Hall of Shame - Place for BV Fakes to report

TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others

#316
I don't mind people copying designer items so long as they don't pretend to be the real thing. Some legit fashion houses also make BV-like leather woven handbags.

However, I do have a problem with sellers claiming items to be authentic BV, asking for BV prices, using BV or other authentic photos, to sell knock offs.
 
#317
boxermom said:
^I'm aware that I'm off-topic here but I wanted to tell you about my husband's travels to China. He's a retired pilot and flew to Beijing and Shanghai a lot. He always was so thrilled with all the replica shirts, watches, pens, sports bags with logos that he would bring back. One time his airplane needed an engine part but it would take a long time to get it from the U.S. A manufacturer in China managed to copy the part exactly and very quickly so the flight back wasn't delayed. He was really impressed because it saved the airline a lot of time and money.
Click to expand...

I'm going off topic too...

boxermom, "copying" is a premiere Chinese skill. :) I once saw this documentary where an unscrupulous businessman (who was very well-connected and rather influential) sold replica paintings of the Masters but passed them off as the real thing, and not replicas. It went unnoticed for over a decade because the copies were "perfect" and escaped many exceedingly discerning eyes. The only reason he was discovered was when a private collector went to the home of another collector and saw that they owned the same painting. It was only when they ripped the painting apart and saw the newer wood frame and nails/studs etc. that held the canvas to the frame that they saw the "fake" status. Who rips apart a painting when they buy it, right? The museum authenticators were commented on how "well" the copies were made. One of the final scenes in the documentary was a line of about 15 Chinese artists who were holed-up in his basement (or something like that). These artists did nothing but churn out paintings and hardly went out even for air --- I think most of them were illegal, so they couldn't complain about the deplorable working conditions.

So yes, many of replicas they make (clothes, bags,shoes, etc.) are impressive.
 
#321
#322
LT bag lady said:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280933679572
Images stolen from Love That Bag on Malleries. Who knows what you will receive from this seller who steals images, probably some fake! The ebay seller does not have permission to use these images nor are they the buyer of the original listing.
Click to expand...

doloresmia said:
i just reported this seller for a fraudulent listing. we should all do so.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up. Yikes.

Thanks for the tip on how to report it. I didn't know there was a way to do that. Done!
 
#323
Sorry to go off topic again. I just came back from Beijing (can't believe how much more beautiful it is compared to the last time I was there in 2000) and asked dear husband to take me to one of those places where they sell replicas --- sorry ladies, there were friends/relatives who asked me to get bags for them. There were really hideous looking cabats --- very stiff leather, leather strips were assymetrical with some thin and some thick strips --- very bad looking, bag just didn't stand well at all. But, there were also the Class A veneta hobo replicas which I have to say are pretty darn good. The weave is pretty good --- symetric lines/strips of leather, leather is well-dyed/saturated, leather smells pretty good (not plasticky at all and smells like real leather). However the leather is softer than the nappa of BV so the bag doesn't "stand", just plops over and doesn't have that body. The handle looks slightly 'odd' because the leather doesn't hold the shape and the zipper looks cheap (you know how cheap zippers seem to have that "light" bite when you zip it up or down) But I have to say the counterfeiters are getting closer. This is probably not even what they call Class A4 or something like that.

The heat stamp still looks off --- but again it's getting better. This is my first time to see a replica Bottega. I'm commenting about the better stamping because 12 yrs. ago, I remember how bad the LV Vernis bags were because the stamping was so light and uneven. Now the stamping on the leather is more defined and bolder. The lining is suede-like --- but feels much cheaper and there is no authenticity tag inside the bag.

The bag has a lot less "body" when you hold it because it just plops over from too much softness. However, visually they're getting pretty darn close, at least to me. We were living in Shanghai when the replica bag industry was at its infancy and I remember how hideous most of the bags were. There are still hideous looking lower class bags. But if you go up in class and pay more --- they do start to look good...

So I would really like to thank our hardworking BV authenticators for sharing their knowledge and saving all of us from heart-breaking purchases.

P.S. I really don't mind if people buy replicas for as long as they know it's a replica they are buying and are not being cheated.
 
Last edited:
#328
Hey there ladies! So I actually bought that ferro karung knot the first time it was listed a couple weeks ago because it is my HG at the moment.

The knot I received was authentic. I returned it because I was looking for one in pristine condition which this one wasn't - if you want details as to exactly the wear the knot has endured, feel free to PM me (though not sure I have those privileges just yet bc I haven't posted that much before).
 
Last edited:
#330
Snugglez said:
Oh and I should add that the original description when I bought it was worded differently. Unfortunately, I don't recall if she used the pictures on there now or different ones.
Click to expand...
If you still have the opportunity you should leave negative feedback, this seller is out to deceive buyers. Both the images and the entire description is stolen from the Love That Bag listing. There are bids on it, someone will win thinking they are getting the Knot in the photos and they will not. Seller/Theives like this ruin eBay for everyone.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top