TIP # 1
There is usually no need to pay more for
any new LV item than is charged by eLuxury.com (which
is Louis Vuitton's own online sales site) or your
local LV store. Note that neither America's LV nor
eLuxury.com will ship outside the U.S. If an item
is sold out, on a waiting list, not at your store
or out of stock, then you can expect to pay a premium
for it on eBay. |
TIP #2
If a seller has used one of Louis Vuitton's
or eLUXURY's or anyone else's site photographs, you
don't really know what you are buying. |
TIP #3
Some auction sites are worse than
others when it comes to counterfeit Louis Vuitton sales.
One site in particular, which shall remain unnamed
but sounds a little like "kangaroo," is notorious
for zero feedback/unrated sellers who have tons of
bogus goods to unload. Check out how the number of
LV items nearly doubles or triples over the weekend,
then dies down during the week ...mostly by unrated
sellers who claim to be selling NEW (not a word about "authentic")
LV.
See an example. |
TIP #4
Why is a smoke-free environment important
to some people?
Smoke enters the fabric and often leather
parts of LV bags and it's nearly impossible to get
rid of. If you are not a smoker (and even if you are),
you may not be happy with a bag that comes from a smoking
environment. |
TIP #5
What about pets?
Pets can do one of a couple of things to
LV... They scratch or chew up the item without regard
to how much it cost you and fur does fly around. Some
people may be allergic to dogs or cats. If the owner
does not keep the item safely away from dust and fur,
you may end up with a product either filled with fur
or one to which you may be allergic. |
TIP #6
On auction, just because sellers
have a high feedback rating, it doesn't necessarily
mean they are "reputable" sellers of LV. See how many
negatives or neutral feedback responses they have
received and if the problems were resolved to everyone's
satisfaction. Nobody is perfect and in the career
of most online LV sellers, there will be times when
things just go wrong. Write to the seller to find
out more about them--where their items come from
and how they handle disputes. That is a perfectly
reasonable thing to do if you are uncertain about
the seller. |
TIP #7
Don't let the frenzy of "buying it now" keep
you from doing your homework. Ask questions if
you are not sure the item is authentic. |
TIP #8
If the deal sounds too good to be true,
it probably is. Particularly if coming from low or
zero-feedback sellers who auction multiple items
of NEW LV models for just a fraction of the price.
Ask for the photos that they have not shown. If they
don't provide them, walk away. |
TIP #9
lf you are using an LV bag lined with leather
or Alcantra suede, be sure to put lotions, nail polish,
lipstick, sharp objects, keys, pens, pencils, jewelry,
paper clips, scissors (okay, you get the picture)
inside another pouch or container to help avoid damaging
the interior. |
TIP #10
If an auction site has a Neighborhood Watch
or other vehicle by which you may report suspected
counterfeits, please use it. |
TIP #11
The contents of a particular CD being
auctioned on eBay about how to tell real designer goods
(Gucci, Prada, Kate Spade, Louis Vuitton, etc.), from
fakes, look suspiciously similar to the NYC24.com article
called "City of Phonies." Unfortunately, this page
is no longer available. The person who put this CD
together even had the nerve to say "do not resell." |
TIP #12
If the item you are interested in buying
on auction only has photos of the front, please request
that the seller provide at least a photo of the back,
bottom and interior. Poupette cannot render a fair
determination of authenticity without those views.
Photos of the top and sides are also very helpful.
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