I won a 2 Coach purse lot, and one is fake. What should I do?

[penguinchick]

Hi, I am hoping that some of you expert Ebayers can give me some advice! I won an auction that was for 2 Coach purses. It turns out that one of them is fake (it's in "good" condition); the other is authentic (in "fair" condition). So I need to contact the seller and try to resolve this somehow. She ignored my efforts to communicate with her when I wanted to get insurance (which she "offered" and "highly recommended"), so it I don't know if I'll even get a reply from her. But I need to try! I've never had to return anything, or dealt with counterfeits. What would you suggest?

-Keep it simple and simply ask to return both purses for a full refund
-Ask to return only the fake bag, for a partial refund. The authentic purse is a style and color that I really want (though it is in pretty bad condition), and I've never found this combination before. So I kind of hate to lose it. It's a vintage NYC-made Coach, and the style in any color only comes around every few months. But there will always be others (I hope!).
-Or something else?

If you would suggest keeping the one bag, how much should I request be refunded? The fake purse was in far better condition and larger than the other. Would it be more appropriate to simply pay half the total auction, or is it worth it (or reasonable) to try to come up with a proportionate sum? This was not an expensive auction, so it's hardly the end of the world if it's not completely fair to me - but I don't want to be taken advantage of too much either. Is there an Ebay etiquette to dealing with this?

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[Ellie Mae]

Might be helpful if you could post the link to the auction please.

AND.. of the price you paid for both bags, what would you have paid for only the ONE AUTH bag in fair condition?

 

[noshoepolish]

Yes, can I see the listing or photos of both bags.

 

[Elle4445]

Return them both immediately. Let the Buyer know that you will leave her "truthful" feedback if she does not accept the return and credit you back shipping both ways. You sending her negative feedback saying she pawned off a fake bag on you will hurt her sales dramatically, also you can report her to eBay and they will probably suspend her account. (actually I don't really know what eBay does, but I do know it is not allowed). I am a Seller and I would never pawn off a fake to someone. You don't buy fakes in major department stores or at the Coach outlet. I would have to think she knew it was a fake. Why should this Seller benefit from selling you a fake and that is what would happen if you kept even one of the bags. I'm sure another great handbag will come along or get yourself a brand new bag. I get so mad when I hear a Seller advertising "Authentic" and then sending a fake and pretending they didn't know. It makes it harder for us Seller's who are only selling authentic bags. I've read many threads right here where people don't trust eBay to be real and that just isn't true of all Seller's.

 

[shinymagpie]

Yes, can I see the listing or photos of both bags.

I agree the OP needs to post the links so someone can check. No offence OP but you only have a really low number of posts. Unless you are incredibly experienced, is it possible you have made a mistake? It happens a lot with relatively new buyers.

If you haven't done so, you need to post your auction link where someone else can see it. An independant set of eyes is always good.

If the second bag did not meet your expectations in terms of condition, that is a very different issue to a question of authenticity.

I can't see why it would be in a sellers interest to list a mix of authentic and fake items. If you are not a seller, you would not know how hard it is for people to get approval from eBay to list designers items.

Just my opinion.

If you have already posted to the authenticate this coach link, would you mind cross posting here to help us to help you.

 

[noshoepolish]

OK, I found her post in the Coach Authentication area.

I would return both bags for a full refund and hope you can get the bag you like in better condition.

 

[penguinchick]

I agree the OP needs to post the links so someone can check. No offence OP but you only have a really low number of posts. Unless you are incredibly experienced, is it possible you have made a mistake? It happens a lot with relatively new buyers.

If you haven't done so, you need to post your auction link where someone else can see it. An independant set of eyes is always good.

If the second bag did not meet your expectations in terms of condition, that is a very different issue to a question of authenticity.

I can't see why it would be in a sellers interest to list a mix of authentic and fake items. If you are not a seller, you would not know how hard it is for people to get approval from eBay to list designers items.

Just my opiion.

