13,374
Catbird9 said:
Fake? The six-digit serial number indicates it's fake, but I'm wondering if it could just be a stamping glitch. Thanks!

Item: Vintage Coach British Tan Full Grain Leather Satchel Stewardess Handbag Bag USA
Listing #: 191818197356
Seller: serendipitymarketing
Link:http://www.ebay.com/itm/191818197356?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Click to expand...

It's not a Stewardess Bag but I'm sure you already knew that. It looks like a genuine Ranch Bag, style 9852 and probably made in 1990. The missing number is just a stamping glitch. Here's the Holiday 1990 catalog page:
 

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#13,377
Coachvintage said:
In response to your question, will I stand behind my offering double your money back etc, if it is fake? . . . Absolutely!!! I know this bag to be authentic...

I also phoned COACH today and spoke with Ext. 7640 who told me that they could not authenticate and do not get involved or offer a service of such. But I did talk her into typing in the serial numbers and told her I did not know if it was BIN or B1N and she said it came back and responded with Court. I also asked her if she could tell me if she typed in B1N or BIN She said she could not. That was all she could tell me. I asked her if she could at least give me an e-mail stating what she said and she said unfortunately she could not. So I asked her for her employee id and she just gave me her extension and said she was the only one at that extension today.

There have been discrepancies about BIN or Bin and even here on Purse Forum I have cut and pasted the following to show you just a couple but will be looking for more. Here are two cut and paste responses from this Purse Forum. The responses are not in regards to my listing however, they are in regards to the BIN or B1N



.
Originally Posted by DemRam
Tell her to send a photo of the creed.

B1N would be a bag from 2001. Need pictures!


Originally Posted by rocksee3
Item: Vintage Station bag
Listing: 80659747
Seller: amking01
Link: http://www.etsy.com/listing/80659747/vintage-red-coach

There isn't a picture of the creed but I convo'd the seller and she said the serial is BIN-5130.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Tell her to send a photo of the creed.

B1N would be a bag from 2001. Need pictures!
Click to expand...

BeenBurned said:
You are wrong!!


All this goes to prove is that the advice we frequently give about not contacting Coach with "authenticity" questions is good advice from us!

Clearly, if someone was denied a hangtag because a serial number was the same as that from a previous request, it's obvious that those working at Coach aren't trained or educated regarding the translation of creeds and serial number.

When you were told that it's a Court bag, that's only because they look up style 9870. It doesn't mean that the bag it's on is authentic. But as has been said many, many times, sometimes fake bags will show a style number that is seemingly correct for the bag!

It doesn't matter whether the prefix is BIN or B1N. Both are invalid, both are only on fakes and when Coach searches style names and/or numbers, they don't look up prefixes...

...And finally, I hope you hang around here. There's a lot to learn and as long as you're open to learning, you'll get a lot out of TPF.

ETA: I found the post from DemRam (who knows Coach) and you neglected to read her followup post:
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-694619-113.html#post19849719

BIN is definitely not a prefix found on an authentic Coach. It's clear now that it actually is the letter "I" because you can see the difference in the number "1" in 5130.

And Hyacinth's followup:
http://forum.purseblog.com/showpost.php?p=19852042&postcount=1690

The plant number is wrong too, the "N" plant code belongs to a Mexican, not a US plant.
Click to expand...
(edited by Hyacinth to fit the posting limits)


I don't have a copy of the listing DemRam was talking about when she posted "BIN is definitely not a prefix found on an authentic . It's clear now that it actually is the letter "I" because you can see the difference in the number "1" in 5130..." but I do have another fake BIN- prefix photo - just to emphasize, COACH HAS NEVER USED A LETTER OF THE ALPHABET AS A YEAR CODE - showing what she meant about proving the middle prefix digit was the letter "i" and not the number One, see below.

It's also interesting to compare the creed formating and spacing, like the large gaps between "Coach" and "bag" along with the fonts used in the serial number between this fake creed and serial and the one that Andalucian posted in #13374. The fonts are identical, the 8s are identical, both of the Bs are unusually flattened, both have the N in "No" in a Times New Roman-type font but the N in the prefix is Arial-style with no serifs.

Another thing you wouldn't have found in a US plant's serial number is 2 digits or characters actually touching each other, like the center hyphen is touching the N. The changeable design of the serial number stamp - think of something like those old-style date stamps that businesses used to use, and many probably still do, where you change the months and dates by rotating a wheel that holds all the needed numbers and months - didn't allow the stamped digits to ever touch each other.

