Why Do People Buy Fake Designer Bags Or Fake Designer Anything?

[Mariapia]

THANK YOU!

There are dozens of reasons why buying fakes deliberately is treated as a crime in Europe (where the most prized counterfeited brands are based: Hermès, Cartier, LV, Goyard, Patek, Chanel, Dior, Balenciaga, etc etc), with heavy fines and even prison sentences. An alleged ignorance that the item you carry is a fake, as in: "Oh, how could I know since it was a hand-me-down/a gift", "But I bought it in a real shop!" won´t let the fake carrier off the hook and, if caught by enforcement authorities carrying a fake, it will be confiscated and the carrier will have to pay a fine at least as high as the price of the genuine item: so, that fifty buck Chanel may well end up costing you five grand, plus a police file and, if a repeat offender or caught carrying more than one such fake, maybe even a prison sentence.

Here, educated, decent, honest and socially aware people don´t buy fakes on purpose. It is not considered "being sooo clever", or "just a little white lie" or a "harmless minor offence", quite the contrary. It is seen as something for losers and criminals: sorry, that is just what the law says. And NOBODY is above the law

Absolutely right from beginning to end, Pimpernel!
The fine is enormous! Let alone a prison sentence!
And we have posters in all airports, such as
Fausse Cartier, vrai casier !
Fake Cartier, real police record !

 

[Mariapia]

To put it as prosaically as possible: Would you accept a check knowing it was forged? Would you then attempt to cash it?

To my simple mind, it's that simple.

You are right Fim, it's that simple![emoji106]

 

[Kitties Are Cute]

I don't buy fakes and will not, but people actually go to jail for carrying a fake? Sorry, but I find it hard to believe that police are out there arresting citizens they think have fake bags. There is no bag police for those carrying fakes (selling them, yes). At least not in the U.S. SO many people have fakes and not once have I heard of someone going to prison for wearing one. Police would not enforce this because they can't tell!

I still do not condone fakes and do not own any, and I think differently about a person who has one, but also I don't believe women are getting busted for carrying a fake bag either. Is it actually enforced in Europe??

 

[Mariapia]

I don't buy fakes and will not, but people actually go to jail for carrying a fake? Sorry, but I find it hard to believe that police are out there arresting citizens they think have fake bags. There is no bag police for those carrying fakes (selling them, yes). At least not in the U.S. SO many people have fakes and not once have I heard of someone going to prison for wearing one. Police would not enforce this because they can't tell!

I still do not condone fakes and do not own any, and I think differently about a person who has one, but also I don't believe women are getting busted for carrying a fake bag either. Is it actually enforced in Europe??

The Customs Officers are the ones that will handle the situation.
They are in airports but not only.
I can tell you that when a fake is offered to you in a country that has no laws about counterfeits, you only need to say " I am French" and the person leaves you alone immediately!

 

[cpetty08]

Very good thread....

 

[Aelfaerie]

If you look at the authentication threads in every section you'll see read some comments from the authenticators that read: That's a very good fake etc.

It's important to keep in mind that the authenticating on TPF is done through pictures posted online. By adjusting lighting and angles (also not ruling out photo editing), it's easy to make fakes look like the real bags. However, once you see it on the street or feel the material in your hands, it's very apparent. Case in point, there are not many counterfeit lambskin bags (if any at all!) around Canal Street.

 

[misskris03]

It's important to keep in mind that the authenticating on TPF is done through pictures posted online. By adjusting lighting and angles (also not ruling out photo editing), it's easy to make fakes look like the real bags. However, once you see it on the street or feel the material in your hands, it's very apparent. Case in point, there are not many counterfeit lambskin bags (if any at all!) around Canal Street.

I don't think the "very good" fakes are the canal street variety. There are some rather expensive fakes out there. I think the ones that are being called "really good" by the authenticators are likely the ones that cost hundreds of dollars or more.

I accidentally bought a fake mulberry once. The leather quality was quite decent. Luckily I was able to get a refund.

 

[medeir86]

This is an interesting little sect. I have some things to say
First off, what I own is real and authentic. Some pre-loved, but still authentic.
HOWEVER, here comes story time...

