Need advice and support. I have a big, fat problem!

[Lilikay]

Hi again lovely ladies,

I don’t even know how to start telling this story. It’s long and complicated, so I’ll start from the beginning and try to make it as short as possible. If necessary, I may need to add something later.
The truth is I’m not yet sure of what have just happened to me, but it’s not looking good.
Basically, I have this one Birkin that I have bought from a reseller in 2017 in a brand new condition. I have paid an indecent amount of money for it only because it was my HG, my dream bag and I still love it very much.
However, maybe because it’s the only bag that I have that didn’t come from the H store, the fear of not being Authentic has always haunted me.
That said, I always felt like I shouldn’t bring it to the store to be serviced and knew that the day would come that I would start to feel like moving over.
Turns out that when I started to take pictures to send to website and reached out to check the Authenticity Report from the reseller, I’ve found out that the stamp code of the bag I have in my possession is not the same one of the bag in the photos at their website and in the Report. In a nutshell, they sold me one bag and delivered another one, purposely or not.
I’ve contacted them and, unfortunately,
they chose to defend themselves saying they the bag I have is not the bag they sold me. In other words, now they want to make me sound like the scammer.
The funny thing is that the only reason why I have their Authentication Report is because they also sold me a fake Hermes scarf and contacted me to let me know and send me the refund. Due to the fact that the scarf was fake, I got scared of having a fake bag and asked for the report, which they usually don’t make available to the buyers.
Sadly I was stupid enough to get the report and not check throughly the stamp code. In my defense I have to say that having checked many times the stamp code I thought it was alright when I saw it in the report because it’s almost the same. Same letters, almost same numbers, different order, so I guess I just got confused and so relieved I was, I just wanted to leave it behind me.
I still want to believe it’s all a mistake and the bag is authentic and all will be fine, but, seriously, what are the odds?
I don’t know what to do. Don’t know what do I want to do...
Anyone with similar experiences? Any ideas? Should I just drink a glass of wine and forget about it?

 

[momoc]

I think no matter what the reason is for the report being a different bag it’s way too late to do much with the seller - 2017 is a long time ago now.

If this is me, for sure I would pay for authentication (as you may know we trust and recommend bababebi.com) to get a closure on the authenticity of the bag. If it’s authentic you can be very happy and enjoy the bag. If it’s not it’s not going to be that much worse; you are already doubting the bag anyways and unless you get confirmation the doubt won’t go away and you will continue to feel bad about the bag. At the very worst you learn a very expensive lesson which you are already suspecting may be the case. Again unfortunately I don’t think you can get your money back easily if it turns out to be not authentic (2017 is just too long ago) but I think getting closure and knowing for certain will help you. It’s going to hang over you and make you not enjoy the bag until you know.

Fingers crossed for you if you do try to get authentication.

 

[haute okole]

Hi again lovely ladies,

I don’t even know how to start telling this story. It’s long and complicated, so I’ll start from the beginning and try to make it as short as possible. If necessary, I may need to add something later.
The truth is I’m not yet sure of what have just happened to me, but it’s not looking good.
Basically, I have this one Birkin that I have bought from a reseller in 2017 in a brand new condition. I have paid an indecent amount of money for it only because it was my HG, my dream bag and I still love it very much.
However, maybe because it’s the only bag that I have that didn’t come from the H store, the fear of not being Authentic has always haunted me.
That said, I always felt like I shouldn’t bring it to the store to be serviced and knew that the day would come that I would start to feel like moving over.
Turns out that when I started to take pictures to send to website and reached out to check the Authenticity Report from the reseller, I’ve found out that the stamp code of the bag I have in my possession is not the same one of the bag in the photos at their website and in the Report. In a nutshell, they sold me one bag and delivered another one, purposely or not.
I’ve contacted them and, unfortunately,
they chose to defend themselves saying they the bag I have is not the bag they sold me. In other words, now they want to make me sound like the scammer.
The funny thing is that the only reason why I have their Authentication Report is because they also sold me a fake Hermes scarf and contacted me to let me know and send me the refund. Due to the fact that the scarf was fake, I got scared of having a fake bag and asked for the report, which they usually don’t make available to the buyers.
Sadly I was stupid enough to get the report and not check throughly the stamp code. In my defense I have to say that having checked many times the stamp code I thought it was alright when I saw it in the report because it’s almost the same. Same letters, almost same numbers, different order, so I guess I just got confused and so relieved I was, I just wanted to leave it behind me.
I still want to believe it’s all a mistake and the bag is authentic and all will be fine, but, seriously, what are the odds?
I don’t know what to do. Don’t know what do I want to do...
Anyone with similar experiences? Any ideas? Should I just drink a glass of wine and forget about it?

