Designer brand labels... are they for REAL? 5 simple buying tips

This topic has brought up many stories on the Ebay discussion board, and many stories of disappointed buyers. This post will discuss measures to take when purchasing new brand name clothing on Ebay.

I bought a heap of so-called "Diesel" clothing hoping to start up an Ebay business by reselling them. Naive little me purchased them without consulting anyone. Had I searched around on the Net, I would've realised that there are heaps of Diesel fakes on Ebay, and many stories to boot. I'm currently trying to claim some money back after having lodged a dispute with the seller, and escalated the dispute to Ebay. I won't go into details here for privacy reasons.

So, with all these fake brand name clothing on Ebay, what is one supposed to do to save themselves from getting ripped off? Here are some basic tips:

1. Don't purchase the items without having done the following; even if it does seem like that auction with 5 minutes left will land you with a great bargain. HOLD BACK if you don't like taking risks or putting up with nasty surprises!
   
   
2. Check the seller's feedback. The seller should have a lot of positive feedback. I'll arbitrarily set 98% positive feedback points as a minimum.
   
   If there is any negative feedback take the time to browse through the seller's feedback to see what the buyer's responses are. Think twice, or avoid the buyer, if there has been any feedback stating that the items purchased were fake.
   
   
3. Ask the seller whether they're fake or not and where they got their item(s) from.
   
   Some will know they're selling fakes, some may be naive and not know at all, and some will be honest and are really selling an authentic item.
   
   Sellers who get their clothes from any Asian country will most likely be selling fakes.
   
   Some people may have just managed to get a real bargain at designer clothing sales, received them as gifts, selling a second hand item, or selling off their ex-partner's clothing. Who knows!
   
   
4. Give the head office of the label, or one of the retail stores a call or an email.
   
   Politely ask them if they could help you in determining whether an item for sale is authentic. It may be possible for them to determine the authenticity over the phone. They will also most likely be able to tell from the photo posted on Ebay if you provide them a link to the item description.
   
   I contacted Diesel in Sydney, and all the staff there were magnificent in helping me determine the authenticity of the clothing I purchased. If only I had done it before I bought the items!
   
   
5. Visit Ebay's discussion forums and ask people for their second opinion.
   
   There are a lot of experienced Ebayers who may be able to help you out.
   
   This is a link specifically for the clothing, home & lifestyle discussion board. You will need to log in to post a topic or join in on a discussion. Other discussion boards are available by following this link.

Those are just 5 main things you should do before purchasing a brand label off Ebay if you are after authentic items, and not cheap rip offs.

I know there are people out there who couldn't care less, and would rather buy the fake stuff and support illegal activity that stems way beyond manufacturing imitation clothing.

Here's a link to an old SMH article about cracking down on sellers of counterfeit clothing written in 2002, and makes some good points.

Please excuse me for bringing up terrorism, but I want people to see the extremities of buying fake clothing:

"On July 16, 2003, Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble warned the House of Representatives Committee on International Relations that there is growing evidence of a link between terrorist financing and intellectual property piracy, including piracy of copyrighted CDs and DVDs, and counterfeit clothing, computer software, and cigarettes. Noble presented Interpol documents indicating that a wide range of terrorist groups, including AlQaeda, Hezbollah, Chechen separatists, ethnic Albanian extremists in Kosovo, and paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland, have profited from the production or sale of counterfeit goods."

Source: Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal; Clifton Oct 2003 15; 10 p. 21-22 (Available on ProQuest.com, requires login; or visit your local university library).