How are returns monitored in LV and other luxury stores?

[Anesthestia]

I was reading about the incident in which a women would buy luxury bags from department stores and return superfakes in their stead, so innocent customers wound up buying fakes from the department stores... This was quite a while ago though.

So, have luxury brands done anything to stop instances like that? I feel like people could still be doing it.

I know Chanel has authenticity numbers that can't be easily copied, but a lot of other brand bags don't have something like that. LV has date codes, but do sales associates even check that the date codes match the receipts (are the date codes even written on the receipts?) when the items are returned? I feel like my SA barely knew what the date code was.

Sorry if this is a stupid question.

 

[BleuSaphir]

I find luxury stores are very dismissive toward returns. Their seem to be strict protocol for LV to inspect the return merchandise. If the article meet LV acceptable return policy, they will grant it. I also think LV employees are smart to spot a fake when they work their for so many months or years.

Honestly, I don't worry about the authenticity of goods in stand alone boutiques. Only when I want to buy luxury good second hand, is when I become leery.

 

[Deleted member 20806]

I’ve returned bags before and I swear the CA didn’t look over it very well. Just looked it over quickly and my return was complete...

 

[kkatie]

No the SAs don’t check that much or tell you about the date code, however replicas do not have date codes and they have a lot of inconsistencies in the canvas (like how the squares in DE/DA are aligned etc).
An SA could easily spot the ok quality replica, however I am not sure about the high quality replica. The purpose of the replica is to sell the item for a lot less money so most don’t pay attention to copy all the details and are easy to spot, otherwise they could also copy the date code, after all we all know how it is structured.
At the end of the day if you put a replica and the original next to each other (like they normally do in stores) you can see differences without inspecting much.

 

[fabuleux]

I was reading about the incident in which a women would buy luxury bags from department stores and return superfakes in their stead, so innocent customers wound up buying fakes from the department stores... This was quite a while ago though.

So, have luxury brands done anything to stop instances like that? I feel like people could still be doing it.

I know Chanel has authenticity numbers that can't be easily copied, but a lot of other brand bags don't have something like that. LV has date codes, but do sales associates even check that the date codes match the receipts (are the date codes even written on the receipts?) when the items are returned? I feel like my SA barely knew what the date code was.

Sorry if this is a stupid question.

The date codes are not listed on the receipts. The purpose of the date codes is to identify where/when the item was manufactured. That’s it. SAs don’t give a crap about the date codes.

 

[fabuleux]

No the SAs don’t check that much or tell you about the date code, however replicas do not have date codes and they have a lot of inconsistencies in the canvas (like how the squares in DE/DA are aligned etc).
An SA could easily spot the ok quality replica, however I am not sure about the high quality replica. The purpose of the replica is to sell the item for a lot less money so most don’t pay attention to copy all the details and are easy to spot, otherwise they could also copy the date code, after all we all know how it is structured.
At the end of the day if you put a replica and the original next to each other (like they normally do in stores) you can see differences without inspecting much.

Most replicas do have date codes.

 

[Anesthestia]

I find luxury stores are very dismissive toward returns. Their seem to be strict protocol for LV to inspect the return merchandise. If the article meet LV acceptable return policy, they will grant it. I also think LV employees are smart to spot a fake when they work their for so many months or years.

Honestly, I don't worry about the authenticity of goods in stand alone boutiques. Only when I want to buy luxury good second hand, is when I become leery.

I agree, when I returned my bag at LV, I feel like my SA barely looked the bag over! I only feel safe these days when it's a brand new item they've just received and got out from the back.

I’ve returned bags before and I swear the CA didn’t look over it very well. Just looked it over quickly and my return was complete...

Same here! Especially in department stores, my experience was that returns are processed very quickly. The service is excellent, but maybe so excellent that they're in such a hurry to just help you process the return?

No the SAs don’t check that much or tell you about the date code, however replicas do not have date codes and they have a lot of inconsistencies in the canvas (like how the squares in DE/DA are aligned etc).
An SA could easily spot the ok quality replica, however I am not sure about the high quality replica. The purpose of the replica is to sell the item for a lot less money so most don’t pay attention to copy all the details and are easy to spot, otherwise they could also copy the date code, after all we all know how it is structured.
At the end of the day if you put a replica and the original next to each other (like they normally do in stores) you can see differences without inspecting much.

Actually, high quality replicas do have date codes, and the canvas is so so similar. Superfakes do exist on the market. Do you know if LV SA's check for date codes when we return, or if the date codes are written on our receipts when we buy the bag? I don't think it is.

 

[Anesthestia]

The date codes are not listed on the receipts. The purpose of the date codes is to identify where/when the item was manufactured. That’s it. SAs don’t give a crap about the date codes.

Oh thanks for this! I had no idea. So it's not at all like the authenticity codes of Chanel (which SAs can look up in the systems). Thank you.

 

[kkatie]

Most replicas do have date codes.

I have never seen date codes in a replica (Eg how it is in speedy B) when it costs less than 200€. And I see a lot of replicas due to my mother’s job.
High quality replicas can also be from the same or ex factory/supplier that produces originals, however the most seen ones are produced in China and the quality is up to ok.

 

[fabuleux]

I have never seen date codes in a replica (Eg how it is in speedy B) when it costs less than 200€. And I see a lot of replicas due to my mother’s job.
High quality replicas can also be from the same or ex factory/supplier that produces originals, however the most seen ones are produced in China and the quality is up to ok.

I have seen many when I worked for Louis Vuitton.

 

[jellyv]

High quality replicas can also be from the same or ex factory/supplier that produces originals.

Yeah no. Pure internet folklore.

 

[DB8]

High quality replicas can also be from the same or ex factory/supplier that produces originals, however the most seen ones are produced in China and the quality is up to ok.

Yeah no. Pure internet folklore.

I remember hearing that line 20 years ago and chuckling then. It's like "well this bag is only HALF fake because it's REAL surplus Louis Vuitton canvas." I can't believe people still believe that.

 

[kkatie]

I remember hearing that line 20 years ago and chuckling then. It's like "well this bag is only HALF fake because it's REAL surplus Louis Vuitton canvas." I can't believe people still believe that.

I think with the thousands of ppl hired throughout the years and the greed that exists it’s only naive to think it’s folklore and didn’t happen.
From an LV lawyer who handled one case, there were employees selling faulty products that didn’t pass quality control. The same happens when they destroy the fakes, somehow under the nose of the police 60% is not destroyed but “removed”.
I have seen with my own eyes in Milan an Asian woman with a hi tech watch photograph the whole store (not in LV though).

 

[misstrine85]

I think with the thousands of ppl hired throughout the years and the greed that exists it’s only naive to think it’s folklore and didn’t happen.
From an LV lawyer who handled one case, there were employees selling faulty products that didn’t pass quality control. The same happens when they destroy the fakes, somehow under the nose of the police 60% is not destroyed but “removed”.
I have seen with my own eyes in Milan an Asian woman with a hi tech watch photograph the whole store (not in LV though).

I can’t imagine how they were supposed to get the bags out of the factories? The supermarket and departmentstore I have worked in both has security checking our belongings when we left every day. I would imagine LV being just as strict.

 

[kkatie]

I can’t imagine how they were supposed to get the bags out of the factories? The supermarket and departmentstore I have worked in both has security checking our belongings when we left every day. I would imagine LV being just as strict.

There are various ways, the same way as you would remove office supplies from your office, to your friend the security guy (who might also be getting a commission) to asking your manager to keep it as even though it failed the control it’s your creation and soo cute or whatever.
Ppl get creative to get money