When I was in high school, a friend of mine took me to a Chinese Mall in Ontario I had never been to, and I was brand new to designer brands. I was 15, I believe, so allow me some lee-way here. She showed me fake bags, for still quite insane prices, which were (for all intended purposes), beautiful to my eye. I had been raised by a family who was not extremely wealthy but always quite comfortable, and my mother had a small collection of lovely bags, something I did not yet. I think I owned maybe 4 Juicy Couture bags and a Coach back then. But anyhow, I spotted a fake Burberry (loved them then) which felt nice in my hands, smelled like leather, and was...? $230 dollars. Wow. The Asian saleswoman was so pushy and I was young and loved the bag that I bought it. So I was all excited, wow a new gorgeous bag similar to my mother's, and I come home and my mom just says, "What on earth is that." I never thought it out, whether it was bad, or shameful, to own a bag that wasn't "exactly" the designer, so I was still excited. "But mom, it's beautiful like yours for cheaper!" So she looked it over real close, smiled, and said, "Honey, what you did is considered illegal. I know it looks nice and smells nice but you can never do this again. Brands need to be bought at the store, otherwise it brings a (she said an italian word for "bad omen upon you"), so the fake bag would basically make me appear less of myself and untrustworthy to wear. I kept the bag for a few months but then threw it out, ashamed to wear it.

Moral of my story is, at 15 I wanted to appear grown up and more wealthy than I was. I bought it because I yearned for the excitement of "good quality" and the "appearance of class." Did I get that? LOL NO. But you learn. And I'm sure some people don't feel that way about their fakes, but I try not to judge. If you wear fakes, just know you are putting out a lesser you, and what you're doing is illegal. I know it doesn't seem illegal because it's so common, but it is. The reasoning behind buying a fake is so complicated, but in the end people really need to think about why and if they should perhaps solve the issues behind wanting to buy a fake in the first place.

 

[Annabel Lee]

I posted earlier in this thread that I own a fake Prada. Let me tell you the whole sad tale.

I was about 20 when I got it--my friend found an ebay reseller who had just a few bags and was selling them really cheaply. She'd bought other impossible-to-replicate items from the seller before (sporting goods). And eBay wouldn't allow fakes, right? Neither of us had even seen a Prada handbag before, but the bags we were considering had name plates and serial numbers ("serial numbers"), so we ordered.

When they showed up, I didn't think they were great quality, but I've seen lots of expensive items that aren't great quality. As I did more research, I quickly realized my bag was not only fake but a bad one. It was too late to file a claim and the seller's profile was deleted. I didn't know enough then to know what to do about it.

And at that point I already owned it. It felt more wasteful not to use it at that point. Plus I LOVED the colors--it went with everything--and it pretty much was my everyday bag.

Then I started to learn about the conditions fake handbags support and felt awful. As I've learned more about brands and bags in general, I cringe to realize of what others must have thought of me! But because of this, I know some people can end up making this kind of purchase out of ignorance. Maybe they want a luxury item but don't know much about it and don't take the time to research it as they should, either because they get a great opportunity or trust the wrong person. That was an expensive and sad lesson for me, and I still want the bag I thought I bought.

 

[dawnsfinallywed]

I wouldn't respect them simply for the things you mentioned. I could not respect someone who knowingly supports sweatshops, child labor, organized crime, and terroristic activities. And if they DON'T know, then they're ignorant, which is another reason to not respect them.


QUOTE=FendiBagLady;8475]I don't like knockoffs personally. I know that the counterfeit bags are often made in sweatshops and the money is funneled to terrorist organizations or organized crime units. Unfortunately, the people who get arrested for selling counterfeit goods are the guys (and gals) on the street who are just trying to make a living, often in the US illegally and have no other way of supporting themselves.

That being said, I would never not "respect" someone for having a knockoff bag! Respect - or lack thereof - is due to someone's CHARACTER, not their material possessions. I have friends who have tons of knockoffs because they like the style and cannot afford the real ones. The fact that someone else would not respect them as people because they cannot afford the fancy bags that others carry makes me kind of disgusted.[/QUOTE]

 

[Annabel Lee]

I wouldn't respect them simply for the things you mentioned. I could not respect someone who knowingly supports sweatshops, child labor, organized crime, and terroristic activities. And if they DON'T know, then they're ignorant, which is another reason to not respect them.


QUOTE=FendiBagLady;8475]I don't like knockoffs personally. I know that the counterfeit bags are often made in sweatshops and the money is funneled to terrorist organizations or organized crime units. Unfortunately, the people who get arrested for selling counterfeit goods are the guys (and gals) on the street who are just trying to make a living, often in the US illegally and have no other way of supporting themselves.

That being said, I would never not "respect" someone for having a knockoff bag! Respect - or lack thereof - is due to someone's CHARACTER, not their material possessions. I have friends who have tons of knockoffs because they like the style and cannot afford the real ones. The fact that someone else would not respect them as people because they cannot afford the fancy bags that others carry makes me kind of disgusted.

