Is this ArchieLuxury guy for real??

[missbanff]

A couple comments on this topic and things in this thread:

1) Both AF and Carol do not have good reputations when it comes to authenticating. AF is the absolute WORST, with a terrible track record, and Carol isn't that far behind. I wouldn't trust either of them to authenticate a paper bag.

2) LV stores aren't supposed to authenticate, and the ones that will are not given any training. And they often get vintage items wrong, declaring them 'fake' because the details are different than present day.

3) Archie did an 'authentication' video where he declares a VERY obvious fake Multipli Cite as "authentic", so I don't hold much stock in what he says in terms of authenticating. That said, I have no idea if the Yakuza is cranking out artificially aged vintage 'superfakes' - some say yes, some say no way.

4) Present day fakes are indeed coming out of Japan across all brands....so do be careful.

 

[LaurelLee123]

A couple comments on this topic and things in this thread:

1) Both AF and Carol do not have good reputations when it comes to authenticating. AF is the absolute WORST, with a terrible track record, and Carol isn't that far behind. I wouldn't trust either of them to authenticate a paper bag.

2) LV stores aren't supposed to authenticate, and the ones that will are not given any training. And they often get vintage items wrong, declaring them 'fake' because the details are different than present day.

3) Archie did an 'authentication' video where he declares a VERY obvious fake Multipli Cite as "authentic", so I don't hold much stock in what he says in terms of authenticating. That said, I have no idea if the Yakuza is cranking out artificially aged vintage 'superfakes' - some say yes, some say no way.

4) Present day fakes are indeed coming out of Japan across all brands....so do be careful.

Thanks for the educated opinion. I love vintage pieces and I find the most selection and quality coming from Japan of a lot of vintage styles. This video made me nervous, though I definitely always authenticate here. I sold a Navona recently that I bought myself like 10 years ago, and the buyer supposedly had it authenticated at LV and it was deemed a fake. I think the buyer was a scammer anyways, but because I if she did indeed do that, I wonder if they weren't familiar with discontinued silts

 

[JenMcK77]

A couple comments on this topic and things in this thread:

1) Both AF and Carol do not have good reputations when it comes to authenticating. AF is the absolute WORST, with a terrible track record, and Carol isn't that far behind. I wouldn't trust either of them to authenticate a paper bag.

2) LV stores aren't supposed to authenticate, and the ones that will are not given any training. And they often get vintage items wrong, declaring them 'fake' because the details are different than present day.

3) Archie did an 'authentication' video where he declares a VERY obvious fake Multipli Cite as "authentic", so I don't hold much stock in what he says in terms of authenticating. That said, I have no idea if the Yakuza is cranking out artificially aged vintage 'superfakes' - some say yes, some say no way.

4) Present day fakes are indeed coming out of Japan across all brands....so do be careful.

Thank you for weighing in on this! I had Addy take a look and she says it looked good! 😉

 

[makup]

Is this guy a "jack of all trade"??

 

[Ms_Tiffanny]

Agreed even the LV boutiques are not trained to authenticate. Do your research always prior to purchasing any vintage piece.
Find out these things prior to purchasing.
1. WHAT TIME PERIOD WAS THE ITEM PRODUCED. Sometimes you can call LV customer service to get this information.
2. WAS THERE ANY VARIATIONS TO THE ITEM. Example the LV Saumur was a very popular item produced over several decades with multiple variations.
3. RESELLER REPUTATION. If it's Ebay and reseller has even 1 feedback claiming THEY WERE SOLD A FAKE. DO NOT PURCHASE.

 

[missbanff]

Agreed even the LV boutiques are not trained to authenticate. Do your research always prior to purchasing any vintage piece.
Find out these things prior to purchasing.
1. WHAT TIME PERIOD WAS THE ITEM PRODUCED. Sometimes you can call LV customer service to get this information.
2. WAS THERE ANY VARIATIONS TO THE ITEM. Example the LV Saumur was a very popular item produced over several decades with multiple variations.
3. RESELLER REPUTATION. If it's Ebay and reseller has even 1 feedback claiming THEY WERE SOLD A FAKE. DO NOT PURCHASE.

