WOW ... like I've said before, I'm not very computer literate! It all makes sense. I guess I've some things to be changing soon, don't I
Without a more clear look at the creed, is there any way to tell the tote is real?
Not really - but I've never seen that bag faked before so I'm inclined to believe it's real. The counterfeiters tend to fake the fabric and the Patchwork bags more than the all-leather ones, unless they're very popular and very expensive. Also since this style number wasn't on the drilldown there's a really good possibility that style was made either for the outlets or for one specific big retailer like Macys or Dillards - usually those numbers don't show up on the DD.
And yes, if you're using your Ebay ID as part of your email address, change that ASAP. Don't use obvious words or names in an email address, use a mix of letters and numbers that don't make sense to anyone but you. It'll also cut way down on the amount of spam you get at that email address.