FAKE ED HARDY BEING SOLD AS AUTHENTIC ALL OVER EBAY!!

In case you aren't aware of this, counterfeit ED HARDY (Christian Audigier) is being sold as authentic on Ebay and all over the internet.  Over 50% of the Ed Hardy items you see on Ebay are fake being sold as authentic.

There are numerous guides found on Ebay that will help you spot the fakes from everything from hats to bathing suits. Just do a search for "Ed Hardy" under reviews and guides and you will find lots of excellent information.

While you can find authentic Ed Hardy on Ebay from some wonderful sellers, this is a HIGHLY COUNTERFEITED brand that is readily available all over the internet so many of the fakes DO end up on Ebay.

When buying Ed Hardy (Christian Audigier, SMET) be sure to ask plenty of questions to confirm the item is authentic.  If a seller says they get their items from a "supplier" it is very important for you to red the following information to help determine whether or not this is a counterfeit item.  Many sellers do not realize these "suppliers" are selling fake items so they are mislead into believe they have authentic items and then pass on this incorrect information to the buyers. 

TIRED OF COUNTERFEITS BEING ALLOWED ON EBAY?  Then please vote "yes" at the very bottom of this page to help get the word out to Ebay and the Ebay community!  You can also see by the number of "no" votes how many counterfeit sellers are unhappy with this type of information getting out!

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COMMONLY COUNTERFEITED ED HARDY ITEMS:

Jeans, t-shirts, tank tops, polos, hoodies, jackets, shirts, shorts,  underwear (briefs, boxers) shoes, bathing suits, dresses, sweaters, pants, handbags, totes, watches, sunglasses, fragrance, etc.  This applies to both men's and women's clothing and accessories, along with items for children.  This also applies to all Christian Audigier items, including SMET. 

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MORE INFORMATION

Search the guides for "fake Ed Hardy" or "counterfeit Ed Hardy" and you will find lots of helpful information.

SOME QUICK HINTS ON SPOTTING FAKES:

1.  The higher the number of items available, the bigger the chance of getting a fake.   Example:  If you search for "Ed Hardy T-shirt" about 2,000 to 4,000 items will show up at any given moment on any given day.  This is a clear indication of fakes being sold - the volume.  So you have to really look into the item and the seller before making your purchase to be certain the item is actually authentic.

2.  Private Listings.  Some sellers use private listings so that other Ebay members can't contact you to let you know you are bidding on a fake (or may have won a fake).  I would ask the seller to update this on the listing (it is very easy to change) to make the bidder/winner viewable to others.  If they refuse, then buy somewhere else.

3. Short Duration Listings.  Many times sellers with counterfeit items want to make a fast buck and then disappear.  Also, the shorter the duration of the listing, the higher the odds the item will be pulled because it is fake.  Counterfeit sellers like to do everything quickly and they usually say things like "Hurry! Don't let this opportunity pass you by!".  But this doesn't mean that a 7 day listing is an indication that an item is authentic, it just means the odds are a little better.  Ed Hardy is extremely popular and sure not be HARD to sell.  If you go into a retail store who sells authentic Ed Hardy, they aren't usually jumping up and down waving their hands in the air going "Hurry! Buy this! Buy this!".  Ed Hardy is hard to even keep in stock at some stores because they constantly sell out.  This brand does NOT require a hard sell! 

4.  Price.  If the price is too good to be true, there is usually a reason.  But some sellers will price their items higher, hoping to make the item appear to be authentic so you can never go by price alone.  Yes, you CAN get authentic items for steals on Ebay.  But you can also end up with a fake so if the price is really low, you need to ask questions and look for other "red flags" that the item may be fake.

5.  Location.   If a seller does not disclose their location in the listing, this is usually a bad sign.  They do not want you to know where they are, usually for a good reason.  If their location says "GREAT DEALS" or something like that instead of an ACTUAL location, ask yourself why they are so worried about disclosing their location.   Also, many items coming out of Asia are counterfeit so beware of these listings and ask plenty of questions.  NOT ALL ITEMS BEING SOLD FROM ASIA ARE FAKE but a great number of them are so be careful.

6.  Volume.  If a seller has a large volume of any particular item in a certain brand, this is usually an indication that the seller is dealing in fakes.  Not always but usually.  So ask plenty of questions and read all the feedback.