1 and 2 are excellent points, but just to clarify on 3 - I've seen some Japanese sellers with negative FB/claims of fake items, and I'm highly confident the item in question was NOT fake. Vintage details can differ from present day and the uneducated person often screams "fake" in regards to these items. It's a shame and I always feel bad for these sellers. So a claim of a "fake" item isn't always true, but I do agree with your theory to at least check it out.

 

[debbie97439]

I certainly hope you have some proof of the comments you made concerning Carol of Carol Diva and AF. I have a difficult time with someone making a blanket statement like you did that neither of these companies are any good. I have heard good things about both. Guess it just comes down to who you trust.

 

[missbanff]

I certainly hope you have some proof of the comments you made concerning Carol of Carol Diva and AF. I have a difficult time with someone making a blanket statement like you did that neither of these companies are any good. I have heard good things about both. Guess it just comes down to who you trust.

Why yes, I do have proof.

Both of them are well known for making countless mistakes across many brands. It's been WELL discussed in the eBay forum. Perhaps it would do you well to do some reading there.

 

[debbie97439]

Why yes, I do have proof.

Both of them are well known for making countless mistakes across many brands. It's been WELL discussed in the eBay forum. Perhaps it would do you well to do some reading there.

I have done reading there. How does one know that a mistake has been made? Did they have a bag authenticated and then authenticated again?

 

[missbanff]

I have done reading there. How does one know that a mistake has been made? Did they have a bag authenticated and then authenticated again?

Absolutely.

In the most recent instance of AF screwing up, AF claimed a Chanel was fake but the bag was also authenticated by not one but THREE very reputable Chanel authenticators (A4U, Enticeler, lisatea on the eBay board) as authentic. That's just their latest example - you can find others in the Coach sub forum, too.

As for Carol, same thing- someone posts an authentication from her that is then checked here, where lo and behold, she's wrong. I've seen it happen several times in the ATLV, although to be fair, nothing recently in LV.

 

[JustAgUrL]

I like ******************, but some people go through caroldiva.com. You submit specific pictures needed for authentication such as all heat stamps/date code. They may be able to authenticate based on the eBay listing alone - it appears to have all those images, in which case you can just send them the link.

And yes, if the item is not authentic and it's past 14 days, you can still get money back through eBay/PayPal. Best of luck!

I'm sorry to say, but... Carol Diva, or ****************** are NOT very good suggestions.

These are both services that have made numerous mistakes in the past.
I know this from being on tPF and the ebay forums for many years, and seeing these mistakes
and the harm they have caused...

If you want good authenticators, Authenticate 4U is a GREAT service,
they have brand specialists, and can be trusted 100%...

Etinceler Authentications is very reputable. They are great for Chanel.

Fake Spotters also has a good reputation.

Carol Diva is not longer an ebay accepted authenticator ...
NOR is ****************** from what I understand.

Just as with any kind of service, just because somebody charges for a service
doesn't mean they are good at it.

This is true of plastic surgery, dentists, and Authenticators....

 

[JustAgUrL]

i was under the impression that japan has very strong penalties for counterfeit items and strong laws regarding the importing, selling and trading of fakes

They do... VERY Good point!!!

Of course that does not mean that once in a while, there might be a fake from one of
these sellers out of Japan, but, I have to say, I do believe it is very rare...
I scan these sellers for good deals all the time, and ONCE in a while
I will come upon a fake bag... It is NOT as common as some would have you believe.

To be honest, I see far more American sellers with fake bags, than the Japanese sellers. But, that is just what I have seen.

 

[JustAgUrL]

I certainly hope you have some proof of the comments you made concerning Carol of Carol Diva and AF. I have a difficult time with someone making a blanket statement like you did that neither of these companies are any good. I have heard good things about both. Guess it just comes down to who you trust.

Search the WHOLE Purse Forum... You will find these mistakes... There are quite a few of them.


It comes down to the years of experience and time spent helping BUYERS get their money back
from being sold fake bags for the last 8 years...

I'm just curious, are you an authenticator?
or, do you spend some of your free time helping other buyers from ebay who have been sold fake bags or shoes?

I'm just asking, because the person you are addressing does BOTH of these things.
She spends her free time HELPING people. So, for you to come here and question her expertise is a bit stunning.


