We know all too well about the replica designer handbags for sale at hundreds less than the retail cost of the authentic bag. However, there are still opportunities on Ebay to purchase authentic Fendi, Coach, Chanel, Kate Spade and other designer handbags at significantly lower than manufacturer retail pricing.  There are some good guides on almost every popular designer brand and some very knowledgeable people on the Ebay community discussion board, Shoes, Purses, and Fashion Accessories to assist you in the authenticity determination.  Also peruse Knowknockoffs  and ThePurseForum and ask questions. Seven years ago I could spot a fake designer bag across a room. I didn’t have to get close to tell the difference. Today, many replicas are extremely difficult to determine through a glance or a photo.  They require scrutiny and careful comparison.

Reasons for wanting and buying the genuine article are different and personal for each of us, but regardless of our reasons, on Ebay and elsewhere, we are entitled to receive the genuine article, if it is advertised as such.

Fendi Guide I of III ~ Additional Photos are available on our Guide II & III

Fendi items listed on the side of this guide are randomly selected by Ebay and not part of our Guide. Guides only permit 10 photos each. Please review Guides II and III for additional photos.

There's Nothing Like the Real Thing

This Fendi guide is meant as a supplement to a lot of information already available on Ebay. Fendi-bag-lady’s About Me page is a wonderful source for some of the older and classic Fendi styles. Refer to that guide and supplement it with this one. It is written based on only my experience with Fendi Spy Bags and my experiences is based only on research and 93 successful Fendi Spy Transactions.  In order to write this guide, I carefully scrutinized four replica spy bags borrowed from Ebayers who wish to remain anonymous. They wrote me for my opinion after they made fraudulent purchases on Ebay.  One buyer was lured off Ebay with a second chance offer.  Suggestion 1: Legitimate second chance offers will come from the seller through Ebay and a copy will be sent to your email address. Respond through the “My messages” portal on Ebay. Do not respond from your email program.  If the offer is not in your “My messages” then it is not a valid offer.  Always respond and communicate with a seller through Ebay.

The other replicas were purchased using “Buy It Now.” One was a "too good to be true" offer stating NWT (New with Tags) for $300. Suggestion 2. Used Fendi Spy bags in fair condition usually sell for more than $300.

Another was purchased through an Ebay Seller who had plenty of good feedback. The buyer paid with a money order and now has no recourse to recover their payment from the unscrupulous person who hijacked the account and listed his/her replica bags for a short time (5 day listing).  Suggestion 3:  Review the items a seller has sold in the past. If you’re buying a $3 widget from a seller who sold several $3 widgets a day, then overnight the seller shows several designer handbags for sale,  caution should be exercised. 

Suggestion 4:  Look for $2000 in buyer protection from Ebay. That doesn't mean that a seller with $200 of Ebay Buyer Protection is not reputable, but if you are willing to risk the $200 only protection, fund your purchase through a credit card in PayPal.

Suggestion 5: (The most important)  Ask for help before bidding.  Post your concerns on the Ebay Discussion Board Shoes, Purses and Fashion Accessories and wait for more than one opinion.  There are so many experts there and usually the ladies of the Board recommend multiple opinions be sought from the Board member.

Homework:   Seller Feedback and length of time a seller has been selling on Ebay is important, but take into account that every seller may have had a few customers that have been impossible to please.   Ebay's Feedback Policy does not allow a Seller to present his/her side of a transaction gone wrong. If you have any questions about a seller's feedback or a particular transaction in the past, ask the seller about it and give them the opportunity to respond.  Also, take into account a seller’s repeat customers. Ask about what kind of experience your seller may have in the designer handbag and accessory arena?  

By doing som some homework beforehand and reading the listing information carefully helps to ensure a smooth transaction. It also helps to read the information in the listing twice just in case you missed something.  If available, review a seller's “About Me” page to learn more about their policies and practices.  Ask the seller questions pertaining to the item at auction if the information is absent from the listing description.

A note about questions.  There is nothing to stop an unscrupulous seller from answering questions unscrupulously.  I've asked sellers of fake items if the item is authentic, and I've received assurances of Yes in every way possible.  One time, under my Pinchrosemary ID, I asked a seller who stole my photos (watermarked ones) and my description verbatim,  if the bag they were selling was the one I would be getting if I won. They answered with an unequvocal, "Yes." 

