Reasons not to buy a fake designer handbag

 

Ok so your fake Louis Vuitton Damier Neverfull bag looks just like the real thing.  You have returned from a holiday in the sun or made a purchase online and are feeling good about what you have bought.  Most people can’t tell the difference and many people couldn’t care less.  A handbag is a functional item.  If you haven’t paid too much then you can rest easy that you won’t be upset when the fruit juice gets spilt on it.  The question you to ask yourself is why you bought it in the first place.  Did you buy it because it is practical and stylish? It is just a bag after all. 

Or:

Did you buy it because to you and most other people it looks just like the real thing and you want people to think you have some serious arm candy without the pressure of paying for it?  If this is your answer then you need to read on. 

 

Who is kidding who here? It’s true most people might not know or care about the difference but you do. 

 

1.     Anyone who owns the real bag can spot a fake at ten paces.  So if you are moving in these circles the owners will view yours with mild amusement and perhaps a little smugness.  The leather on Louis Vuitton and other designer bags is quite distinctive in colour and texture. As the bag ages the differences between real and fake become very apparent, even in a few short weeks carrying it around outdoors.  On genuine calf-skin and lamb-skin bags, the leather ages and the texture softens over time. 

 

2.    The staff in the shops will not take too kindly to you wandering around their store with a fake bag.  At the very least, staff will ignore your presence.  However, many couture houses have a strict policy on how to deal with fake handbags.  I wont mention specifics here but the store staff will be happy to explain their policy.  Here are some examples of what happens when you go in store carrying a fake:

They may respectfully ask you to remove yourself from the store which of course would be an embarrassment. 

They may call the security officer who will order you to leave.

They security officer may detain you in order to file a police report and initiate a fraud investigation. You will have to answer questions about the source of the bag and it will be confiscated as evidence.  At present there is a worldwide fraud investigation programme by the fashion houses to seek out and shut down the manufacturers of replica handbags

 

3.     You know yourself that the bag is fake and no matter how much you tell yourself it looks just as good, it wont change things. 

 

4.     Your fake bag will not have undergone the extensive quality control of the real thing.  It will be substandard in its construction and therefore will not stand the test of time. You cannot take it back to the retailer to have it repaired or replaced.  On the other hand the genuine article will be carefully maintained and repaired for as long as you wish.  In the last five years.  My black lambskin Lady Dior bag has been sent to Paris twice for maintenance and repair at no cost to me.  The staff in store will polish it and clean it for no charge any time you want.  The same goes for shoes.

 

1. When you are bored or finished with your fake bag you can guarantee that if you don’t want it, neither will anyone else.  If you have the real thing it will be worth almost what you paid for it for quite some time.  Even twenty year old vintage handbags will fetch up to half their original cost if they have been well maintained, especially if you have purchased a classic style.  I have a little smile to myself when I open Vogue each month and my five year old handbag is still on the inside cover as the ‘must have’ for this season. 

 

Ok, so it costs a month’s salary to buy the genuine article which for many is way too much, but if you really like your arm candy, why not set a little aside each month and treat yourself to the real thing. For me, it was well worth it.