If you have already posted to the authenticate this coach link, would you mind cross posting here to help us to help you.

Hi, I joined tPF just a couple days ago, so yes, I do have a really low number of posts! It has nothing to with my Coach buying experience though, and I am definitely not new to that (my credit card bills throughout the years can tell that story! ) I've lurked here for a while, but for various reasons, I haven't actively participated in any forum for years. I know my Coach bags well enough, and I have learned a lot from experience as well as reading here and elsewhere. Seeing the details, I thought it a glaringly obvious fake! I asked for opinions at Authenticate This because all of you here comprise such a wonderful wealth of knowledge, and there was a crazy crazy chance in some parallel universe that Coach actually once made a bag like this (the inside bottom is glued in, for crying out loud!). I didn't want to even risk making that mistake and inconveniencing the seller.

<If the second bag did not meet your expectations in terms of condition, that is a very different issue to a question of authenticity.>
It didn't, but I don't mind it in this auction because it was a subjective matter. I do, however, mind being illegally sold an fake bag! As I wrote, I would like to keep the authentic one. I only mentioned condition because of the question of a proportionate refund - the seller had described them herself as being in different conditions.

That said, thanks for wanting to help, everyone. I'm sorry I didn't mention that I had already verified the "Fake" status in Authenticate This! While I think I've made my decision, here is the link to my post (#654) if you're still curious to see pics:
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-492978-44.html
It's followed up at posts 655, 785 and 787 (pg 53), 796 (54), 812 (55).

I'd prefer not to share the specific auction info. I don't have a shady ulterior motive for this, it's just a personal thing that I have about anonymity because of some extremely bad experiences. I'll just say it's a big step for me to even begin posting here! Thanks for understanding! While I realize the particular auction could be helpful in many cases, at this point I think it's a matter of principle and procedure, and I was hoping to learn what others have done in similar situations. It could theoretically be any seller, any auction, any buyer. I hoped it might be a useful thread for others because of that.

The seller doesn't sell a lot of purses, so she may very well have not known it wasn't authentic (yes, despite the claim of "Authentic Coach purse"!). Though I can see how it would be a convenient way to get rid of a fake: some buyers new to Coach might think that because one really looks authentic, the other one must be even if it looks odd; or, like I almost did, they'll just accept the loss and not even bring it up. I don't think she had any trouble at all getting approval from ebay to list these. I did read ALL feedback beforehand but made the wrong choice to bid on an auction without having more pictures or communication. I have always been much more level-headed, but it was somewhat last minute and I was so excited to have found the other purse! That was my mistake, but regardless of the stupidity of the buyer, the seller is still responsible for selling an authentic purse.

Thanks for your suggestions, Elle4445 and noshoepolish. I will take your advice and ask to return both. I already did her a favor and really put a lot of work into cleaning and conditioning the authentic one! It looks so much better now - if she resells it I'm sure she'll get more money! I'll just keep my fingers crossed and start looking again . . . Of course, that means that I'm going to see lots of other bags that I want along the way! For every one I look for, I end up with at least five more, LOL!

Sorry if I've been wordy and long-winded, I'm just trying to explain and I really don't want to come off the wrong way and be misunderstood. That, and I still write the "old fashioned" way - I have to learn how to "forum talk"!

 

[denimbarks]

The Carousel Bag is definitely fake. If you don't hear back from the seller, file a SNAD complaint with Paypal. That should get her attention (and if not and she fails to respond to the dispute, all the better for you!).

 

[shinymagpie]

Hi, I joined tPF just a couple days ago, so yes, I do have a really low number of posts! It has nothing to with my Coach buying experience though, and I am definitely not new to that (my credit card bills throughout the years can tell that story! ) I've lurked here for a while, but for various reasons, I haven't actively participated in any forum for years. I know my Coach bags well enough, and I have learned a lot from experience as well as reading here and elsewhere. Seeing the details, I thought it a glaringly obvious fake! I asked for opinions at Authenticate This because all of you here comprise such a wonderful wealth of knowledge, and there was a crazy crazy chance in some parallel universe that Coach actually once made a bag like this (the inside bottom is glued in, for crying out loud!). I didn't want to even risk making that mistake and inconveniencing the seller.

