Hi Dalz,
There is no designer boutiques in the city that I lived in, so I have to depend on friends to purchase from oversea, private resellers, online sellers. My first purchase with them was a medium
Coach wristlet, I've own some Coach bags and wristlet so I am pretty sure the wristlet that I'd purchase was authentic (hardware and logo/monogram are in good proportion, leather is soft). 2nd purchase was YSL Belle Du Jour clutch and it has fantastic leather and quality, everything seems good so far.
But some of the products are sourced from China, like Burberry and
Prada and if there is no "Made in xxx" in the description, then it is likely from China or some other parts of the world. I do intensive research on the bags that I want to purchase, like the colors, the size, SKU, how to tell a fake from authentic, etc. Purse Forum is where I got much of the info.
I've heard some nasty comments regarding customer service, courier service, bag qualities and etc, but good ones as well. It's pretty much a grey area...