7.  Scarce item available for a reasonable price.  If there is a very popular hard to find item being sold on Ebay for a reasonable price, there is a good chance the item is fake.  Think about it, supply and demand.....who is going to sell a highly desirable item for less than retail?  If there is a a "SOLD OUT" Ed Hardy item that people are trying hard to find, the price will usually be HIGHER than retail, not less.  Many times sellers will say an item is "SOLD OUT" when what they really mean is that is has been discontinued.    If you know the item is actually highly desireable and hard to locate...and the price is low....be very, very careful or you could end up with a fake.

8.  Feedback.  Plenty of sellers with excellent feedback are selling fakes.  Even Power Sellers.  So good feedback is not an indication that the item will be authentic. Great feedback helps but it is never confirmation of authentic goods. Read ALL the feedback and read between the lines.  If a seller has more than one feedback stating the item is fake, the chances are pretty high that this is true, even if hundreds of other buyers are happy.  Because many people have no idea they have a fake and many others don't care if the price is good.  Also, look for a lot of buyers who are thanking the seller for the refund.......many times people are just thankful to get their money back so they do not leave bad feedback, even for a counterfeit item.

9.  Inflated Shipping & Handling charges.  Many sellers with counterfeit items inflate the s&h charges because they offer a "money back guarantee" and the return rate is fairly high.  So, they figure their profit into the s&h.  That way, even if the item  is returned, they make money.

10. Poor customer service.   If a seller is not responding to your questions regarding authenticity, avoid them.  Because so many fake items are "guaranteed authentic", this actually means nothing.  If the seller can't answer simple questions like "do you offer a money back guarantee including s&h on authenticity?" buy from someone else.  Or if they refuse to tell you where they purchased the item (especially if they have a lot for sale). 

11)  WHOLESALE.  If they say they buy their item "wholesale" or from a "supplier" then find out the name of their retail store is because this is the ONLY way they can buy wholesale.  All the sites you see on the internet offering "wholesale" prices on popular designer items are selling fakes.  You can buy from discount sites that are usually selling past season items,  but any "wholesale" site you see with designer goods (especially current season) are selling fakes.  Buying designer goods wholesale requires a CONTRACT and APPROVAL by the company.  Its not an easy thing to do.  You can't just contact the Ed Hardy company and say "I want to sell your items wholesale" and you are set up in 5 minutes.  Designers are VERY particular about WHO sells their items because it affects their reputation.  Many Ebay sellers have no idea they are selling fakes because they believe the information they receive from the supplier (who usually claim their replicas are authentic).

For details on how to spot a fake, search the guides for the item you are interested in.

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Please see my separate guide on counterfeit goods that will give you some general information on this subject.

Counterfeit goods are NEVER the same quality as the real thing and usually only look the same at a glance.  Most items, once inspected, can easily be spotted as counterfeit.  It is usually easy to tell by looking at seams, stitching, font type and quality on labels, etc.   If you are looking for information on how to spot fake Ed Hardy, search the guides for the item you are looking for specifically such as "fake Ed Hardy t-shirt".  There are about 50 guides on Ebay related to fake Ed Hardy.  This should tell you the magnitude of the problem!  You can tell by the number of "no" votes on an informational guide such as this that sellers are NOT happy about this information getting out! 

Please take the time to report any counterfeit item you receive to Ebay.  Multiple notices from different buyers on the same seller will result in the seller being removed from Ebay so every little bit helps.  Just BE CERTAIN the item is fake so that you aren't labeled a nuisance reporter and removed from Ebay yourself.

Counterfeiting is illegal in the US and it should not be supported.  Ebay depends on its users to notify them of fraud so please take the time to notify Ebay if you receive a fake item.

Please search the guides for more info on how to spot a fake.  Don't throw away your hard earned money on a fake.  Quite often they sell for almost the same price as the real thing.

Be sure to ask plenty of questions about an Ed Hardy item before placing a bid and/or buy from a seller you know and trust.

I'm just trying to help get the word out to help save others from being stuck with a fake with a supposed "money back guarantee" that doesn't really exist.  If you are against these counterfeit items, please vote "yes" below to help get the word out to others.

Please see my other guides for some important information on counterfeit goods in general.

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DID YOU FIND ANY OF THIS INFORMATION TO BE HELPFUL?

If you found any of this information to be helpful, please register your "YES" vote below.  Please show the supporters of counterfeits who vote "no" that we out number them!   There are more decent people on Ebay than bad and we need to let them know this!  Vote "yes" to show your support and to help other Ebay members from being tricked by another dirty seller. 

Thanks so much for taking the time to vote for my guide!

Christi