Are there fake clothes on eBay?

L

lillawyer85

Member
Aug 10, 2011
87
1
#1
I'm a new-ish buyer on eBay, and have had great experiences so far. I've been loving the savings I sometimes see on eBay, especially NWT items that were featured on Outnet seasons ago that are now on eBay for 1/4 even that price!

But I've been wondering... sometimes the prices are so low that I wonder if the merch "fell off a truck" or is fake? I always think some brands/items wouldn't be worth faking, and I would hate to think I support theft in any way... :-s

All that said, this may come across as a naive Q, but do people fake clothes and/or steal mass amounts of clothes and list them on eBay?

For example, Rag & Bone jackets/blazers, brands like Alice + Olivia or Elizabeth and James or A.L.C. (er, you get the point...).

Has anyone here gotten fake goods? Are there sellers who sell real goods but source is shady? Or are these just people who work in retail and pass on the discount, or got a final sale item that didn't fit?

It's more of a just wondering question than anything else. (And if this discussion has happened already and I can find it elsewhere, my apologies! Not a frequent poster these days, would not be offended if I'm redirected.)
 
#2
You could look in "The Wardrobe" section of tPF for probably some better information, but there are tons of fakes of clothes unfortunately. I don't know about Rag & Bone or Alice & Olivia, but I know for sure that there are fakes of Elizabeth and James.
 
#3
lillawyer85 said:
I'm a new-ish buyer on eBay, and have had great experiences so far. I've been loving the savings I sometimes see on eBay, especially NWT items that were featured on Outnet seasons ago that are now on eBay for 1/4 even that price!

But I've been wondering... sometimes the prices are so low that I wonder if the merch "fell off a truck" or is fake? I always think some brands/items wouldn't be worth faking, and I would hate to think I support theft in any way... :-s

All that said, this may come across as a naive Q, but do people fake clothes and/or steal mass amounts of clothes and list them on eBay?

For example, Rag & Bone jackets/blazers, brands like Alice + Olivia or Elizabeth and James or A.L.C. (er, you get the point...).

Has anyone here gotten fake goods? Are there sellers who sell real goods but source is shady? Or are these just people who work in retail and pass on the discount, or got a final sale item that didn't fit?

It's more of a just wondering question than anything else. (And if this discussion has happened already and I can find it elsewhere, my apologies! Not a frequent poster these days, would not be offended if I'm redirected.)
Click to expand...

There are definitely both fake and stolen clothes on eBay but just because something has a low price doesn't mean it's either.
 
#5
It used to be that the fakes were distinguishable by their lower prices, but these days they often sell for as much as the real deal. Scammers seem to know no bounds these days, sadly.
 
#7
If low prices aren't the tip-off - what is?

Looks like I'll have to start being pretty careful about all purchases. How stupid of me to think that counterfeiting is limited to shoes and handbags.

I'll keep an eye on the Wardrobe section as well. I did notice a clothing authentication thread that will likely prove helpful if I plan to spend a significant amount on anything from eBay.

Thanks all!
 
#8
I know that there are fakes of EVERY BRAND possible. I'm from Vietnam and there're fakes of Old Navy and F21 from China! I have no idea if they sell the low-end fakes on ebay though. I figure if it's cheap then there's no reason they don't, since I've bought many little items on ebay for 50c - $1 (jewelry hook, earphone cover etc) with free ship from China so they wouldn't mind the low mark-up.
 
#10
Yes! Plenty! I bought fake jeans by accident :S, if it looks slightly off or the seller can't provide a receipt or knows where they bought it from then I never bid on it.

I learned the hard way :S
 
#11
ChinImplant said:
Yes! Plenty! I bought fake jeans by accident :S, if it looks slightly off or the seller can't provide a receipt or knows where they bought it from then I never bid on it.

I learned the hard way :S
Click to expand...

Having a receipt does not verify authenticity of an item and "knowing" where they bought it from doesn't either.
 
#12
I pretty much just assume everything is fake even though I know there are people selling authentic items. No disrespect to anyone who has found great purchases off ebay. But even when people aren't selling fake items, sellers who do things like buy sold out items and sell them at insanely inflated rates make me mad, because I know someone out there is going to buy it and reinforce them doing that in the future…it's like scalpers :sad: I have sold a few things before but I price them low because quite frankly, if I'm reselling an item, it's because I don't want it anymore. Just because I paid $1000 for it once upon a time doesn't mean it's still worth $700!! Unless you have something like a particular Rolex that's going to potentially increase in value, the second someone else has worn it, it's worth at least half of what it was purchased at. My opinion's probably not popular, but I've always felt that if someone wants to go on ebay, they're looking for a deal, and I'd like to be able to give them one. I also worry because I think a lot of people shell out for a fake, realize it's fake, and then realize they're screwed, so try to pass it off as the real thing!! I've been lurking in these forums forever whenever I need to consult about sizing or a particular item and figured it was finally time to get on board, but it seems like this is a pretty good community with honest people in it :smile:
 
#13
Unfortunately just about everything can be faked.

I accidentally purchased a pair of fake Paige jeans off the bay. I was originally only returning them (and opening a case because the seller got snotty about not accepting returns) because they were not as described. I thought the only issue was that I received the ankle peg style instead of basic skinnies. So I looked them up on the website to prove my point and found different materials used on the site compared to ones I was sold. After bringing this up in the case, I received a prompt refund.

What I do now is look things up, compare photos and often will go to the department store, examine/take photos and when I receive an item compare again. I look for little details that most would overlook. Can never be too careful these days.

Stolen merchandise is not uncommon either. I worked in retail and one of my managers was busted for stealing thousands of dollars of merchandise and selling it on ebay.
 
#15
 
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