<If the second bag did not meet your expectations in terms of condition, that is a very different issue to a question of authenticity.>
It didn't, but I don't mind it in this auction because it was a subjective matter. I do, however, mind being illegally sold an fake bag! As I wrote, I would like to keep the authentic one. I only mentioned condition because of the question of a proportionate refund - the seller had described them herself as being in different conditions.

That said, thanks for wanting to help, everyone. I'm sorry I didn't mention that I had already verified the "Fake" status in Authenticate This! While I think I've made my decision, here is the link to my post (#654) if you're still curious to see pics:
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-492978-44.html
It's followed up at posts 655, 785 and 787 (pg 53), 796 (54), 812 (55).

I'd prefer not to share the specific auction info. I don't have a shady ulterior motive for this, it's just a personal thing that I have about anonymity because of some extremely bad experiences. I'll just say it's a big step for me to even begin posting here! Thanks for understanding! While I realize the particular auction could be helpful in many cases, at this point I think it's a matter of principle and procedure, and I was hoping to learn what others have done in similar situations. It could theoretically be any seller, any auction, any buyer. I hoped it might be a useful thread for others because of that.

The seller doesn't sell a lot of purses, so she may very well have not known it wasn't authentic (yes, despite the claim of "Authentic Coach purse"!). Though I can see how it would be a convenient way to get rid of a fake: some buyers new to Coach might think that because one really looks authentic, the other one must be even if it looks odd; or, like I almost did, they'll just accept the loss and not even bring it up. I don't think she had any trouble at all getting approval from ebay to list these. I did read ALL feedback beforehand but made the wrong choice to bid on an auction without having more pictures or communication. I have always been much more level-headed, but it was somewhat last minute and I was so excited to have found the other purse! That was my mistake, but regardless of the stupidity of the buyer, the seller is still responsible for selling an authentic purse.

Thanks for your suggestions, Elle4445 and noshoepolish. I will take your advice and ask to return both. I already did her a favor and really put a lot of work into cleaning and conditioning the authentic one! It looks so much better now - if she resells it I'm sure she'll get more money! I'll just keep my fingers crossed and start looking again . . . Of course, that means that I'm going to see lots of other bags that I want along the way! For every one I look for, I end up with at least five more, LOL!

Sorry if I've been wordy and long-winded, I'm just trying to explain and I really don't want to come off the wrong way and be misunderstood. That, and I still write the "old fashioned" way - I have to learn how to "forum talk"!

Thanks for taking the time to write this. You are a gleaming example of a new member with a very considerate personal style. I like the fact that you did try to think through all the options. Having had 2 bad experiences with brand new members, if a person has not stated they have been via the Authenticate this board, I usually recommend that they do.

The seller is unusually lucky because you cleaned her good bag!!!! I just did what you did and bought a dud bag because it looked like it might be just what I wanted for my collection.... But I should have prized one more photo out of him. As he usually sells spanners, I am about to gently educate him on what a real bag will look like. He's probably in the same category as your seller, content free in terms of actual knowledge. I will be returning mine shortly and hoping to extract a full refund!

Good luck with your SNAD claim.

 

[penguinchick]

Thanks for taking the time to write this. You are a gleaming example of a new member with a very considerate personal style. I like the fact that you did try to think through all the options. Having had 2 bad experiences with brand new members, if a person has not stated they have been via the Authenticate this board, I usually recommend that they do.

The seller is unusually lucky because you cleaned her good bag!!!! I just did what you did and bought a dud bag because it looked like it might be just what I wanted for my collection.... But I should have prized one more photo out of him. As he usually sells spanners, I am about to gently educate him on what a real bag will look like. He's probably in the same category as your seller, content free in terms of actual knowledge. I will be returning mine shortly and hoping to extract a full refund!

