Vestiaire Collective experiences?
- Thread starter Kopisusu
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Thank you so much for spending your time to answer my questions.
Your tips regarding using the app to list the item then switch to the laptop works.
You’re welcome! I’m glad it workedThank you so much for spending your time to answer my questions.
Your tips regarding using the app to list the item then switch to the laptop works.
I purchased a frivole pave rose gold pink sapphire pendant from Vestiaire Collective in September 2021. It was authenticated as real from their authenticators and sent out to me. I thought it looked a bit off, but wasn't sure.
Today I just was lucky enough to be able to purchase the same pendant from my local VCA boutique, in person. It took me only one look at the real necklace to realize that the necklace purchased from Vestiaire was a fake/replica. The "diamonds" are not real, and the entire piece is too lightweight. What is scary is that the clasp and serial number looks almost accurate, except for the outline of the triangle not lining up properly.
The same seller is selling another frivole pave rose gold pink sapphire pendant today, with the same exact pictures....just cropped a bit.
https://www.vestiairecollective.com...vole-van-cleef-arpels-necklace-19011430.shtml
Unbelievable!!
I paid with paypal, so I submitted a paypal claim today. I do not have a lot of hope of being refunded even with the pictures I included. I think I'm going to have to get the piece professionally authenticated by VCA to get an official letter and documentation saying it is fake, which I have heard will cost $1800. If so, VC should compensate that fee, as it is their fault that they let this replica slip through their system.
I will never trust Vestiaire Collective again after this, and I have purchased many things from there.
I don't know how this piece fooled Vestiaire Collective authenticators.
replica from Vestiaire Collective on the left, authentic piece from VCA on the right
replica clasp (and serial number) compared to the authentic clasp
Today I just was lucky enough to be able to purchase the same pendant from my local VCA boutique, in person. It took me only one look at the real necklace to realize that the necklace purchased from Vestiaire was a fake/replica. The "diamonds" are not real, and the entire piece is too lightweight. What is scary is that the clasp and serial number looks almost accurate, except for the outline of the triangle not lining up properly.
The same seller is selling another frivole pave rose gold pink sapphire pendant today, with the same exact pictures....just cropped a bit.
https://www.vestiairecollective.com...vole-van-cleef-arpels-necklace-19011430.shtml
Unbelievable!!
I paid with paypal, so I submitted a paypal claim today. I do not have a lot of hope of being refunded even with the pictures I included. I think I'm going to have to get the piece professionally authenticated by VCA to get an official letter and documentation saying it is fake, which I have heard will cost $1800. If so, VC should compensate that fee, as it is their fault that they let this replica slip through their system.
I will never trust Vestiaire Collective again after this, and I have purchased many things from there.
I don't know how this piece fooled Vestiaire Collective authenticators.
replica from Vestiaire Collective on the left, authentic piece from VCA on the right
replica clasp (and serial number) compared to the authentic clasp
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Hi @Glitterbomb, thanks a lot for sharing this!
I must admit I just can't believe my eyes and I am completely shocked. Are you saying these are not even real diamonds? That means VC don't even do basic diamond testing with a tester?!!!
Was there any certificate included with it or only necklace and the box? If yes, can you show the box as well which came with it and a certificate if any? (you can PM me if you want) Did you keep the tag VC provides after the item passed authentication?
The tag on the necklace looks very real!
Few quick thoughts on what can be done before you pay extreme fees at VCA:
1) screenshot everything: this includes this new listing of this seller and your old listing from which you bought with all the photographs in case it gets removed for whatever reason. I just checked the new listing and the seller is in Singapore: this is such a disgrace! And price is exorbitant!
2) before you go directly to VCA, try authenticating it with some other reliable online authenticators at much smaller fees. Also, your side by side photos are quite self explanatory (just look at the stones and it's obvious, gosh!!!), try to combine a collage pointing out the differences. Also, use the photos from the original listing to show this is the same necklace that has been sold to you and not some another one.
3) submit all these to PayPal and contact Vestiaire right away with all this information as well. They may side with you and open an investigation. In any case it makes sense to give them a chance to make it right. Explain why it took you a few months to figure this out, just so that they don't ask you that question later.