Just because somebody opens a business as an authenticator, does not make them GOOD at what they do.
This comes from years of having a good reputation, word of mouth... Something that
neither ******************, or Carol Diva have... the only people who suggest these 2 authentication services, are people who are NOT really well versed on this subject.

 

[QueenLouis]

They do... VERY Good point!!!



Of course that does not mean that once in a while, there might be a fake from one of

these sellers out of Japan, but, I have to say, I do believe it is very rare...

I scan these sellers for good deals all the time, and ONCE in a while

I will come upon a fake bag... It is NOT as common as some would have you believe.



To be honest, I see far more American sellers with fake bags, than the Japanese sellers. But, that is just what I have seen.

But how do you know for sure? Isn't the whole deal with the superfakes that they are SO accurate, you're pretty much not going to be able to tell unless it's sent in for repairs from LV? If there are fakes THAT accurate in existence, the best that anyone can really offer based on photos is "no red flags".

This is a business that can generate tons of money. Why wouldn't the people producing the superfakes be able to manufacture an exact copy? And why wouldn't they have people as well versed in all the details of the bags as an authenticator?

The overall assumption on here seems to be there's truly no "superfakes", there's just "really close, but not quite" fakes.

I don't know for sure of course. I'm just afraid enough because I've heard of superfakes. - And I find it highly suspicious there's always a LOT of white watercolor speedies available from the popular Japan sellers.

 

[JustAgUrL]

But how do you know for sure? Isn't the whole deal with the superfakes that they are SO accurate, you're pretty much not going to be able to tell unless it's sent in for repairs from LV? If there are fakes THAT accurate in existence, the best that anyone can really offer based on photos is "no red flags".

This is a business that can generate tons of money. Why wouldn't the people producing the superfakes be able to manufacture an exact copy? And why wouldn't they have people as well versed in all the details of the bags as an authenticator?

The overall assumption on here seems to be there's truly no "superfakes", there's just "really close, but not quite" fakes.

I don't know for sure of course. I'm just afraid enough because I've heard of superfakes. - And I find it highly suspicious there's always a LOT of white watercolor speedies available from the popular Japan sellers.

Oh, I am fully aware that there are super fakes out there... Honestly, I've never seen one...
I MAY have seen a Birkin Superfake, but, I don't know enough about Birkin to know if it was a GOOD fake or not...

BUT, they are NOT mostly coming out of Japan... They are coming out of China,
and a few other countries.
Japan is VERY serious about Counterfeits.... That does not mean there are NO counterfeit bags, it just means that from what I have seen, and what I DO KNOW,
I have seen fewer Japanese sellers with Fake bags, than American sellers...

Of course, I have still seen a few from Japanese sellers... It is always important to KNOW the brand you are buying.

I personally, just think it is unfair to say that it is these Japanese sellers on ebay
selling mostly fakes, when that is simply not the case.
Of course there are some fakes, from these sellers, it is just NO MORE common that from one of the American sellers.

as for the production of these bags, I am only knowledgeable about Prada,
and older Jimmy Choo....
as for Prada, for some reason, the counterfeiters always miss one detail.
the shape of the lettering, the print on the inside lining..
Same with Jimmy Choo..
Of course with the Prada Saffiano Tote, they are getting better at making the counterfeit bags, BUT, every time somebody says they were sold a Super Fake,
To the trained eye, they are NOT good fakes at all.

I think that it is best to be highly aware, and always have the bags you buy authenticated.
This is true even when ordering from Saks and Nordstroms,
as people have received fakes from those stores as well, this happens when somebody sends the store a counterfeit bag, as a return, after buying an authentic bag.

I know that in the USA,a Luxury Consignment shop, sold a friend of mine who lives in Sweden and was on holiday in the USA, a fake Prada.... she was ripped off for $2,100...

I was in a Luxury Consignment shop here in Stockholm, and they were selling a Fake Jimmy Choo bag.
Counterfeits are EVERYWHERE.. IN EVERY Country, even France where it is illegal to even OWN a counterfeit bag.

So, like I said, it is best to be well informed, and know that fakes can come from
ANY country.. It is not that it will be MORE likely to be from Japan.
That, from what I have seen, does not really seem to be the case.