If you have your heart set on the latest Fendi bag or Gucci
sunglasses -- but these luxury items aren't in your monthly budget -- you may
consider going online to find bargains on these hot items. While the majority
of online sellers are honest and reliable, the sale of counterfeit items on the The web has been dramatically increasing the past few years. Unfortunately, luxury
goods providers cannot authenticate items unless they were purchased from their
own store, Web site or authorized dealer, so it is up to the buyer to choose
wisely when purchasing higher-end items online.
Steve Woda, founder of online trust and safety company
buySAFE offers the following tips to protect you from online fakes:
+ Don't buy based on price alone. We all know that if
the price is too good to be true, it probably is. Not all knockoffs sell for
cheap, however. High prices can add a sense of legitimacy, and many knockoff
sellers know this. Just because the price is high doesn't mean it's authentic.
+ Pictures are not always worth a thousand words. If
a seller only has a few pictures, and won't share more, you know you're dealing
with someone illegitimate. Anyone selling high-value goods -- used or new --
understands the importance of authenticity. If the merchant is selling
something genuine, they will have nothing to hide.
+ Read the fine print. Some e-retailers or auction
sellers will lure you in with words that you're likely to search for like
"Chanel" or "Gucci". Many sites also use overkill --
"authentic," "genuine" and other enticing adjectives -- to
describe their fashion items. It's only by reading carefully through the
descriptions that you will see comments like "Inspired by..." to let
you know that the merchandise isn't an exact copy (which then affords e-retailers
immunity from trademark infringement.)
+ Return or get burned. Make sure the seller offers a
return policy, or ensure that they use a buyer protection program. A buyer protection
program qualifies sellers by verifying their identities and ensuring that the
seller can meet the terms of the sale. Sellers that meet this criterion can
bond their transactions with a surety bond. This means that if the seller
doesn't keep to the terms of the deal by providing the product as promised, the
buyer is protected.
+ The extras. Designers love to provide value-added
extras, such as boxes, identity cards, and storage bags. But be vigilant. As
always, the counterfeiters are one step ahead, and know-how to fake packaging
and ID cards, or provide you with fake photos of the like, so don't let your
guard down. Recent reports have stated that counterfeiters are even buying fake
receipts to prove authenticity.
At the end of the day, it's caveat emptor. If you have that the queasy feeling in your stomach before you click 'buy', don't.
Comments