Help with Celine Box Bag

[CrazyDogLady]

Hi everyone. I was hoping to get some advice. I purchased a Celine Box Bag from eBay a few months ago that I have recently sold. Now my buyer is saying that she thinks it’s fake. The eBay seller I purchased it from didn’t show any red flags when I was purchasing it (100% feedback, selling other expensive items, very responsive, etc.). She even showed me a screenshot of her bank statement to show that it was purchased from Nordstrom. She didn’t have the receipt.

Now my buyer says that because my bag had the new Celine logo, it didn’t make sense because the date code says that it was made in 2016. So, I met up with her in person to take the bag back and have it authenticated myself. When we met up, she was showing me why she thought it wasn’t authentic but also said that if I could give her half her money back, then she’ll keep the bag because she felt bad for me for buying a fake bag and she was really grateful that I didn’t ignore her messages after her concerns of it being fake.

I messaged the eBay seller who insists that the bag is authentic and now I’m left confused. I believe the bag is authentic but was also taken aback when she mentioned the date code. I didn’t realize it before. The date code was also very faint and the stamping wasn’t deep so I believed her. I gave her half of her money back and let her keep it. Now I’m wondering if she kept an authentic bag and I’m at a loss. I never had a reason to think the bag was fake when I got it. Here are some photos of the bag for reference.

 

[eunaddict]

I suspect you were played. No one keeps a fake bag for even 50% off the price of a real one.

IMHO you should ask for the bag back and offer a full refund then get it authenticated and re-list or approach the previous seller with the evidence. But even then, unless you have photos of the bag before you sold it, you might not necessarily be getting back the bag you sold.

Celine currently doesn't have an authenticator (and Sophia didn't authenticate Hedi Celine items), so I wouldn't depend on the authentication advice you get here from other members.

 

[CrazyDogLady]

I suspect you were played. No one keeps a fake bag for even 50% off the price of a real one.

IMHO you should ask for the bag back and offer a full refund then get it authenticated and re-list or approach the previous seller with the evidence. But even then, unless you have photos of the bag before you sold it, you might not necessarily be getting back the bag you sold.

Celine currently doesn't have an authenticator (and Sophia didn't authenticate Hedi Celine items), so I wouldn't depend on the authentication advice you get here from other members.

Thank you for your reply! I am currently in the process of trying to get the bag back and offering her a full refund but she was giving me a hard time. I had to apply some pressure lol. Hopefully it comes back in the same condition as I sold it, that’s all I could hope for right now I guess!

 

[eunaddict]

trying to get the bag back and offering her a full refund but she was giving me a hard time. I had to apply some pressure lol.

I think this should tell you plenty. Especially if she didn't go through ebay/paypal or whatever site you used for the refund.

 

[IntheOcean]

OK, first of all... This bit here:

she thought it wasn’t authentic but also said that if I could give her half her money back, then she’ll keep the bag because she felt bad for me for buying a fake bag and she was really grateful that I didn’t ignore her messages after her concerns of it being fake.

is really strange. Why would someone keep a fake Celine Classic when they bought it for the price of an authentic one? There are fakes out there to be had at pretty low price points. And how she didn't want to return the bag for a full refund is another red flag, IMO. A full refund is exactly what you'd want in a situation like that. You shouldn't have given her half the refund. Please get your bag back, if you can. Either she keeps the bag or sends it back to you and you refund her.

With that said. Why would Celine have the new logo in 2016? There was this thread a few months back when the person had a 2015 bag with the new logo. There's no one authenticating Celine here at the moment, so my advice would be this: if you do get the bag back, or if you have the pictures needed to authenticate it, get it looked at by a trusted private service Try Authenticate4U, they're really inexpensive. In the future, please authenticate all bags by Celine and other often faked brands when you purchase them from anywhere other than the store and official resellers. Doesn't matter if the seller has receipts, bank statements, etc. Those are all easily faked.

 

[IntheOcean]

Another such example: https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/need-advice-re-fake-bag.1030045/
September 2018 is when Celine unveiled their new logo. Technically, some bags with the new logo could have been made a little bit earlier than that. But in 2016?

What I'm thinking is, the bag in question is fake, and the buyer who asked you for half her money back played herself. However, if that's the case then you also had been played and should get your money back from the person you bought the bag from. But first things first, if you can, get it authenticated.

