I have even been scammed into buying a fake Coach item and I sell the real thing! I was looking for an accessory for myself that I couldn't find at my Coach store. The seller was fairly new to eBay, which should have been a clue. I thought, I was new to eBay at one time also, so I thought I would give the seller a try.The feedback looked okay and the seller accepted Paypal, so I knew that I was covered. Yes, I returned the item and got a full refund-shipping fee too!

Most sellers of fakes lift their pictures from honest sellers. I have had my pictures lifted several times. If you see the same picture from several different sellers, be suspicious. Several sellers in China  have lifted my pictures for their auctions. They have also lifted my descriptions! I go to a lot of trouble to list all of the details of my item and they seem to like that! If you see different sellers with the same description, see what doesn't fit. The sellers that lifted my description were from China, had private feedback, were members for less than a year (some less than a month) and had Buy it Now of $99 on a $400 bag!

Short-term listings like one or three day listings are common with sellers of fake items. They want the least exposure to avoid getting caught by eBay. I have done short auctions, but generally I want maximum exposure for my authentic items.

Price. This is usually a dead giveaway. If the price is significantly less than what the bag retails for, be suspicious. For instance, be leary of a Buy it Now for $99.00 when the bag retails for over $400.00. I may start some listings at $9.99, but I do not plan to sell the item for $9.99.

Look at their feedback. A lot of them make their feedback private. I have also noticed that a lot of them use letters followed by numbers to try to trick buyers into thinking they have a lot of feedback when they do not. Read the seller's feedback! Some of them buy a lot of 0.01 items to get positive feedback built up quickly. Check the seller's feedback and see if there is any from buyers-sometimes it is all from sellers.

If you are making a large purchase, contact the seller a few days before the auction ends. I work and take care of grandchildren, so I can't be available 24/7. Give the seller time to respond. My experience is if I ask a specific question, the seller of a fake item will either not respond or will respond incorrectly. I did have an eBay member contact me about an item to tell me that the item was fake because she thought that Coach did not make the Market Tote in Pale Pink. I gave her the 800- number for Coach to verify that they did make that bag! Some bags are only available to certain markets and I suppose her market did not get those particular bags. Most sellers are happy to help you since they understand it is hard to make an online purchase sometimes.

Make sure your item is covered by Paypal. I bought items through Paypal and when I received fakes, Paypal did not cover my purchase because it was not purchased through eBay. I have made some stupid mistakes! Lessons learned-be very cautious when buying from foreign sellers when they want you to do a deal off eBay! There are some reputable foreign sellers-they will proudly display their feedback and they will prefer Paypal payments. Take the time to check before you buy. We all get caught up in the excitement of bidding and forget to check on these things.

I offer a 200% money back guarantee if my item is not authentic. Foreign sellers may offer this, but they know that by the time you get your item, they will have moved on to sell under another seller ID. Getting your money back from foreign sellers is difficult if possible at all. There are reputable foreign sellers. If you are wondering about a seller, look at their feedback and contact their buyers. I get e-mails from other eBay members wondering about my transaction with the seller. I am happy to let another eBay member know what my experience has been with a particular seller.

Make sure your seller offers Paypal. Paypal has some built-in protection when it is a deal done through eBay. Some sellers of fakes try to lure bidders from other auctions with lower prices and try to get them to complete a deal off eBay. This is a big red flag! They want you to do a deal off eBay so that even if you pay through Paypal, you are not covered for your purchase!

If the seller accepts money orders,wire transfers or other forms of payment that do not include Paypal, be very cautious! Usually they will take your money and even if you do get an item, most likely it is not what you thought it would be. Since the payment method isn't easily traced, there is not much of a chance of getting your money back.

I know it's hard to do all the checking when you are caught up in the moment! Just try to be sensible about the larger purchases! You should be happy with your eBay purchase and experience. Most sellers are honest and are glad to answer your questions to assure that you have a good experience on eBay.

I hope this helps! My seller ID: natalie21660. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of further assistance.