Fakes Are Never In Fashion

I was on ebay one day looking for a fabulous new purse. I came across an incredible authentic Gucci. I starred at the description, looking for anything that might be a clue if it was fake or not. I couldn't believe it, it seemed legit. I bid on it! But the whole time, I just kept wondering, "What if it's fake?" Then I told myself, "If it is, so what. I'm probably the only one who will know it's fake." I felt better.

Then, I won it! Part of me was thrilled. Part of me not so thrilled. It was an odd feeling. The bag came in the mail. I ripped open the box and just gazed at my new authentic Gucci. I placed it on a chair in my office. Something just didn't seem right. That handbag sat on my chair for a few days. The thoughts going through my head were all over the place, "This is crazy, you just paid good money for this bag, use it will you?!?" and "It's fake, I know it is. I won't feel right carrying it. Even if nobody knows, I know".

So, I hopped on the trusty internet and did some research. I couldn't believe what I found and neither will you.

Here is an article on ebay everyone should read, How to Avoid Counterfeit Purses and Handbags. Incidentally, this is how I discovered my purse was probably a fake, a pretty good one at that. However, here is where it gets interesting. Within this article is a section titled, What's the big deal about buying counterfeits anyway? And here's the quoted answer:

According to the International Anticounterfeiting Coalition:
1. Counterfeiting is illegal and purchasing these goods supports illegal activities.
2. Counterfeiters do not pay taxes, meaning less money for city schools, hospitals, parks and other social programs.
3. Counterfeiters do not pay their employees fair wages or benefits, have poor working conditions and often use forced child labor.
4. The profits from counterfeiting have been linked to organized crime, drug trafficking and terrorist activity.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Numbers 2 and 3 made sense. Sadly, I just never linked people buying fake purses and those problems. But number 4 blew me away. My first thought, "Ok, this is one source. You need to find more before you believe it." But I knew it was true. And, yes, I found many sources.

There was a reason that "authentic Gucci" sat on my chair without being used. In the back of my mind, I knew something wasn't right. If you care how the story ends, read on. Otherwise, go get rid of all those fakes right now!

I contacted the seller and stated that I was pretty sure this was not authentic as she claimed. If she could provide proof to me that it was authentic, I (of course) would keep the bag. However, if she could not provide proof, I wanted to return it. By the way, sellers know it is illegal to sell fakes on ebay, so she knows she would have been in big trouble. Sure enough, her reply only stated where I could return the bag, nothing else.

I learned my lesson.

Harper's Bazar magazine is devoting a whole site to Fakes Are Never In Fashion. There is a fashion contest and information on fakes. If nothing else, it is quite interesting.