It always happens ... the more I think I know, the less I really know!

     Today was a day that will probably stay with me for a long time.  For that reason, I would like to share it with you.  Here I was, "Miss designer know-it-all," or so I thought.  That is, until I opened the big priority mail box for which I had been waiting, and pulled out a purse that looked like it had been trampled on and smelled foul.  I thought to myself, "when will I learn that a lot of people selling designer items; be it perfume, handbags, clothing, or any other brand name item on EBay are FAKES"?  NOT ALL, mind you, but a lot of them; and yes buyers, even some of those with 100% positive feedback!  Scary; huh?  Well it does not have to be.

     Inasmuch as some of these sellers are caught and forbidden to list name brand items, they somehow reappear .  They implement new fraud techniques and they stay ahead of the game, or at least try to.  EBay cannot find and catch every one of them.  This weekend alone I spent hours on end searching for and finding hundreds of listings for fake Coach bags.  I reported them to EBay, however they still remain active!  It makes me both sad and angry to know that innocent people are being cheated AFTER the authorities have been properly notified!  There is NO excuse for it.  Therefore, it is up to US to stop them.  We do not have to let them win.  In this article, I will do my very best to point out just a few ways in which you can spot a fake Coach bag.  You can also use these methods on other designer brands.

    Please do not let my experience, and I am certain a hundred others, hold you back from purchasing name brands on EBay.  The truth is, MANY sellers have excellent reputations for selling authentic name brand items; Coach, for example.  They make it their business to make sure the customer is 100% satisfied.  For example, from time to time, I like to switch out purses.  Since mine are designer bags, I always sell the "gently used" ones on EBay when I purchase my new bag.

     The Coach bag in the EBay listing that I fell for looked real; however was it the actual bag I received?  Probably NOT.  The purse I received (pictured below) was made of a dark blue plastic-like material with a FAKE Macy's tag and a FAKE Coach tag attached.  See photos:

     A couple of days earlier I had won a bid for a little over $50 for what looked like a used Coach bag.  Obviously none of the above pictures were included in the listing.  The picture had the purse hanging from a closet and I had no reason to doubt it.  I thought it was used (I did not pay attention to the print and I should have).  Big mistake.  If something sounds too good to be true, it probably IS! The interior of a Coach bag has a leather emblem that I have described below.  Also, most interiors are made of the same color cloth as the color of the leather. 

• "THIS IS A COACH BAG.  IT WAS HANDCRAFTED IN CHINA FROM THE FINEST MATERIALS TRIMMED WITH GENUINE LEATHER.  ITS SUPERIOR CRAFTSMANSHIP AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL REFLECT OUR COMMITMENT TO ENDURING QUALITY".

                                                               No D0768-11058 (Example of a real Coach serial number)

     The interior of the FAKE Coach (Foach) bag I received was indeed the samne color; however, the stitching was sloppy,and the lining was a combination of "velour-like" and plastic material.  The interior emblem read as follows: 

• "THIS IS A COACH BAG.  IT WAS HANDCRAFTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF COMPLETELY NATURAL GLOVE-TANNED COWHIDE.  THE VARIATIONS IN THE GRAIN ARE CHARACTERISTIC OF NATURAL FULL-GRAIN LEATHER".                                                                              

                                                               No H7D 9020        (FAKE serial number:  2 letters, not enough numbers)

     I have not written this guide to discourage you from purchasing Coach bags on the Internet; rather, I encourage you to do so if you get a good deal; however, KNOW what you are getting!  Here are a few tips that will always work:

• Enter the SERIAL NUMBER of the purse (if there is no letter such as F in front of it) into the search box of Coach.com; Coach's Official Web site.  Chances are, nothing will show up (the only exception to this is Factory Products which begin with the letter F - these cannot be found on the main Coach web site, but they are real Coach bags).  There is your answer!  RUN!  But first, PLEASE report the listing.  To do this, click the link at the bottom of the page that reads "Report this listing"; then click on "counterfeit and copyright violations, potential trademark infringement", and finally, click on "counterfeit handbags".
• In the event there is no serial number listed in the listing (red flag), the "brand" of the purse; e.g., Coach Signature Hampton, is usually listed.  For instance, I ran a search on a gorgeous briefcase that I am sure was an actual Coach.  The reason I ran a search on the brand was because something was very fishy.  It was listed at $50 with no reserve, brand new, and the seller had at least 20 others for sale.  Again; I am certain the picture was a picture of a real Coach bag.  She had it listed as a Coach "Morgan."  When this happens, go to Coach.com and enter the brand into the search box.  When I entered "Coach Morgan" the search returned a KEYCHAIN!  We cannot lose sight of the fact that we are dealing with professional thieves.  These people will go to any length to steal our hard earned money.  They could have easily purchased the real bag, taken photographs for the website, then  returned the bag.  You do NOT know what you are getting all the time.  THINK before bidding and do not make the mistake I made!    
• ASK QUESTIONS!  Does the seller offer a money back guarantee?  Does the seller guarantee the bag's authenticity?  Is the purse described in as much detail as you would like?  Does the Coach bag, if described as NWT (new with tags) come with a dust bag and all tags?  Does the seller have the original receipt of which she/he can fax you a copy?  If a picture of the inside emblem is not listed, can the seller email you one (it should be crisp and clear "made in China").  Are the pictures satisfactory or blurry?  If the answer to any of these questions is 'NO', ask yourself why you would bid on such an item.

     The person who sent me the fake person did not know she was dealing with a person who knew enough about handbags to know this was a fake.  She also did not know that law is my profession; as a law student, that is.  The one thing I will NOT tolerate is a theif or a cheat.  The person immediately refunded my money plus all shipping fees.  Of course - there was no other alternative; the other choice was to face jail time.  

     The message I want to get across is to stay in control at all times.  Remember that you have done NOTHING wrong.  The law is in place to protect innocent victims as well as it is in place to prosecute fraudulent sellers.  Remember; if nothing else, the three major steps in buying a Coach bag on EBay:

1. Check the Serial Number against Coach's Official Website, Coach.com
2. Check the Model Name against Coach's Official Website, Coach.com
3. Report the listing to Ebay.com immediately (at the bottom of the listing page)

God Bless, Good Luck, and Happy Bidding!

Mary Jane