4) write reviews on sitejabber and trustpilot. It also helped me to write to their official instagram. Request full refund and to take the necklace back at their expense.
I would go to VCA itself as a last resort as it's a lot of extra money to spend on this rubbish and I would also not want my name to be associated with cheapo fakes. Plus no guarantee VCA will reimburse authentication fees.
I just can't believe it. Please keep us posted. This should not ever, ever happen.
PS: I found where the seller took the photos (if this is her/him), please PM me, I will share the link with you to submit to VC.
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Hi, thank you so much for reading and for your reply....I appreciate your help and suggestions greatly!
Yes, they are most definitely not real diamonds. I am not sure what they are.
I honestly am not sure if there was a certificate or if I kept the tag from VC. I tried to find it but was not able to...I wouldn't have thrown out the COA, but I can't find it at this time, if it was included. Personally the COA isn't important me (I know it is to most though). It's also easy to get blank fake COAs, I've seen them for sale online....so I don't trust the COA as a part of authentication anymore.
I did do a PayPal claim, and contacted Vestiaire Collective. They wanted me to ship the necklace back to them for another round of authentication. I already shipped back the necklace and box to Vestiaire Collective yesterday, so I can't take a picture of the box, but I did take a lot of pictures of the necklace (alone, and comparing it to the authentic one) before mailing it back.
I agree that the clasp looks nearly identical to the authentic clasp, which is part of how it fooled me.
I don't expect VCA to ever reimburse authentication fees, my apologies for the misunderstanding - I meant that Vestiaire Collective (VC) should reimburse it if I ended up having to pay it.
Vestiaire Collective said if this second round of authentication has a result of the necklace being inauthentic, they will refund me. They said if they decide it is authentic, they will list it for sale on my profile (!!!) or ship it back to me at my request. If they declare it as being authentic once again and do ship it back to me, I will proceed with having VCA authenticate it.
By the way, I also noticed that the serial number on the listing is not the same as the serial number of the necklace I received. It is hard to make out, but the last 3 digits of the serial number on the listing is 224, and the last 3 digits on the replica necklace I received is 842.
Yes, please send me the source of where the seller took those pictures...I would love to see to have all the necessary documentation for PayPal. Thank you so much!
I just want to vent a little bit.
Sold a couple of Chanel earrings just now, shipped to the same hub (Hong Kong). From 2008 collection, Star and Crescent moon earrings. No receipt due to age but full set with box, stickers and tags, all hallmarks in place.
VC is now asking me to "provide more information about your item". Basically they want receipt otherwise their poor little brains are unable to authenticate this item.
What is wrong with them??? Why do they pass 16k fakes like @Glitterbomb one and poke my brain about perfectly authentic item?!
Yeah I understand one hallmark is embossed and another one is lasered but so what?
So here I am writing long explanatory letter on why my item is authentic to so-called "experts". How dare they call themselves this word. Speechless.
Sold a couple of Chanel earrings just now, shipped to the same hub (Hong Kong). From 2008 collection, Star and Crescent moon earrings. No receipt due to age but full set with box, stickers and tags, all hallmarks in place.
VC is now asking me to "provide more information about your item". Basically they want receipt otherwise their poor little brains are unable to authenticate this item.
What is wrong with them??? Why do they pass 16k fakes like @Glitterbomb one and poke my brain about perfectly authentic item?!
Yeah I understand one hallmark is embossed and another one is lasered but so what?
So here I am writing long explanatory letter on why my item is authentic to so-called "experts". How dare they call themselves this word. Speechless.
So to give an update on my claim against VC....
I mailed the necklace back to them as they requested, and escalated my dispute on PayPal to an official claim. I showed PayPal all of the evidence (pictures comparing both necklaces, and the tracking showing I mailed the necklace back to VC).
VC had 24 hours to respond to the claim and they did not respond, so PayPal closed the case in my favor. I am getting a full refund.
I feel very relieved, and very glad that PayPal came through for me!
I still haven't heard any final word from VC, and am waiting for them to authenticate the item again. I am very curious what they will decide, but regardless I have my refund anyway.
I just hope that no one else gets scammed like I did, and hopefully the seller that sold this fake necklace to me has their account and listings shut down.