You may still have recourse if your bag is fake. I would definitely get your purse authenticated. If it is fake, hire a lawyer. That is a lot of money. If the seller knew it was fake when they sold it, you have a fraud cause of action. If you are in California, you would be within the statue of limitations for fraud and it is not too late. However, you would be too late for a simple breach of contract cause of action in California only.

Good luck.

 

[acrowcounted]

To make sure I’m understanding this correctly, you have their authenticity report and in the report is a picture of the date code stamp. The bag in your possession is nearly identical to the bag in the pictures in the authenticity report but your bag’s date code stamp is the same letters and numbers but in a different order? If the numbers in the report are typed, I’d assume it was a simple typo. If you’re comparing a direct photo to the actual item, I’d be worried. Either way, I’d contact bababebi for a new authentication.

 

[laurenad]

I think it’s important that you authenticate and then assess your options.

From past experience, I can understand the feeling of not really wanting to know. That being said, it’s better to know.

 

[gettinpurseonal]

Agree with everything said here. It is too late for recourse through a credit card company. You have no recourse if you paid via wire transfer. At least get the bag authenticated and see if there are any typographical errors in the original authentication report. If the bag is fake, your only recourse would be to hire an attorney and file suit, which is expensive, stressful, and may not result in receiving your money back in the end anyway, even if a final judgment is received in your favor.
I hope you find that the bag is authentic and you can simply enjoy it!

 

[eagle1002us]

Hi again lovely ladies,

I don’t even know how to start telling this story. It’s long and complicated, so I’ll start from the beginning and try to make it as short as possible. If necessary, I may need to add something later.
The truth is I’m not yet sure of what have just happened to me, but it’s not looking good.
Basically, I have this one Birkin that I have bought from a reseller in 2017 in a brand new condition. I have paid an indecent amount of money for it only because it was my HG, my dream bag and I still love it very much.
However, maybe because it’s the only bag that I have that didn’t come from the H store, the fear of not being Authentic has always haunted me.
That said, I always felt like I shouldn’t bring it to the store to be serviced and knew that the day would come that I would start to feel like moving over.
Turns out that when I started to take pictures to send to website and reached out to check the Authenticity Report from the reseller, I’ve found out that the stamp code of the bag I have in my possession is not the same one of the bag in the photos at their website and in the Report. In a nutshell, they sold me one bag and delivered another one, purposely or not.
I’ve contacted them and, unfortunately,
they chose to defend themselves saying they the bag I have is not the bag they sold me. In other words, now they want to make me sound like the scammer.
The funny thing is that the only reason why I have their Authentication Report is because they also sold me a fake Hermes scarf and contacted me to let me know and send me the refund. Due to the fact that the scarf was fake, I got scared of having a fake bag and asked for the report, which they usually don’t make available to the buyers.
Sadly I was stupid enough to get the report and not check throughly the stamp code. In my defense I have to say that having checked many times the stamp code I thought it was alright when I saw it in the report because it’s almost the same. Same letters, almost same numbers, different order, so I guess I just got confused and so relieved I was, I just wanted to leave it behind me.
I still want to believe it’s all a mistake and the bag is authentic and all will be fine, but, seriously, what are the odds?
I don’t know what to do. Don’t know what do I want to do...
Anyone with similar experiences? Any ideas? Should I just drink a glass of wine and forget about it?

Can you ask the store if they know a leather shop that does the kind of repair or adjustment you want? I'm assuming the store won't do it. I suppose this could be something that you could report the seller for or even get legal involved. Having this summer bought an H item which to me is hard to find from a guy on the web who had a storefront, and then he sent something other than the thing I ordered . . . well, I got my money back and guess what, the thing I wanted (but didn't get) is once again on display for sale in his storefront. It was a classic bait and switch. That was harrowing. I had another bait and switch occur on ebay, after I paid for an item the guy turned around and sold it to someone else and sent me an entirely different thing than what I ordered. The thing I ordered was much prettier than what I got. It was resolved thru ebay, or more accurately, I agreed to a settlement but that doesn't mean I'm happy. I had a third scam occur this year (really crummy year) from which I learned that when the scammer offers to make a settlement it's better to take it and run then try to get all your money back. And maybe it's a good idea to check the Better Business Bureau for prior complaints.

These were really crappy experiences. I am a bit of a believer in things acquiring bad karma, bad memories. Since the bag is to your knowledge not genuine reselling it is not going to get your funds back (to the last dollar). I'd say the issue for you is to try to figure out how you can still enjoy the bag -- your dream bag -- even if you know it's counterfeit. No one else will know it's counterfeit unless you tell them. I can assure you there are tons of counterfeit good-lookin' bags being toted around in New York City. If this bag got nailed b/c of a fuzzy stamp that's not going to be visible to anyone else.

 

[QuelleFromage]

OK, so....

1) they sent you an Authentication Report. Who did the authentication? Was it internal to the reseller (in which case it can only be one of a few) or an external authenticator? If external, you may have recourse there, or at least answers.