I think it's important to reserve judgment. A lot of people just aren't very knowledegable on this topic (see my story above!), and I agree it's going a bit far to stop respecting someone based on one facet of their lives without knowing more about them.

However, I think it does say something about someone's character if they know what this industry supports and buy the knockoff bag anyway. If they put something as frivolous as a purse over other people's suffering, that's not someone I want to be friends with.

 

[BPC]

I think it's important to reserve judgment. A lot of people just aren't very knowledegable on this topic (see my story above!), and I agree it's going a bit far to stop respecting someone based on one facet of their lives without knowing more about them.

However, I think it does say something about someone's character if they know what this industry supports and buy the knockoff bag anyway. If they put something as frivolous as a purse over other people's suffering, that's not someone I want to be friends with.

The argument of putting a purse over other's suffering doesn't work for me. Most of the time when you buy Made in China you do the same.
Their factories are hazard zones,their wages, laughable. They get treated like utter crap and work ridiculously long hours- because if they won't, someone else will.

And yet, we continue to buy.. hmm.. What does that say about our character?

Just because it's legal does not make it humane.

 

[BPC]

It's important to keep in mind that the authenticating on TPF is done through pictures posted online. By adjusting lighting and angles (also not ruling out photo editing), it's easy to make fakes look like the real bags. However, once you see it on the street or feel the material in your hands, it's very apparent. Case in point, there are not many counterfeit lambskin bags (if any at all!) around Canal Street.

I don't live too far from there and I gotta be honest, I have never seen a good looking fake come from Canal.
I mean I don't authenticate but you can absolutely see the difference in things like the finish, the hardware, the way the bag hangs. It's the little things that give it away..

 

[CassieH]

Hmm... I think it's true, as mentioned by the above poster (AnnabeLe) that some people don't know what's a counterfeit and what it means for the industry.

Having said that, there is a lot of corruption coming from official companies as well. I'm talking about factories where high end products are made in China, Africa, Bangladash, India, etc. And so on that do not have good working conditions or decent wages. Apparently, there can be a lot of abuse that takes place?

It's about the bottom line. Counterfeit or not counterfeit.

Now I'm not saying counterfeit is a good thing or that it's fine to support them, I am saying that if you talk about how awful the counterfeiting industry is, why shouldn't topics of how companies retain and get their labor to make products not talked about? From North America, products are being shipped overseas and into factories for them to be assembled further and what have you.

These factories have been affecting the health of workers and even residents of people who live near factories. Their water source is really polluted and there is smog in the air because of factory waste (airborne).

I'm not kidding when I say kids have been forbidden to play outside due to China's smog in certain factory-saturated locations. There have been also reports of higher cancer rates in those areas as well and people do die from them. Part of the reason is that affording healthcare is not a realistic goal for them.

I am saying that there is corruption on both sides, one is more official and less illegal (because certain countries don't have standards for how a company needs to run) and the other is just frowned down upon.

On a micro-level, it's pretty sad. One, buyers get scammed into rolling out a lot of money for something that isn't real and sometimes without knowing it. Secondly, one has to wonder why someone wants to counterfeit in the first place AND find workers who would support creating counterfeit merchandise.

My only answer is two-fold: greed and / or poverty.

The same reason how some official companies shipped items to be assembled and look after overseas.The only solution I can think of is to consume less or only buy from ethical companies. Or restrict yourself from buying handbags from certain companies (pick and choose kind of thing based on principle).

But to answer the question:
Why do people buy fake designer bags?
Assuming they know its a fake, I think it is because it gives them the feeling of owning something expensive and is more likely to serve as a status symbol. Or they like the design and don't see the harm doing business with counterfeiters. It's possible it is both. it saves on money, too. or so it seems...

I also think it's a bit of an ostrich in the sand scenario for official and illegal organizations. I think our society teaches us to pursue wealth and status, and part of buying super high end is because of that and quality. And it is much easier to buy from official companies or from counterfeit business people when you don't have to see the effects of the industry having affect on others. I haven't met a person suffering from the effects of high-end official and legal companies, so it's easier to turn a blind eye.

What would we put in there if we drew a Venn diagram of what legal companies do to create and manufacture their products AND the illegal counterfeit companies?

Just because something is legal does not mean a company hasn't taken advantage of situation to get more profit. Just because a company is known as legitimate and seen as a legal unit that distribute products, doesn't mean they are ethical or humane. Nor does it mean they don't abuse the system or take advantage of any economic or business loophole they can find.

 

[_purseaddict_]

I don't care if anyone prefer or only buy non genuine brand. They must have their own reason, right or wrong it's their choice. We are all very different individual. Haha I never even give any thought to this question before. [emoji3]