First, I would like to say that I have purchased a fake TNF McMurdo Parka on eBay and regret it ever since. The jacket is completely falling apart in front of my eyes in less than a week of wear. That being said, I am listing here some ways you can tell a real TNF McMurdo Parka from a fake one before you even attempt to purchase/bid on one on eBay and if you did purchase one already, how you can tell if its authentic or not so you can get your money back. Yes eBay is trying to clean up the fakes on their site but some items slip through the cracks. I would avoid purchasing ANY TNF items on eBay for the time being and just buy it from a reliable source such as from authorized TNF dealers.

• So how can you tell if the McMurdo Parka is fake from the get go? The image is probably the biggest tipoff, if they are using stock photos of the item a red flag should be going off immediately. You shouldn't buy The North Face items based on the stock photos, not just because any seller can get one just by going to TNF website but because you most likely wont be getting whats on that stock photo.
• The price. Why would anyone sell their Brand New McMurdo Parka for $150 if the MSRP is $299?? Are they stupid or just being really really nice. Let me put it this way: If you purchased a brand new item for $300 and decided the next day that you didn't want it but couldn't return it anymore, would you resell it at half the price the day after? No, you wouldn't because you're not stupid.
• Look in the seller's store inventory. If they sell nothing else but TNF Denalis, McMurdo Parkas, 2-in-1 Goretex Mountain Jackets, than chances are they are all fake as these are probably the top 3 faked items on the counterfeit market in regards to TNF products. Also, I"ve been seeing alot of Steep Tech fakes such as the Agency and Apogee jackets. Besides, who has such an unlimited supply of these jackets and not an authorized TNF dealer?

How can you tell if your TNF McMurdo Parka is fake?

• Check the Faux Fur trim on the hood. If it looks like roadkill, its fake. Its not as full as the authentic one at all. Just compare and contrast the fur, its not even close. The authentic fur on the hood is much thicker.

• The buttons on the authentic TNF McMurdo Parka should have the words The North Face engraved on it. Most fakes have stars or nothing at all.
  
• The fake one molts feathers and has so many seams popping right off the bat that it should catch your eye right away. Seam sealed? I don't so. It shouldn't be popping this many seams just out of the packaging.
• The price tag. There are probably some which have the official ones from someplace, but most have this opaque tape with the barcode and price that you can see the red from TNF tag with the info on the jacket. The authentic ones have solid white tape.

• The jacket starts soaking up water. Its made of Gore-Tex, why is it soaking up the water? This can be a problem when cleaning it and whenever its raining or snowing heavily. It should prevent water from seeping into the jacket not absorb it.
• Another tip is to look at how the number 550 is written on the sleeve. If it looks cartoonish or has like a bubbly like 550, its fake. The authentic version's 550 is straight written very neatly with no bubble like text. You'll know when you see it.

I'll be adding to this guide later on when information becomes available. But you can also visit www.thenorthfaceguru.com to find out more.