 

[winkzpinkz]

Hi everyone. I was hoping to get some advice. I purchased a Celine Box Bag from eBay a few months ago that I have recently sold. Now my buyer is saying that she thinks it’s fake. The eBay seller I purchased it from didn’t show any red flags when I was purchasing it (100% feedback, selling other expensive items, very responsive, etc.). She even showed me a screenshot of her bank statement to show that it was purchased from Nordstrom. She didn’t have the receipt.

Now my buyer says that because my bag had the new Celine logo, it didn’t make sense because the date code says that it was made in 2016. So, I met up with her in person to take the bag back and have it authenticated myself. When we met up, she was showing me why she thought it wasn’t authentic but also said that if I could give her half her money back, then she’ll keep the bag because she felt bad for me for buying a fake bag and she was really grateful that I didn’t ignore her messages after her concerns of it being fake.

I messaged the eBay seller who insists that the bag is authentic and now I’m left confused. I believe the bag is authentic but was also taken aback when she mentioned the date code. I didn’t realize it before. The date code was also very faint and the stamping wasn’t deep so I believed her. I gave her half of her money back and let her keep it. Now I’m wondering if she kept an authentic bag and I’m at a loss. I never had a reason to think the bag was fake when I got it. Here are some photos of the bag for reference.

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Oh no I suspect the buyer was out to get some discount for the bag

I have encountered a similar situation too. I had a buyer interested in my Celine Gourmette and she insisted on a discount for the bag. I kindly rejected her request as I have priced the bag very very reasonably (~ $300) for something that was still in really good condition. She gave in and we met up to deal. Upon meet-up, I even told her to check the bag thoroughly just to make sure she is completely satisfied with the bag. Everything went well and we sealed the deal.

The next day, the buyer texted me and claimed the bag has mold in the interior. However, she doesn't mind keeping the bag as long as I offer her a $100 compensation. She said I could do a bank transfer to her for the $100. Straight up, I told her that I don't do this kind of compensation and she can return the bag and get a full refund if she is unhappy with the bag. She insisted on keeping the bag (claiming that she really love the design) but said that it is only fair that she gets a discount for a "faulty" item. I insisted that I will not offer the compensation and will only accept a return and refund. After several lengthy messages to-and-fro for a few days, she suddenly stopped replying and our conversation ended.

From this incident, I came to learn that this is a tactic used by buyers to seek discounts or huge savings for their items. It's definitely a learning experience for me when it comes to selling my preloved luxury bags!

 

[CrazyDogLady]

I think this should tell you plenty. Especially if she didn't go through ebay/paypal or whatever site you used for the refund.

Yes! It was a local sale so I met up with her. She seemed like she just wanted to help me. She even had everything prepared, like looking up eBay’s return policies, etc. She said she didn’t want me to go through all the troubles of purchasing a fake bag, having to make claims, etc. I thought about it and messaged her again to ask for the bag back and I will refund her full money back. Her excuse was that she already told all of her friends and her boyfriend that she bought it (lol). When I was asking for the bag back, she kept saying “I don’t want to lose the bag, I’ve already decided to keep it”. She said it was also good for me! And for some reason she really insisted on having the receipt.

Another important point I think is that before the sale, I told her the bag was purchased from Nordstrom in 2019. After she had bought it from me, she messaged me and wanted the sellers phone number to check with Nordstrom for the purchase history. It seemed like she wanted it for authenticity purposes but I think she was actually trying to exchange it or something. She told me that she went and told them my number and didn’t find it under mine (obviously). And when she went she told me that she was pretending to be me (why?) If this was for authenticity purposes, why was she so against me getting it authenticated myself. She was like, I think the only way is to get the original seller to go to Nordstrom to get her receipt. Then she’ll be satisfied. Not with me getting it authenticated, just her getting a receipt.

I already asked the original seller for her phone number to give my buyer but that seller refused because of a previous sale she had of someone else trying to return a bag with the receipt she provided and created fraud at the store. When I told my buyer this, she was calling the eBay seller rude! Another red flag for me. And then she went on about Celine after sales service that she said is valid for 2 years (which I had no idea about).

 

[CrazyDogLady]

OK, first of all... This bit here:

is really strange. Why would someone keep a fake Celine Classic when they bought it for the price of an authentic one? There are fakes out there to be had at pretty low price points. And how she didn't want to return the bag for a full refund is another red flag, IMO. A full refund is exactly what you'd want in a situation like that. You shouldn't have given her half the refund. Please get your bag back, if you can. Either she keeps the bag or sends it back to you and you refund her.

