I'm going to state this very obvious note every once in awhile because I think it's very obvious but very important.
There are two things you need to be careful of when purchasing a bag online:
1) that the bag in the photos is authentic
2) that the bag in the photos is the bag you will be receiving
While authenticators can help with #1,
it's up to you to make sure of #2. Whether it be due diligence, going to a reputable seller, or using a secure form of transaction (e.g., PayPal, Ebay, credit card, etc., if the seller is new to you).
Other things to check for:
- Professional looking photos, amateur seller - make sure you don't have an amateur (non-professional, meaning, this doesn't look like a business, but an individual selling their own bags) with professional photos - sites like Portero and Malleries have millions of photos of bags up for the taking for anyone to pull a bait and switch and post it on Ebay with their own watermark. Joe Schmoe saying they are getting divorced and selling their wife's bags or grandma's old bags and they have beautiful studio photography is fishy
- "I only accept wire transfer / bank wire or cashier's check" - I am happy to send a reputable seller bank wire if they accept it as an option (often they will let you save at least 3%), but only if I know the seller, and not to a stranger. More importantly, these trusted vendors offer wire transfer as ONE option, not THE ONLY option. Meaning, they still take paypal, credit card, etc, it's just I'M the one wanting to save 3% and pay with wire
- "This was a gift from a friend" - it happens, but rarely, that authentic bags for thousands of dollars are given as gifts from a friend. Again, it's possible, but the majority of these gifts are fake
- Make sure the seller actually has the bag in hand. Many sellers are now doing their own "drop shipping" where they are pre-selling a bag by taking another seller's listing (often from Japan) and posting photos (lots on Tradesy) and then when it sells for their higher price, they will buy from the cheaper seller and then wait for it to arrive to them, then they ship to you. Ask for another photo and make it specific if you suspect this. When I'm buying a croc Hermes bag for example, not only do I want photos, sometimes I'll ask for a phone snap of it next to today's paper. I know, who gets the actual paper nowadays, but you get the point. You want to know not just that it's real but that person with the listing actually has that bag, in their hand.
- Make sure all photos are of the same bag and not from multiple listings. I see listings all the time where the photos aren't even from the same bag
- If you see multiple listings from a seller where all multiple backgrounds are different, that can be a red flag too. Usually when you are listing stuff from your closet, they have a similar back drop of your living room, bedroom, or wherever.
- 100% positive Ebay feedback of an impressive number, but when you look at their SELLER history, it's 0 (all positive buyer feedback), or for selling 500 different small item listings for $0.99. But all of a sudden, the seller has 10 to 30 bags for sale, like they have been doing this forever. The Ebay account was likely purchased on the black market or hacked, and they are "borrowing" the account for a quick set of scams, temporary paypal and bank account, and then they will run with your money.
Do not be fooled by:
- A sales receipt. Receipts are nothing and they also sell in the underground market for like $50 apiece, I hear. Same thing with boxes, dust bags, etc.
- If the seller claims there is a certificate from Etinceler, etc., ask to see it, then contact that authentication site and make sure they authenticated that bag. They won't charge you just to confirm that indeed they issued that certificate. Etinceler on their site reports that there are scammers who are faking their own certificates
- Guaranteed authentic or your money back. Duh. Like they have another choice? This should go without saying because it's the law! Lots of sellers guarantee authenticity, even knowing they are selling fakes, because all they need to do is issue a refund, and they are betting that 2 out of 3 buyers still won't get their superfake checked out, so they still come out ahead
- Statement of where the bag was purchased. Don't feel relieved just because someone tells you where they bought the bag (Chanel boutique in Chicago). This could also be a lie. I once purchased a fake Chanel where the owner swore up and down that the bag was purchased from Neiman Marcus. It was such a bad fake, too, and the more I told her it was fake the more she got upset that she purchased it herself.
Protect yourself! Breaks my heart reading through the "I was scammed" posts...
JMHO