And to verify what BeenBurned already said, COACH'S REPS ONLY HAVE ACCESS TO THE 4- OR 5-DIGIT STYLE NUMBERS ON THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEMS. There is no information at all about serial number prefixes or plant codes. If someone tells them "XYZ-9870" all they can say is the number belongs to a Court Bag, NOT WHETHER OR NOT THE SERIAL NUMBER HAS A VALID PREFIX, and certainly not if the bag is genuine! I've covered this situation in detail in the Coach Guides I researched and wrote for Ebay seller "Salearea". Please read it.
SALEAREA GUIDES
http://search.reviews.ebay.com/members/salearea_W0QQcpnameZmembersQQprZsaleareaQQuqtZg

under
Authenticity Guides:
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Coach-Authenticity-Guides-Facts-and-Myths-/10000000062607882/g.html

about the invalid and just plain dangerous "rules" posted in the majority of so-called Authenticity Guides:
"THE "YOU CAN VERIFY IT'S REAL BY CALLING COACH OR TAKING IT TO A COACH STORE" RULE
OK, this is a tough one.
Coach's employees especially the SA's and store managers are lovely, hardworking people - but they shouldn't be trying to authenticate what they've never been trained to analyze. They have no training from Coach about even the most basic signs of fakes unless they're items currently on their shelves, they don't have the time to spend 4 to 8 hours a day studying photos, comparing details between multiple photos of the same style bag, keeping files of each and every style number and factory and manufacturing code they can find on Ebay, saving literally thousands of photos and tens of thousands of lines of text posted by Coach experts and poring over photos with a magnifying glass to spot discrepancies and incorrect details, and spending a small fortune on back issues of catalogs that tell them when something was made (their computer files don't go much past 2000) and what details a potential fake might be missing.

And to make it worse, the info on their computers is very limited - they can look up a style number of most recent full-price items and tell you when they were made and what colors were available. But the full-price stores' computers don't have records of the Made-For-Factory items at all, so any item made for and bought from the outlet won't even be in their system. When told that they can't find it on their computers, the person who brought the item in naturally assumes it must be fake.

And if it has a legit style number - let's use the Big Daddy of Fakes, NT-4903 as an example. If someone brings a fake with that number into a store and the personnel punch in the style number it comes up as a Sonoma Flap bag. So the number's in the system and it must be real? But the store personnel may have never seen that style bag since it's 15 years old and they don't realize that it isn't a Sonoma Flap and doesn't look anything like one. The computer has no information at all on the prefix, which can't be looked up for any item (the prefix is where all the factory codes are). The fact that N isn't a valid month code, T isn't a valid plant code, and there's no year code at all between the two letters means absolutely nothing to their computer.

So because of no training and no effective computer records, my estimate would be that from what I've seen or read in these forums by posters who have already gone through this kind of experience, at least 80 percent of items taken to a Coach store are misidentified, and almost always it's genuine bags especially older classic leather bags or bags from the outlet stores being ID'd as fakes. So buyers unfairly accuse sellers of selling fakes, honest sellers get claims filed against them for refunds, maybe receive negative Feedback, dinged stars, and may lose some of their discounts or have their fees raised and even get put on listing restrictions. And many of them did nothing wrong.

It's even worse by phone. If the store employees can at least see the bag, how is someone at the other end of a blind phone line supposed to be any more accurate? Even if she knew as much as some of our Ebay Coachies, she's still literally working blind without being able to examine the item. What's even more disturbing is that employees who are unable to effectively authenticate anything still keep doing it, especially when Coach's website clearly says "Coach DOES NOT authenticate merchandise or determine whether serial numbers match actual Coach items" So why doesn't Coach enforce that rule?

I'm sorry to have to say it, but one of the worst places anyone should ever have any Coach authenticated is a Coach store. And thinking that a style name given over the phone by an employee who just punches 4 or 5 numbers into a computer is a valid authentication is just wishful thinking. "

So - unless you actually bought that bag yourself in a Coach store, you don't KNOW it to be authentic. I'm sorry, but owning a few Coaches doesn't make anyone an expert.
 

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#13,378
A few additional photos, since some of these were requested by a few of you.

I believe this view was one that someone wanted:
FakeCoach5.jpg


Same area with camera flash:
FakeCoach6.jpg


It's really obvious looking at this that the stitching is off. The two lines of stitching are 12mm apart on the left-hand side of the bag but only 7mm apart on the right-hand side.
FakeCoach7.jpg


I believe someone wanted to see the back of the turn lock:
FakeCoach8.jpg


More bad stitching:
FakeCoach10.jpg


And yet more bad stitching:
FakeCoach9.jpg
 
#13,380
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