With that said. Why would Celine have the new logo in 2016? There was this thread a few months back when the person had a 2015 bag with the new logo. There's no one authenticating Celine here at the moment, so my advice would be this: if you do get the bag back, or if you have the pictures needed to authenticate it, get it looked at by a trusted private service Try Authenticate4U, they're really inexpensive. In the future, please authenticate all bags by Celine and other often faked brands when you purchase them from anywhere other than the store and official resellers. Doesn't matter if the seller has receipts, bank statements, etc. Those are all easily faked.

Thank you for replying! For context, I sold the bag for $2700 and I refunded her $1300.

And yes exactly! I was thinking, why does she keep refusing? I’m giving her her money back and even offered to pick it up wherever and whenever for her convenience. She didn’t have to do any more work. She kept saying that she didn’t want to deal with this anymore, but I was like I’m sorry but me too and we have no choice. I insisted on having my bag back without proof that it’s fake. After all of that back and forth, she blocked me. So I emailed her and messaged her boyfriend and what do you know she unblocked me. She said she got really mad. Right before she blocked me, I offered to find her an authentic red Celine box because that’s what she really wanted and that’s why she wanted to keep the bag even though she thinks it’s fake. So I showed her one from a reputable reseller of the same exact bag that was even priced less than what she originally paid for mine and she wouldn’t have to worry about being authentic and she blocked me for this! She said she got really mad that I showed her and told her to buy another bag.

Thank you! I will get it authenticated as soon as I get it. I now realize how often Celine is counterfeited from reading on here. I’m meeting her tomorrow, so I’m hoping to get my bag in the same condition. I’m worried that she would do something to the bag in spite of having to give it back. Any advice on what I should do if it isn’t in the same condition?

 

[CrazyDogLady]

Another such example: https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/need-advice-re-fake-bag.1030045/
September 2018 is when Celine unveiled their new logo. Technically, some bags with the new logo could have been made a little bit earlier than that. But in 2016?

What I'm thinking is, the bag in question is fake, and the buyer who asked you for half her money back played herself. However, if that's the case then you also had been played and should get your money back from the person you bought the bag from. But first things first, if you can, get it authenticated.

I messaged the eBay seller and she thought it was strange and she remembered the bag having a date code that said 2018. It’s really difficult to tell what the last digit is. So it could be a 6 or an 8. I will need to really see it when I get the bag back. My buyer insists that it’s a 6. It’s going to be really difficult to take a photo of it for authentication. It’s also really faint and lightly stamped, which I agreed with and convinced me that that’s why it also might be fake. Other than that, the quality and materials of the bag is perfect. I’ve even seen a YouTube video of a girl talking about getting caught in the rain and having rain marks on the bag which went away right after she wiped them. This has also happened to me while I was carrying the bag one time because of the calf skin. So I was thinking, would a fake bag do this too?

 

[CrazyDogLady]

Oh no I suspect the buyer was out to get some discount for the bag

I have encountered a similar situation too. I had a buyer interested in my Celine Gourmette and she insisted on a discount for the bag. I kindly rejected her request as I have priced the bag very very reasonably (~ $300) for something that was still in really good condition. She gave in and we met up to deal. Upon meet-up, I even told her to check the bag thoroughly just to make sure she is completely satisfied with the bag. Everything went well and we sealed the deal.

The next day, the buyer texted me and claimed the bag has mold in the interior. However, she doesn't mind keeping the bag as long as I offer her a $100 compensation. She said I could do a bank transfer to her for the $100. Straight up, I told her that I don't do this kind of compensation and she can return the bag and get a full refund if she is unhappy with the bag. She insisted on keeping the bag (claiming that she really love the design) but said that it is only fair that she gets a discount for a "faulty" item. I insisted that I will not offer the compensation and will only accept a return and refund. After several lengthy messages to-and-fro for a few days, she suddenly stopped replying and our conversation ended.

From this incident, I came to learn that this is a tactic used by buyers to seek discounts or huge savings for their items. It's definitely a learning experience for me when it comes to selling my preloved luxury bags!

It’s so sad that buyers do this it makes it really hard to sell our luxury bags and I now get the value of consigning which I’m coming to now consider. The eBay seller warned me about these types of buyers too when I was messaging her which I was really grateful for. I feel that she is more trustworthy than my buyer. She believes my buyer is being dishonest too for wanting to keep a fake bag if she thinks it’s really fake.

