Lately I have been checking out goodwill, salvation army, and other thrift and resale stores to look for vintage coach bags that can be restored with a little TLC.
I've always gotten them authenticated here and so far I have been lucky. I've seen quite a few fakes and felt that I was getting pretty good at spotting the fakes but I was recently fooled by a very good copy.
I had visited a small, local Thrift Store and bought what appeared to be be a genuine Coach Scooter bag in excellent condition. The tag on the bag was labeled "Coach Bag" and the price was $20. It turned out to be a fake, see the authentication pics at the thread below. There were signs but I missed them and I've learned some very valuable lessons from our wonderful authentication experts and my TPF colleagues!
I didn't like the idea of buying a fake so I wanted to return it; but the thrift store is a run by a religious group and I didn't want them to lose out on the sale. I took the bag back but carefully picked out more than $20 in other items to do a return and exchange. I naively figured that as soon as I explained it was fake they would be shocked and would be happy to make the exchange. After all, their inventory is freely donated and many of the staff are volunteers so why would it matter to them what I spent the $20 on?
Boy, was I wrong!
They didn't care that it was fake because they "get lots of fake handbags and it doesn't matter if it is fake, nobody cares, and the store policy is that all sales are final!"
I told them that it is illegal to violate copyrights by selling counterfeit goods but my argument was dismissed. I've had never returned anything to a thrift store before but I know that goodwill will take back items within 10 days with the receipt so I was amazed that they refused even after they learned that it was an illegal counterfeit.
I didn't lose my temper but I dug in my heels and kept arguing that the bag had been labeled "Coach bag" and it was not a coach and that fakes are illegal. Eventually, the manager, the SA, and another customer were all yelling at me at the same time in the middle of the store and telling me that I was was wrong and that it doesn't matter, anyway. I held my ground!
The customer was saying that she has "several fake coaches and it is perfectly legal as long as they are labeled as replicas or Foach". I told her that she was incorrect and I gave her several specific examples that it is "not okay" to sell, buy, or own fakes.
Finally the manager yelled "we'll give you your $20 bucks back but you will never be allowed in this store again!" I just said "Fine!" because I don't ever want to shop there again, anyway!
They REFUSED to let me buy the items I had picked out as an exchange and they returned the full amount. I may be the only person ever to get a refund from that store!
And this is really funny! There was a bowl of pepermints by the cash register for the customers and I picked one up while the SA was processing my return, but she sharply told me "YOU can't have any of those!" So I was also denied candy because of my refusal to accept a fake bag!
Anyway, since I had $20 burning a hole in my pocket I went to Goodwill and bought a bag that I am pretty sure is genuine but I plan to have it authenticated by the TPF experts!
Here's the thread with pics of the infamous fake scooter bag! Buyer beware!
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-sh...t16577111.html?highlight=scooter#post16577111
I've always gotten them authenticated here and so far I have been lucky. I've seen quite a few fakes and felt that I was getting pretty good at spotting the fakes but I was recently fooled by a very good copy.
I had visited a small, local Thrift Store and bought what appeared to be be a genuine Coach Scooter bag in excellent condition. The tag on the bag was labeled "Coach Bag" and the price was $20. It turned out to be a fake, see the authentication pics at the thread below. There were signs but I missed them and I've learned some very valuable lessons from our wonderful authentication experts and my TPF colleagues!
I didn't like the idea of buying a fake so I wanted to return it; but the thrift store is a run by a religious group and I didn't want them to lose out on the sale. I took the bag back but carefully picked out more than $20 in other items to do a return and exchange. I naively figured that as soon as I explained it was fake they would be shocked and would be happy to make the exchange. After all, their inventory is freely donated and many of the staff are volunteers so why would it matter to them what I spent the $20 on?
Boy, was I wrong!
They didn't care that it was fake because they "get lots of fake handbags and it doesn't matter if it is fake, nobody cares, and the store policy is that all sales are final!"
I told them that it is illegal to violate copyrights by selling counterfeit goods but my argument was dismissed. I've had never returned anything to a thrift store before but I know that goodwill will take back items within 10 days with the receipt so I was amazed that they refused even after they learned that it was an illegal counterfeit.
I didn't lose my temper but I dug in my heels and kept arguing that the bag had been labeled "Coach bag" and it was not a coach and that fakes are illegal. Eventually, the manager, the SA, and another customer were all yelling at me at the same time in the middle of the store and telling me that I was was wrong and that it doesn't matter, anyway. I held my ground!
The customer was saying that she has "several fake coaches and it is perfectly legal as long as they are labeled as replicas or Foach". I told her that she was incorrect and I gave her several specific examples that it is "not okay" to sell, buy, or own fakes.
Finally the manager yelled "we'll give you your $20 bucks back but you will never be allowed in this store again!" I just said "Fine!" because I don't ever want to shop there again, anyway!
They REFUSED to let me buy the items I had picked out as an exchange and they returned the full amount. I may be the only person ever to get a refund from that store!
And this is really funny! There was a bowl of pepermints by the cash register for the customers and I picked one up while the SA was processing my return, but she sharply told me "YOU can't have any of those!" So I was also denied candy because of my refusal to accept a fake bag!
Anyway, since I had $20 burning a hole in my pocket I went to Goodwill and bought a bag that I am pretty sure is genuine but I plan to have it authenticated by the TPF experts!
Here's the thread with pics of the infamous fake scooter bag! Buyer beware!
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-sh...t16577111.html?highlight=scooter#post16577111
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I don't care whether it's a charity thrift store or an individual at a flea market with a booth full of fakes...it's still against Federal law to sell counterfeits.
