Buying Replica Bags - My Hard Learned Lesson

Thanks for sharing. It was very honest of you. I think many a person has been frustrated by all the beautiful bags and the cost to get them and have been tempted to get a deal.
 
You've done a service to many people by sharing your experience. I'm wishing you the best in saving towards your goal of getting the authentic designer bag you want.

p.s. I haven't bought from a "replica" site, but I have been burned with a couple fakes off eBay, buying brands I didn't know well enough and didn't know to get them authenticated here. Like you, a hard, expensive lesson, but now I know.
 
I think we've all gone thru these hard lessons. It's good to share them and hopefully that'll make others to stay clear from fakes and those "replica" sites. I never purchased from those sites, but I have bought 2 bags on ebay that were claimed to be authentic but turned out otherwise. I did manage to return them and got a full refund, but it was a headache nonetheless. And now, I'm extra extra extra careful. And this forum definitely helps. If you're looking for deals, ask here on TPF and someone can recommend reputable ebay sellers. You may be able to get all the bags you want at reasonable prices.
 
Thank you for sharing your story. Perhaps someone who is considering buying a replica will think twice before doing so. I am sorry you lost your money and got a crappy product to boot.
A lot of times those replica sites use stock photos or even photos of a real bag. The fake they send you in the mail almost never looks anywhere near as good as the photos on the site.
 
Thanks for sharing your story! Many of us have been duped into buying fake bags, so you are far from being alone. In fact, I think 20/20 did a show recently on these websites that were selling designer handbags at ridiculously reduced prices, and showed around five examples where they paid upwards of $800 for a shoddy fake bag that wasn't even close to the real thing. Sometimes people think the more expensive it is, the better the quality of "fake" they'll get...but often times it is just as cheap quality as a $30 knockoff on the street corner. :sad:
 
[vogue];2089965 said:
That's why I would NEVER EVER buy things online. Never.

I totally agree with this and abide by it. I am a very, very poor uni student and I have many, many expensive and high-end items on my list of wants.

However, if I am going to scrimp and save to get something, it will be 100% authentic and it will be from a boutique.

In my mind, a $250 fake is pointless and I would sooner put that $250 into my savings fund for a real designer bag.
 
I just wanted to thank you for this post. It can't have been easy on this forum where feelings understandably run so high about fakes and replicas, but it is such a thoughtful and salutory thread. So, huge thanks from me.
 
Very brave of you to share your story, knowing that this sort of thing is not a welcomed topic! Thanks for trying to enlighten some people who may be thinking of doing the same thing. Living in a country where fakes abound, it's easy for me to tell anyone, fakes TRY their best to look real but in the end, they can never ever duplicate the quality. So although they may be selling at a fraction of the cost of an original (and we all know how much originals cost, making that fraction a BIG fraction), they are still not worth their prices, even just by considering their quality.
 
I'm sorry this happened to you. It's important to double check every web site you want to buy from, and search infos about it. Isn't there a way you can return them the item and get your 250 $ back?