I'm seeing a lot of counterfeit purses

[DZAMBO]

if you are referring to me i never claimed to be a specialist. I did list some resources for authentication that are considered to be experts. However, with some of the fakes it is pretty darn obvious. Misshapen letters in the logo, wrong font, etc. And i also know enough to know that it's illegal to sell counterfeits. It's not illegal to sell real items that came from the authorized store's outlets.

The difference between designer-inspired and counterfeit is this: Designer-inspired items do not claim to be made by a certain company, and do not have that company's name on them.

If an item has a company's name on it and was not made by that company, it is a counterfeit. No credibility needed for that one, it is just good common sense.

And in my opinion, those bags you are selling, both of which have the coach logo on them, were not made by coach.
Just my opinion, no credibility needed to have an opinion.



Again, fakes are illegal. Does a site riddled with illegal items hurt that site's credibility? Depends i guess on whether the people looking are law abiding citizens or crooks.

As far as the quality, i guess it's easy to say that the quality is all the same while also saying that you don't know much about them. I do use and carry handbags, and i know that there are in fact many different levels of quality available.

I'd personally rather have a nice leather bag made in an authorized factory that is actually good quality than a plastic knockoff any day. I'd also rather have the real thing with a few scuffs than a new fake. And the companies who get knocked off wouldn't be in business if many other people didn't feel the same way.

And also fakes are illegal. Check out the department of immigration & customs enforcement if you don't believe it. Otherwise known as ice.

Here is a link that someone may find useful:
http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/101...washington.htm

here is just a bit for people who don't like to click on links:

Washington - seizure orders have been executed against 82 domain names of commercial websites engaged in the illegal sale and distribution of counterfeit goods and copyrighted works as part of operation in our sites v. 2.0, as part of an ongoing investigation by u.s. Immigration and customs enforcement (ice).

"the sale of counterfeit u.s. Brands on the internet steals the creative work of others, costs our economy jobs and revenue and can threaten the health and safety of american consumers," said ice director john morton. "the protection of intellectual property is a top priority for homeland security investigations and the national intellectual property rights coordination center. We are dedicated to protecting the jobs, the income and the tax revenue that disappear when counterfeit goods are trafficked."

the coordinated federal law enforcement operation targeted online retailers of a diverse array of counterfeit goods, including sports equipment, shoes, handbags, athletic apparel and sunglasses as well as illegal copies of copyrighted dvd boxed sets, music and software.



oh, and for the ladies who buy a fake and think that no one can tell...well, people can tell.

amen.......

[astral276]

I must be an oddball.
Designer brand names of any kind do nothing for me, they mean zilch, nada, zero. If I see an item I like at the right price, I'll purchase it. I don't look at brand name tags, it can say donkey doody for all I care. I pay for my goods, not the name.

Totally agree with you. I don't see why I should pay through the nose to act as a walking advertisement for some company. Cheap and functional does me.

[madelaine]

This thread is not about whether designer items are a good idea or worth the money. It's about whether the listing of fakes on ebid harms all sellers here. I believe that it does.

[astral276]

This thread is not about whether designer items are a good idea or worth the money. It's about whether the listing of fakes on ebid harms all sellers here. I believe that it does.

A thread is about whatever the individual posters make it about.

[shinyshiny]

A thread is about whatever the individual posters make it about.

Madelaine is correct that my intention in starting the thread was not to debate whether designer goods are worth the money or not, but rather as a new member trying to figure out if this is a worthwhile site or one that simply condones the sale of illegal items.

I've received many useful responses from people who agree with me that it is a good idea to keep illegal items off the site as well as useful responses from people who are (in my opinion) dealing in counterfeits.

As far as designer goods being worth the money, a lot of them tend to be very expensive. That is why people resell their authentic ones on the secondary market. Unfortunately it's also why so many fakes are created.

Personally I don't care much for logos either. I like quality. But if something has no brand name, it's not really easy to seek out the quality. As a buyer, when I am looking for a high quality bag, particularly online, I know which brands I prefer. It's therefore easier to type that brand name into a search bar and view all the listings that come up, rather than typing the word "quality" into the search bar.

Unfortunately, I keep seeing items that have brand names in the search, when they are fakes. Some sellers claim not to know if the item is real. But they are still using the brand name. I did notice that ebid DOES have a rule against this, so even if it were not illegal, those sellers are still breaking the rules.

Anyway, I appreciate every reply, because as I stated earlier, I am a new buyer and the replies help me to decide who I might buy from in the future and who I might not, and it helps me to decide whether to even take the plunge and buy here at all. I'm an experienced online shopper so I know what to do if I receive a fake, but I'd still like to decrease my chances for a hassle.

Thank you for your courtesy in not derailing my thread.

[astral276]

Thank you for your courtesy in not derailing my thread.

I had no intent in 'derailing' your thread. One you started but do not own.

It is however a public thread, and I reserve the right for myself and everyone else to post what they wish to a public thread without dictate from any other user.

[bykimbo]

Thank you for your courtesy in not derailing my thread.

Forum threads tend to be free-flowing beasties that wander hither and yon. You can't control where they go, and have to rights to do so. What you can do is gently steer things back on track if you think there's still mileage left in the subject. It's more like a chat in the pub, than a committee meeting where we all have to address the Chair.

[shinyshiny]

I had no intent in 'derailing' your thread. One you started but do not own.

It is however a public thread, and I reserve the right for myself and everyone else to post what they wish to a public thread without dictate from any other user.

Which is why I simply thanked you for your courtesy, mentioned that I appreciated your reply and did not dictate anything. My apologies if you took offense.

Forum threads tend to be free-flowing beasties that wander hither and yon. You can't control where they go, and have to rights to do so. What you can do is gently steer things back on track if you think there's still mileage left in the subject. It's more like a chat in the pub, than a committee meeting where we all have to address the Chair.

Again, I thanked someone for their courtesy. Apparently it was not necessary and offense was taken. Again, my apologies for anyone who took offense.

I am certainly glad that I posted because I am definitely forming my own opinions about the site.

[adruml]

Soooo...what's all this then about counterfeit purses?

[shinyshiny]

They are illegal and there are a lot of them on this site. Are the site admins and users interested in cleaning it up?

Or is it to become like some of the other sites (ioffer being one example) which seem to specialize in fakes?

I know the site is not new but I just heard of it the day before I posted.

Since I am interested in buying authentic goods, and I saw a lot of fakes, I thought I'd ask.

A lot of people are looking for ebay alternatives right now, including both sellers and buyers in other communities I belong to.
But it would be useless for me to suggest anyplace that is full of fakes and scammers. if I wanted that, I'd just go to ebay.

I think there is potential here, because I have seen authentic items as well as fakes, and there are policies in place here which prohibit fakes, which is another reason why I thought to ask.
If I didn't think there was potential, i'd just move along. I wouldn't waste my time asking anything in the forums at ioffer, because it's obviously the "go-to" for fakes.

I have received a few encouraging replies, however, as astral276 mentioned, "A thread is about whatever the individual posters make it about" and there seem to be a few folks who don't want to talk about the elephant in the room.

So... can ebid be a viable alternative to ebay for authentic fashions? Or is it just a haven for counterfeits masquerading as "designer inspired"?

Is there anything in place at ebid equivalent or similar to ebay's VeRO where the companies can report infringement of their own brands? Or is it only policed by users?