2) the bag in their report is identical to yours in every way except the atelier stamp is very slightly different? That seems like a really strange coincidence. I am assuming it's a photo not a typo or they would just correct the typo and give you a new certificate. It just seems odd that a reseller would have two identical bags with such close stamps at the exact same time. I would suspect something very weird at this reseller.

3) If you've loved the bag this long, I would agree, get a Bababebi authentication. Either it's real and you can sell it, or it's not in which case, I would definitely call out the reseller any way you can. Then you know you have a superfake (which are expensive as is) and frankly although normally I would never recommend keeping a fake, if you've carried it for over three years and can't get your money back, you might as well keep enjoying it. It's not your doing, after all.

 

[Lilikay]

To make sure I’m understanding this correctly, you have their authenticity report and in the report is a picture of the date code stamp. The bag in your possession is nearly identical to the bag in the pictures in the authenticity report but your bag’s date code stamp is the same letters and numbers but in a different order? If the numbers in the report are typed, I’d assume it was a simple typo. If you’re comparing a direct photo to the actual item, I’d be worried. Either way, I’d contact bababebi for a new authentication.

The report is from the reseller and it has pictures of the stamp code and its description. Same letters and almost same numbers. Letters are in the same order and numbers are not. The scary thing is that it’s so similar and the bag is exactly the same...size, leather, color, hardware...

 

[maxroxxherhandbags]

I agree with everyone who has advised you to reach out to Bababebi Its not expensive and you will get closure or peace of mind.
I suspect that if the numbers are very similar but in wrong order it probably is a simple typo-and no one checked before sending you the bag.
You say it was your HG bag so its best to put your mind at rest and continue to enjoy it for many more years.
Or if you are thinking of reselling it at least you will have the added security of certification from Bababebi which should at least help you achieve a decent price on the resale market.
good luck and let us know what happens

 

[Lilikay]

OK, so....

1) they sent you an Authentication Report. Who did the authentication? Was it internal to the reseller (in which case it can only be one of a few) or an external authenticator? If external, you may have recourse there, or at least answers.

2) the bag in their report is identical to yours in every way except the atelier stamp is very slightly different? That seems like a really strange coincidence. I am assuming it's a photo not a typo or they would just correct the typo and give you a new certificate. It just seems odd that a reseller would have two identical bags with such close stamps at the exact same time. I would suspect something very weird at this reseller.

3) If you've loved the bag this long, I would agree, get a Bababebi authentication. Either it's real and you can sell it, or it's not in which case, I would definitely call out the reseller any way you can. Then you know you have a superfake (which are expensive as is) and frankly although normally I would never recommend keeping a fake, if you've carried it for over three years and can't get your money back, you might as well keep enjoying it. It's not your doing, after all.

Thank you for taking the time, seriously. This is a bag that I would never sell if not for this suspicious. I also don’t want to carry a fake bag and feel really bag for having carried it for so long, if it’s the case. Just to give you an idea, 70% of all my clothes and accessories are related to this bag, including expensive jewelry.
1) The report was sent by the reseller, which by the way is a small but reputable seller. It may be that they were also scammed. What is not right is the way they are dealing with the problem now.
2) Yes, the bag is indeed identical except for the order of the numbers and it’s a damn odd coincidence...
3) I’m thinking about the authentication. I may even take it to the store to be honest and that’s one of the solutions I would like to discuss with you guys. If I’m positive that if it’s a fake I’m not keeping it, of course not selling it and maybe not getting the money back, why not making sure with Hermes itself?

 

[Lilikay]

Guys, really, while we discuss this matter, I would like to thank you very much for your comments. It really means a lot to me. I’m feeling sooo bad

 

[OogleAtLuxury]

Don't allow people to tell you that you have no recourse if you find the bag is fake. If you find it's fake, reach out to the reseller. Then, if they don't fix the problem, reach out to the police. Selling counterfeit goods is a crime, especially at the price point of an Hermes bag.

 

[haute okole]

Guys, really, while we discuss this matter, I would like to thank you very much for your comments. It really means a lot to me. I’m feeling sooo bad

I have heard that people who have given their bags to Hermes spa for refurbishment not knowing their bag was fake had their bag confiscated by Hermes. Please have your bag authenticated before handing your bag to Hermes because if it is fake, Hermes may keep it and then destroy it as it violates their intellectual property rights.

 

[mauihappyplace]

Try not feel too bad... many of us have been scammed at some point in life. For me it was the fake college ID and not to mention internet dating scams Since it’s bothering h you try to get authenticated. If is authentic great!! If not still consider using bc it sounds like a staple in your wardrobe. As long as you aren’t trying to sell the bag you are not trying to deceive people... that is just the bag you happen to have and it’s really no ones business. Also would it be possible to procure this HG bag from the boutique? Honestly it’s nice to have tpf where you can discuss bag woes. Good luck