If you have any doubt or even a hunch about authenticity, then listen to it.  Don't bid.  It's not worth the savings in dollars if you pay double with worry. If you post your concerns up on the Ebay Community Board, Shoes, Purses and Fashion Accessories and don't receive an answer, email me through Ebay for addition sources. Note:  When posting on the Ebay Boards, copy the listing title,  not item number when posting your question.

Just because:  If the item is selling for substantially below retail, there may be a problem or an imperfection on the bag due to use and/or abuse. There is a big difference in a low starting price vs. a low Buy It Now price.  Low starting prices on a high priced designer item, usually seek market prices based on condition and demand. An extremely low Buy It Now price on a NWT designer item in demand should raise a RED flag.

Following are a few items to look for when contemplating a Fendi purchase: 

• Actual photos and lots of them. If photos are watermarked, verify that the seller and the watermark are related.  e.g. A photo with a watermark such as “A Pinch of Rosemary” will not be listed on “XYZ-HANDBAGS” seller’s auction.  If it is, it is a stolen photo and not the bag that will be sent to you should you win.
• Fendi Zippers:  If the bag has one, ask about the zipper.  Fendi’s zipper slides usually have the FF logo underneath, even on the inside zip pockets.  (see photos) There are some exceptions to this rule and a few of the Fendi leather styles have RIRI on the underside.
• Spy Bags. Ask for the measurement of the Spy Compartment. Open diameter, from center hinge to hinge is 5 1/8”.   I have not seen an variation.    The replicas I’ve looked at ranged from 5” to 5 3/4". Take a look at the hinges and the pin holding them in place. Screws should be placed as shown in the photos in Guide II & III.The ends of the pins in the hinges should feel slightly rounded and smooth to the touch. 
• When looking at the front of a closed bag, FENDI will be engraved on the bottom of the woven handle upside down and backwards. FENDI will also be engraved on the top front of the woven handle hardware. Directly on the back of the hardware behind the right side up FENDI, engraving should state MADE IN ITALY on three lines, centered, in upper case. Engraving should be clean. A replica may have the MADE IN ITALY engraving, but if you examine the print carefully on a replica,  it may look darker in the crevices of the engraving. 
• The top right side of the woven handle will have two small flathead screws, one larger than the other.
• Look for two-tone color hardware, light gold and silver. It’s difficult to determine unless you’re in the right light.
• End Cap of the Braided Handle is Engraved FENDI in gold and placement is at the bottom close to the hinge.  The entire end cap is covered with a transparent and raised piece of Plastic or Glass (I don’t know the exact composition of this piece) It is beveled along the entire edge.
• The black hologram tag inside is folded and sewn into the bag. The inside of the fold will be neat and smooth. The print is easily discernable. I’ve found the inside of the tags on the replica handbags sloppy. (see photos in Guide II and III)  On newer authentic Fendi Spy bags, an alpha numeric code will be on one line on the bottom of the tag.  Older Fendi Spy bags may have the A on the top of the numeric code.  No need to worry if an authenticity card comes with your bag and the label is not entirely straight. No need to worry about the letters FOG on the card. It is a myth that this denotes a counterfeit bag.
• An alpha numeric code that includes the style number will be embossed on a leather strip inside the bag.
• Lining in the Fendi Spy Bags vary by style. I have seen  Zucca Jacquard, Linen, and Satin.  Other Fendi bags might have nylon signature (will have FENDI written vertically and randomly on the fabric).  The zucca jacquard lining does not have a flimsy feel or sheen to it.
• The front flap should look like it has a little mouth stitched on it.  This curve is difficult to replicate. The stitching does not go all the way up the side and it does not cross.  

Authentic Fendi Spy End Caps Below 

Fake Spy End Caps Below - Notice on the second photo where the Fendi in gold is located. It is not by the hinge as in the third photo above. The raised transparent peice is not raised enough on photo 1 one and the other barely at all on Photo 3. 

Authentic Fendi Spy Handles Below

Side by Side Lining of Spy Bags - Authentic Fendi on the Left

See our Guide II and III for more photos

We welcome additional information and your expertise. Contact us to add it when we update our guide.  A great big thank you to hmlmph02 for sharing her knowledge, and her tenacity in the quest for identifying “The Genuine Article.”