answers to AUTHENTICITY questions!!!
- Thread starter kallison
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This might not be the best place to post this, but I'm not sure where else to put it and I'm curious what ya'll think. It says it's published by eBAy, are they posting amateur guides without credit these days? I'm not even sure how I got on this page.
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Top-10-Coach-Bags-/10000000204927027/g.html
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Top-10-Coach-Bags-/10000000204927027/g.html
Ebay is NOT expert and their guides only serve to confirm the advice we've given over the years that 99% of the authenticity guides on the internet are less than useless.
Here's a statement from another guide with information that can easily cause buyers to think fakes are authentic and authentic items are fake. My comments are in red:
Authentic Coach Purses
A Coach purse is identified by a few factors. Coach handbags bear the brand name or the logo. SO DO FAKES! Coach's signature is the interlocking letter C design, and the logo is a horse drawing a coach. NOT NECESSARILY The C design on any Coach purse will be symmetrical and even, NOT ALWAYS and in most cases will not appear both inside and outside the purse. Stitching is uniform and all seams are double-stitched NOT ALWAYS . Coach purses made after the 1960s are stamped with serial numbers on the inside marker, which is made of leather. NOT ALWAYS Bags made in the 1990s and later follow a specific serial number format with a combination of letters and numbers separated by a dash AND FAKES DON'T?. Any questions you have regarding the authenticity of a Coach purse should be directed to the seller before you buy.
This is the "guide" that makes the above statements.
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Leather-Coach-Purse-Buying-Guide-/10000000177743842/g.html
hah-yeah I know there's a lot of junk out there but I can't find anywhere were that says that it was posted by a user. How unfortunate!
Wow, that's horrible. It reminds me of those things where the writers gets paid by the word and it doesn't have to really make sense. Did you see the picture for the drifter? It isn't even a Coach bag. They forgot to put "Coach" in half of the links.
Those ARE guides written by ebay and aren't member-authored ones.
If you scroll to the bottom of the guide, it shows "Explore More" and there are other guides. Some are published by ebay and others by members. It shows who the authors are.
They're finding the images in google image searches. Here's a site where some of the pictures came from. And even on that site, there's nothing that says that "drifter bag" is coach.
http://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/buckle_quality.html
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It wouldn't surprise me. Heaven help us if they start writing their own "authenticity guides"!
And WHY are they identifying a Borough Bag as "The Coach Classic Bag"???
And WTF are they calling a Court Bag??? A Willis Bag copy without a leather turnlock tab?
Sheesh. The blind leading the even blinder.
Example - from their "recommended" authenticity guide written by " to.much.stuf ":
""Made in China": I've been asked this question often - if it says "Made in China" does that mean it's fake? The answer is no - Coach does make some bags in China as well as other countries, although originally most of their bags were made in Italy."
http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-spot-a-fake-COACH-bag-/10000000000839005/g.html
ETA - Just found the listing for the so-called "Court Bag"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GORGEOUS-Vt...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
seller - ackmla
GORGEOUS Vtg Coach Willis Court Bag Mini Briefcase X-Body Messenger Dark Brown
301540058658
ended 2-27-2015
Fake style, Known always-fake serial number 0974-534
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I knew they were using pictures from other sources but for the 1/2 dozen or so I searched, I wasn't able to find them.
WTF are they thinking?!?!?!
ETA: Here's where they stole the #7 image. At least it's from a seller who is usually trustworthy.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/251557424715?item=251557424715&lgeo=1&vectorid=229466&rmvSB=true
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I found out a few years ago from the employee who used to be the Mod of the old Ebay Reviews and Guides Forum (no longer there, unfortunately) who said Ebay was considering doing that, or having guides written by outside sources from information on the internet. I wrote back and said why I thought it was a really bad idea, since any Guide coming directly from someone at Ebay should at least be accurate but probably wouldn't be, and that Ebay could possibly be held legally responsible for publicly posting misinformation that convinced buyers or sellers to spend money on counterfeit items.
In fact - message # 7:
http://community.ebay.com/t5/Archive-Reviews-Guides/Guide-links-no-longer-working/m-p/17077849#M9520
"...This is just one example why using the Internet as a source of "facts" to write a guide about a highly-faked brand is incredibly dangerous and will lead to even more problems than before. If Ebay "authors" a Guide and someone buys a fake based on information supposedly researched and vetted BY Ebay, does that make Ebay legally responsible for the consequences? In a world full of lawsuit-happy lawyers, Ebay really needs to be sure that whats posted under their name is accurate and NOT deceptive."
