How To Authenticate Your Gucci Handbag
Authenticate Gucci HandbagThe best way to authenticate your bag is to go online and go to a major search engine like Google or Yahoo. When you are here, type in “How to authenticate your Gucci bag.” This should lead you to where you want to go. Click on one of the websites that says you can authenticate your Gucci handbag here. Look for the authenticity number on your Gucci handbag which can usually be found right behind the tag of the bag. When at a website that allows you to authenticate your bag, type in the required information as well as the authenticity number. After all is done, your bag will be registered and authenticated.
If any problem should occur, you might want to check and see if your Gucci handbag is real. Again the replica handbags look almost identical to the real deal. When owning an expensive and super nice handbag made by this designer, it is a good idea to check this authenticity so you can be assured that your handbag is the real thing and not a replica.
More Tips for Purchasing High-Ticket Items:
The aforementioned "How to avoid online scams when shopping for expensive designer bags," by Selina Whiteford:
"A good first step is to visit the websites of the top designer bag makers and find a link that says 'Contact' or 'Customer Service.' Then either email them or use their 800 phone number to inquire about authorized sellers of their purses . . .
"If you're looking at getting a purse from Ebay or another auction site, be sure to check the seller's feedback comments from previous buyers. If they don't mention it in their listing, contact the seller to find out if they include any proof of authenticity. A smart move is to get a catalog from the maker so you can compare the auction site picture with the real thing in the catalog.
"Check with the Better Business Bureau for complaints about each handbag merchant. If you're considering buying a designer handbag from a U.S. merchant, be sure to check them out at the Better Business Bureau first.
"Always use a credit card for online purchases. . . . Because the issuing bank wants your business, so they will almost always side with you if you decide to get a refund."
To see how to do further checking upon receipt of your bag, see the tips under "What you should do after you get your new designer handbag."
"My Poupette 's Louis Vuitton Discussion Forum":
"Many companies would have you believe that LV has sold 'wholesale' merchandise to them and it simply is not true. . . . Any web site advertising WHOLESALE LV is running a con game, as far as I am concerned and I would recommend keeping a healthy distance . . . ."
There's some other good advice here that seems applicable to any haute couture item, such as a monogram that seems slightly out of alignment when compared to items in the manufacturer's catalog, or purse handlebars that seem too long or too short.
"AVOIDING COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS" from the Loss Prevention Concepts, Ltd.:
"All high end designer purses, leather goods and jewelry sold at house
parties are fake. . . .
" Avoid Buying Name Brand Products at Fairs and Street Festivals . . .
flea markets . . .
"Beware of Goods that Lack Proper Markings:
"Most legitimate goods and packaging contain manufacturers' codes, trademarks, copyrights, toll free phone numbers, etc. Many also contain bar codes, recycling signs or holograms. The more familiar you are with the brand, the easier it is to note whether there is
missing information.
"Beware of Goods Where Country of Origin Identification is Missing:
"Many high end designer products are manufactured exclusively in the United States. Others are made in France, Great Britain, Italy, Brazil and other countries. Many of the counterfeit products come from China, Korea, Taiwan and other Asian countries. Since counterfeiters realize that many consumers would become suspicious of $200 designer handbag or a $100 pair of designer sunglasses if a Made in China' tag was affixed to the item, they remove the tags
showing the country of origin."
From "Faking it," by Cynthia Nellis, from About.com:
"How to spot a fake. . . .The old method of spotting fakes was simple: flimsy hardware, cheap leather and misspelled logos were a giveaway. Now, fakes are so good (and expensive) that you simply can't tell the
difference.
"So how do you know what's real and what's not?
"Some clues:
"The price. A new Louis Vuitton handbag for $100 is not authentic.
"Where it's being sold. Authorized dealers for Chanel, LV, etc. do not sell handbags out of the trunk of a car. Nor do they sell them at online auctions or at home parties." [I'm not convinced the latter point re: online auctions is accurate. In researching this question, I found some online sellers who are also members of the Appraisers association of America, and/or who have other impressive credentials.]
"Point of origin tag. Designer apparel or leather goods with a 'Made in Taiwan' tag are not authentic."
More Tips!
Use Local Sellers:
Another tip for buying any expensive item from an online auction -- is to purchase via local auctions. (eBay has those:)
Arrange to meet the seller in person to complete the transaction, so that you can inspect the item right there and then.
Use www.escrow.com:
eBay allows you to buy valuable items via www.escrow.com:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/confidence/isgw-fraud-sending-payments.html:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/confidence/payment-escrow.html
How it works
Even if you aren't buying from eBay but from another online merchant, ask the seller if they're amenable to using that service.
Another tip: About a year ago, an online auction merchant asked me for the security code off the back of my credit card -- that's the three-digit number to the far right of your account number. Suspicious, I called my credit card company to ask if this was safe,
and I was told to NEVER give that number to a merchant; such a request is a red flag that the merchant may well be a con artist.