Good luck with your SNAD claim.

Thank you so much for telling me that, Shinymagpie! You are so sweet!

I sent a non-accusatory email to the seller gently explaining the problems with the purse, the information that I got here at Authenticate This, all the links, and that I would need to return the purse for a full refund of price and shipping. And that I would wait until Wednesday for a response, and if not, open a dispute and eventually a claim in Paypal. I was so worried what she would say!

But she wrote back today! Apologized, said she wouldn't have listed it had she known, and she thanked me for all the information, which she will use in the future!
What a relief . . . I just hope the rest of the return works out this well.

I'm sorry to hear about your bummer of a bag. I hope that seller doesn't give you any trouble--and that you're able to find that perfect, beautiful, and absolutely authentic bag for your collection!

 

[shinymagpie]

Thank you so much for telling me that, Shinymagpie! You are so sweet!

I sent a non-accusatory email to the seller gently explaining the problems with the purse, the information that I got here at Authenticate This, all the links, and that I would need to return the purse for a full refund of price and shipping. And that I would wait until Wednesday for a response, and if not, open a dispute and eventually a claim in Paypal. I was so worried what she would say!

But she wrote back today! Apologized, said she wouldn't have listed it had she known, and she thanked me for all the information, which she will use in the future!
What a relief . . . I just hope the rest of the return works out this well.

I'm sorry to hear about your bummer of a bag. I hope that seller doesn't give you any trouble--and that you're able to find that perfect, beautiful, and absolutely authentic bag for your collection!

That's a good outcome for you! Pleased to hear it. I am sure it will go fine.

My return process will be interesting because I will be doing it in my second language!!!! I write in Japanese like a bad mannered 3 year old, so I will have to get my more suave kids or a friend to help me write it in an indirect, non-abrasive, polite style!!! Wish me luck!

 

[bunnymasseuse]

I agree the OP needs to post the links so someone can check. No offence OP but you only have a really low number of posts. Unless you are incredibly experienced, is it possible you have made a mistake? It happens a lot with relatively new buyers.

If you haven't done so, you need to post your auction link where someone else can see it. An independant set of eyes is always good.

If the second bag did not meet your expectations in terms of condition, that is a very different issue to a question of authenticity.

I can't see why it would be in a sellers interest to list a mix of authentic and fake items. If you are not a seller, you would not know how hard it is for people to get approval from eBay to list designers items.

Just my opinion.

If you have already posted to the authenticate this coach link, would you mind cross posting here to help us to help you.

I can understand buyers issues stated:
" I'd prefer not to share the specific auction info. I don't have a shady ulterior motive for this, it's just a personal thing that I have about anonymity because of some extremely bad experiences."

I already am aware that I've been placed on some person's BBL on this board because I was too willing to give out the auction info that I was having issues with. I won't do it again, I've learned the hard way. Some people just don't like those that are willing to stand up for themselves and getting a problem resolved.

Hope a full return of all works for the OP, and that they find what they wanted in the right condition and authentic in the future!

 

[penguinchick]

I wrote to the seller, asking to confirm her shipping address so I could ship the two purses back to her. When I checked my email later, I had a "fully refunded" message from PayPal. The seller also wrote, again thanking me for the info, that she wouldn't have sold them had she known, and she was very sorry for the inconvenience . . . so I should just keep them!

I lucked out--I get to keep the one authentic purse that I really wanted, and I'm not out the money it would cost to ship them back. But most importantly, my first "negative" eBay experience turned out positive. I am sooo relieved . . . and thankful!

I'll donate the fake one to the local women's shelter, or give it to my friend's daughter to play dress-up with . . . it's still a useable purse!

 

[Love Of My Life]

It sounds like your seller stepped up to the plate and did the right thing by you..

it was also very generous of her to let you keep both bags and it is nice of you

to donate one to charity or one to your friend's daughter for dress up

 

[alliemia]

if it's counterfeit, i wouldn't donate it. get it out of circulation by destroying it.