Obviously Ebay doesn't care. Stupidity wins out every time.
"WTF are they thinking?!?!?!" Aren't you making a rash assumption?
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Oops, yeah, I forgot....ebay doesn't think!"WTF are they thinking?!?!?!" Aren't you making a rash assumption?
Hi
I have a question about the Sheridan line. The '93 catalog I have show all Sheridans that are two-toned to have tan trim in saddle leather. Were there other bags in the line that had a darker brown trim? I am seeing bags from that line with this darker brown trim. Thanks in advance.
I have a question about the Sheridan line. The '93 catalog I have show all Sheridans that are two-toned to have tan trim in saddle leather. Were there other bags in the line that had a darker brown trim? I am seeing bags from that line with this darker brown trim. Thanks in advance.
As far as I know, they all had the same tan trim, except for a few that were all black, all red, all taupe or all tan. The Dakota line also had tan trim, which I believe was lighter in color than the Sheridan trim. The tan trim may have darkened from age, which might account for the darker color you've seen.
I've always been careful about buying purses from ebay, but lately I've been ill and apparently I haven't performed the usual due dilligence.... Of the 5 pkgs I received in today's mail, the first contained a "mixed lot including Coach"...turns out to be 2 fake bags, one with S/N 13051 with C's on inside fabric and outside, and the second with a Coach placard with no serial number anywhere. This box smelled horrible, not musty like in storage, but like cheap red-light district perfume. UGH!!!
I will ask for a full refund including the shipping charges I paid and I expect them to pay if they want me to return this garbage. If not, I will report them to eBay, PayPal and dispute the charges at my bank. :boxing:
Box 2 I opened to find what looks like a brand new bag...with C's on both the inside of the bag and out. S/N U0J - 7804....
So far I'm down 2 for 2...dare I open the remaining boxes in hope of finding a real Coach bag? lol I will have to search for the listing, since I have a "mask me" feature on my computer, apparently now I have 5 ebay accounts.. I don't know how this happened but it sure it confusing... Will post an update if I can keep down some oatmeal and try to stomach the remaining boxes.
I will ask for a full refund including the shipping charges I paid and I expect them to pay if they want me to return this garbage. If not, I will report them to eBay, PayPal and dispute the charges at my bank. :boxing:
Box 2 I opened to find what looks like a brand new bag...with C's on both the inside of the bag and out. S/N U0J - 7804....
So far I'm down 2 for 2...dare I open the remaining boxes in hope of finding a real Coach bag? lol I will have to search for the listing, since I have a "mask me" feature on my computer, apparently now I have 5 ebay accounts.. I don't know how this happened but it sure it confusing... Will post an update if I can keep down some oatmeal and try to stomach the remaining boxes.
I've always been careful about buying purses from ebay, but lately I've been ill and apparently I haven't performed the usual due dilligence.... Of the 5 pkgs I received in today's mail, the first contained a "mixed lot including Coach"...turns out to be 2 fake bags, one with S/N 13051 with C's on inside fabric and outside, and the second with a Coach placard with no serial number anywhere. This box smelled horrible, not musty like in storage, but like cheap red-light district perfume. UGH!!!
I will ask for a full refund including the shipping charges I paid and I expect them to pay if they want me to return this garbage. If not, I will report them to eBay, PayPal and dispute the charges at my bank. :boxing:
Box 2 I opened to find what looks like a brand new bag...with C's on both the inside of the bag and out. S/N U0J - 7804....
So far I'm down 2 for 2...dare I open the remaining boxes in hope of finding a real Coach bag? lol I will have to search for the listing, since I have a "mask me" feature on my computer, apparently now I have 5 ebay accounts.. I don't know how this happened but it sure it confusing... Will post an update if I can keep down some oatmeal and try to stomach the remaining boxes.
In the future, remember this experience the next time you're tempted to buy without authenticating. It's a lot easier spottiing the fakes before you bid than trying to get your money back afterwards.
And please use the Authenticate This Coach thread if you need opinions on any other items.