Fake-a-Phobia?

Prada Psycho

Prada Psycho

#11146
Authenticator
O.G.
Jul 21, 2006
21,599
4,340
#1
I posted this on the Prada Authenticate thread and thought I'd plop it over here to see what sort of reaction it gets:

tPF is a marvelous place for getting info on fakes/knock-off bags. However, I think too often we all fall into the trap of screaming "FAKE" too quickly because we read about it so much on tPF that it frankly seems to make people overly paranoid. I've seen posts where people have questioned authenticity about bags purchased at the most reliable of retailers. I have to wonder if it isn't this "Fake-a- Phobia" syndrome that we all seem to develop from reading all the scares here.

Certainly we need to be cautious when ordering from places like Amazon, Overstock and similar places whose primary product isn't designer goods, but still we need to keep a level head too. Ultimately we just need to know our product, use some common sense and take a deep breath instead of thinking that everyone selling designer bags is out to rip us off.
 
#2
^^^ Well said! I have seen some of these threads where people question the authenticity of bags from legit retailers. I noticed it happens a lot with bag brands that change their product a lot like Gustto. The person get the bag, notices it doesn't quite look like another member's bag, and immediately panics that it might be fake! I know that the constant changes in design are frustrating, and they do make it hard to authenticate if you're purchasing off of eBay.
 
#3
Prada Psycho said:
I posted this on the Prada Authenticate thread and thought I'd plop it over here to see what sort of reaction it gets:

tPF is a marvelous place for getting info on fakes/knock-off bags. However, I think too often we all fall into the trap of screaming "FAKE" too quickly because we read about it so much on tPF that it frankly seems to make people overly paranoid. I've seen posts where people have questioned authenticity about bags purchased at the most reliable of retailers. I have to wonder if it isn't this "Fake-a- Phobia" syndrome that we all seem to develop from reading all the scares here.

Certainly we need to be cautious when ordering from places like Amazon, Overstock and similar places whose primary product isn't designer goods, but still we need to keep a level head too. Ultimately we just need to know our product, use some common sense and take a deep breath instead of thinking that everyone selling designer bags is out to rip us off.
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Agreed 100%. I would never question a bag's authenticity from a store like Saks, for example. I probably wouldn't question my purchase from any retail store of good repute.
 
#4
I agree. I seen some bags that have looked pretty real but because not enough pics were provided or the seller was new or the price was too low, etc, it gets dubbed fake. I believe a few times some sellers and online boutique sellers have had to defend themselves and their merchandise on the forums. But I also agree that a LARGE percentage of designer bags online are fake. I stick to outlets, boutiques and established retailers only. I stay far away from ebay no matter what
 
#10
^^^Somehow I sort of expected that to happen! And MY our little troll has been busy raping our board with that garbage. :throwup:

I wanted to address your comment travelbliss. I totally agree it's our money. I pour over every bag I get and have been known to use a magnifying glass to check out anything amiss! I didn't mean to imply we should throw caution to the wind at all!
 
#11
For every one bag you misdiagnose as fake there are at least 1000 that are fake. I'm super paranoid at the best of times but the sheer number and quality (from the online pics at least) of fake bags is astounding. If you're going to spend hundreds or thousands on a single item, whether it's a bag or whatever, you want to know you can trust the seller and that you'll have some sort of comeback if it all goes Pete.
 
#12
^^^That's what makes me so angry, Audrey! If these bastards weren't out there, we wouldn't even be having this discussion. I wish I could use the words I normally use when talking about the whole counterfeit industry, but the board's PG rating wouldn't handle it. :mad:
 
#13
to be honest, i would rather tPF members "over-police" items than under-police them. it's better to return or NOT bid on an eBay item than to have a bag with dubious authenticity cred.

plus, when tPF has such a reputation for a rigorous attitude towards fakes, it helps new eBay sellers like me - i can take pics of my authentic bag and direct potential buyers to the forum for authentication. it's almost like advertising yourself as a tPF member has become a badge of authenticity... although, now i'm seeing not-so-authentic goods auctioned by "tPF members" (with god-knows-what IDs) on eBay!
 
#14
Prada Psycho said:
^^^That's what makes me so angry, Audrey! If these bastards weren't out there, we wouldn't even be having this discussion. I wish I could use the words I normally use when talking about the whole counterfeit industry, but the board's PG rating wouldn't handle it. :mad:
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Lol, tell me about it, the worst of it is the frustration, feeling absolutely powerless to do anything about it.

It's got to the point though now that every time I see a designer bag especially Chloe Paddingtons (I mention that cause I saw a woman with one today on my way to work), I assume it's a fake. People aren't selling them for nothing, there is a huge market for them.
 
#15
AudreyII said:
Lol, tell me about it, the worst of it is the frustration, feeling absolutely powerless to do anything about it.

It's got to the point though now that every time I see a designer bag especially Chloe Paddingtons (I mention that cause I saw a woman with one today on my way to work), I assume it's a fake. People aren't selling them for nothing, there is a huge market for them.
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I agree. Whenever I see a designer bag I always assume it's fake. 9 out of 10 times it usually is fake, but you can't judge a book by its cover.
 
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