I mailed the necklace back to them as they requested, and escalated my dispute on PayPal to an official claim. I showed PayPal all of the evidence (pictures comparing both necklaces, and the tracking showing I mailed the necklace back to VC).
VC had 24 hours to respond to the claim and they did not respond, so PayPal closed the case in my favor. I am getting a full refund.
I feel very relieved, and very glad that PayPal came through for me!
I still haven't heard any final word from VC, and am waiting for them to authenticate the item again. I am very curious what they will decide, but regardless I have my refund anyway.
I just hope that no one else gets scammed like I did, and hopefully the seller that sold this fake necklace to me has their account and listings shut down.
I bought a graphite bayswater just before xmas, paid for authentication, uk seller, lots of coms with them prior to haggling a good price. Authentication noticed a small mark not on photos, gave me 72hrs to accept or decline with immediate refund that said, i was super anxious for 6 days waiting for her to be checked and delivered! But all good
Paypal are awesome, I am so pleased for you. VC is part-funded by the French Government so they act like they are above the law.
Here is the official verdict from Vestiaire Collective.
It looks like Vestiaire didn't punish the seller, or make them remove any of their badges or listings, and they are still selling another one of these fake necklaces. I really hope no one else gets scammed like I did.
https://us.vestiairecollective.com/...gold-van-cleef-arpels-necklace-19011430.shtml
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Once you initiate a claim with PP, you don’t have to obtain any further authentication, the burden is on VC to refund from PP’s point of view regardless of whether VC agree or disagree with the authenticity of the item.
Glad to hear it worked out for you
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Tip for any new sellers out there: when shipping your item, take pictures of your product from every single angle out of the box, then showing how its packaged up, then the box taped shut with the shipping label attached AND take a picture when you hand it over to the courier. I've even taken pictures of it dropped off at the convenience / safe store. What I've realised is that you need to cover yourself as much as possible in the event of a flag from VC be it over its condition, etc. A couple of times, I've had to chase for information of my item's wherabouts after weeks of being held in customs, and one item was lost altogether, and VC requested proof that I despatched the item at all, even though it's confirmed as collected by the courier (with an exact time stamp) and "on its way" on VC's own website! Within 'my orders' section where you can track your order's progress! Ridiculous. Always ask for a receipt if you're dropping it off. And if the courier is collecting directly from you and can't provide a receipt, take a picture of you handing the package over (not showing the courier's face). Assume every eventuality and save yourself the future headache.
Over chat, VC at one point was also requesting scanned passport / formal IDs to look into basic shipping dilemmas with THEIR nominated couriers!! Supplying a government document over a chat function to someone you've never spoken to?! This is unacceptable and goes against the data protection act that has swept across Europe in recent years. You would think out of everywhere, France would be aware of this law. I refused over fraud concerns and really stood firm on this and eventually they / the robot gave up and found alternative ways of "looking into the issue". I sincerely hope they have stopped asking for this now.
I've also noticed that selling from the UK slowed down drastically after Brexit due to the additional 20% mark-up in sending items via France. Thankfully, VC have now opened a UK warehouse which means that UK buyers will not have to pay this VAT but it is still unclear what this means for potential buyers in other territories. VC must be more transparent about the guidelines for items despatched from UK. Right now, buyers are getting a nasty surprise at check-out after arduous negotiations. Wasting everyone's time. Has anyone else experienced this?
Over chat, VC at one point was also requesting scanned passport / formal IDs to look into basic shipping dilemmas with THEIR nominated couriers!! Supplying a government document over a chat function to someone you've never spoken to?! This is unacceptable and goes against the data protection act that has swept across Europe in recent years. You would think out of everywhere, France would be aware of this law. I refused over fraud concerns and really stood firm on this and eventually they / the robot gave up and found alternative ways of "looking into the issue". I sincerely hope they have stopped asking for this now.
I've also noticed that selling from the UK slowed down drastically after Brexit due to the additional 20% mark-up in sending items via France. Thankfully, VC have now opened a UK warehouse which means that UK buyers will not have to pay this VAT but it is still unclear what this means for potential buyers in other territories. VC must be more transparent about the guidelines for items despatched from UK. Right now, buyers are getting a nasty surprise at check-out after arduous negotiations. Wasting everyone's time. Has anyone else experienced this?