 

[IntheOcean]

After reading all of this, I'm now convinced that the buyer just wanted to get the bag for half the price. There are people who buy both authentic and fake stuff and mix them (I read that on the replica community on Reddit... ), but I don't think even the superfakes of the Celine Classic - especially used ones - would be worth $1300. So if she's fine with carrying a fake bag, wouldn't it have made more sense to buy one in the first place, significantly cheaper? Plus this blocking and unblocking, pretending to be you at the store, all of it is just plain sketchy and she doesn't seem trustworthy one bit. The part about the 2-year warranty is true, although the service seems to be far from perfect from what I read here on the forum.

You shouldn't have given her a partial refund. Hopefully, she won't try to damage the bag to spite you and it will be returned to you in the condition you sold it and you will be able to take good close-up pictures of the date code. Get a good camera and do it in a well-lit setting, preferably outside when it's daytime. Perhaps it is indeed an 8 and not a 6.

 

[CrazyDogLady]

After reading all of this, I'm now convinced that the buyer just wanted to get the bag for half the price. There are people who buy both authentic and fake stuff and mix them (I read that on the replica community on Reddit... ), but I don't think even the superfakes of the Celine Classic - especially used ones - would be worth $1300. So if she's fine with carrying a fake bag, wouldn't it have made more sense to buy one in the first place, significantly cheaper? Plus this blocking and unblocking, pretending to be you at the store, all of it is just plain sketchy and she doesn't seem trustworthy one bit. The part about the 2-year warranty is true, although the service seems to be far from perfect from what I read here on the forum.

You shouldn't have given her a partial refund. Hopefully, she won't try to damage the bag to spite you and it will be returned to you in the condition you sold it and you will be able to take good close-up pictures of the date code. Get a good camera and do it in a well-lit setting, preferably outside when it's daytime. Perhaps it is indeed an 8 and not a 6.

Yeah I think now that she has the bag and she only paid $1300 for it, she doesn't want to let go of it. But you're right, if she thinks it's fake, why not just buy one for significantly cheaper.

Thank you for the advice! I'm meeting her tomorrow - hoping for the best!!

 

[BeenBurned]

I gave her half of her money back and let her keep it. Now I’m wondering if she kept an authentic bag and I’m at a loss. I never had a reason to think the bag was fake when I got it. Here are some photos of the bag for reference.

Now that you've already given a refund, it's too late to do anything else.

I have a couple of comments and suggestions.

Had you come here after getting the email (or dispute?), my advice would have been to respond with "return for refund." Each time she'd reply, just respond, "return for refund" as many times as necessary.

If she really believed she got a fake, a 50% refund wouldn't have satisfied her since a partial refund isn't going to change authenticity!

My next suggestion would be that if reselling an item that you didn't personally purchase directly from a legitimate retailer and if you aren't expert enough in the brand to know (with 100% certainty) that it's authentic, verify authenticity before listing. If you use a pro, you're adding an extra level of reassurance to the buyer that she's getting the real deal and you're also adding credibility to your reputation and listing that you've done your due diligence.

I don't know Celine so can't comment on whether the bag is authentic but based on the buyer's comments and actions, it sounds like she's the scammer.

ETA: What I do think you should do is add the buyer to your BBL so she can't do this to you again and possibly post her ID on the BBL thread (https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/ebay-non-paying-bidder-list.165307/) so she won't do it to someone else.

 

[CrazyDogLady]

Now that you've already given a refund, it's too late to do anything else.

I have a couple of comments and suggestions.

Had you come here after getting the email (or dispute?), my advice would have been to respond with "return for refund." Each time she'd reply, just respond, "return for refund" as many times as necessary.

If she really believed she got a fake, a 50% refund wouldn't have satisfied her since a partial refund isn't going to change authenticity!

My next suggestion would be that if reselling an item that you didn't personally purchase directly from a legitimate retailer and if you aren't expert enough in the brand to know (with 100% certainty) that it's authentic, verify authenticity before listing. If you use a pro, you're adding an extra level of reassurance to the buyer that she's getting the real deal and you're also adding credibility to your reputation and listing that you've done your due diligence.

I don't know Celine so can't comment on whether the bag is authentic but based on the buyer's comments and actions, it sounds like she's the scammer.

ETA: What I do think you should do is add the buyer to your BBL so she can't do this to you again and possibly post her ID on the BBL thread (https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/ebay-non-paying-bidder-list.165307/) so she won't do it to someone else.

Thank you for your reply and for your advice!! Fortunately, I got my bag back and I am currently in the process of getting it authenticated now. I went with Real Authentication