Many Designer Resale Sites are WORSE than eBay
Counterfeits sold as authentic items on eBay really really get me riled up. An innocent person spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a fake is just so wrong! Selling a fake as an authentic is THEFT. But, there's something that angers me even more, WAY MORE! Resale sites that guarantee authenticity even though there are fake items being sold on their site EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
There is a MASSIVE problem with counterfeits being sold online. Unlike the guy at the corner with a bunch of $40 "designer" bags on the sidewalk, it's not obvious to most people if the resale item that they're buying is a deal or a scam.
When a resale or consignment site/store accepts and sells almost every designer brand all at once, there's good reason to be skeptical of their authenticity guarantee. Authenticators have always been able to EASILY locate counterfeits on these types of sites. This is because authentication is different and specific to every single brand and item type, so it requires a LOT of time and effort to build up knowledge for each brand. And, if someone tells you that an item can be authenticated by merely handling it, you know they are full of sh**.
Here are counterfeits from 3 well-known US designer resale sites, and one European designer resale site. (*UPDATE* - Because of multiple inquiries, we are disclosing the sites discussed in this article: Tradesy, Shop-Hers, Vaunte, and Vestiaire Collective.) These sites really make me angry. They outright lie by providing an authenticity guarantee. Not only is the seller lying, but the company that's helping them sell is lying too. If the company isn't knowledgeable enough to authenticate all of the items, don't provide an authenticity guarantee!! The fakes that you see below were randomly and easily found. They were literally the first fake that I came across after doing a quick search for a few brands.
If you are a Celine authenticator, you would know that this is NOT a good fake. It is an obvious Celine phantom replica. Guess how much someone got scammed for this? $2200! Because these sites are not really knowledgeable (but proclaim to be) enough to authenticate all these brands, it is riskier for buyers and can be SAFER for counterfeit sellers!
These sites also proclaim that they will kick off counterfeit sellers. However, all of these fake sellers were very much active and had lots of previous selling history! But, keep on reading, the story gets juicier... 2 of these 5 fakes are sold direct from the site's headquarters!
This fake Jimmy Choo clutch is asking for $450. Not only is this bag fake, but it is being sold directly from their headquarters. They also stated that this item is not refundable.
Yet, another stupidly obvious fake. This site did NO homework on Herve Leger authentication. Yet, they guarantee that their items are genuine. This fake is on sale for $465.
What really gets to me is just how BAD most of these counterfeits are. They're not even "good fakes." Aside from all of the errors on the design of this bag, did Jimmy Choo EVER have a main tag like that?!? NO. This fake's price is $461.
I saved the worst fake for last. For those familiar with Balenciaga, this is a poor poor copy. It is very very obvious to any Balenciaga authenticator. But, here's the really crazy part. Not only does this bag come from their headquarters, but the fake is being sold from one of the people that work at their company!!!
VC is probably the worst out there!
I have first hand experience with VC – Although I did receive full refund from VC, I was also notified from their “notification button” that the bag was reposted by HQ for sale!
Basically hoping someone with less experience to buy the goods. This is not right and I hope people can educate themselves and be careful when buying out there.
Thanks for this post. Tradesy is very sketch. Recently had an issue with a pair of Balenciaga knit trainers that were fake. I’m fortunate because I knew the item was misrepresented soon as I opened the box. Received a refund but the creepy part is the seller’s account is still active! Beware folks.