Before I actually go into any designers or styles or photos of fakes again, I thought it was quite necessary to go over the basics of what you need for every bag when bidding on eBay.

Use this as a check list, don’t bid until every aspect is satisfactory. (Do you have any requirements to add?)

This is long, so click for full…

1. Research the designer, the classics, and what’s always the same and what’s not. Research the exact bag style you want. They say you can get ‘It’ on eBay, so you may want to pick the exact style, size, material and color you want … and wait. Be prepared to wait no matter what. It’s also a good idea to give in a little for a similar style.
2. First when you click on an auction, check the seller’s feedback. But don’t bother clicking on the # score (just yet), go to ToolHaus.org and put the seller’s name in the first form field. This will easily display all negative feedbacks, but also neutrals and “mutually removed” feedbacks (often buyers want to remove their own negative given in retaliation). But this won’t show any issues given in positives. Read as much of the feedback on that # score feedback page back on eBay as you can stand, when you feel satisfied this is a good seller, read some more until you’re tired.
3. Make sure the person states authenticity guaranteed, or some form of that statement. If the seller does not, perhaps he or she believes or isn’t aware that this should be there, so e-mail!
4. The listing must have a lot of great pictures, or freely offer you more detailed pictures through e-mail.
5. When asking questions, make sure you only do business with polite and forthcoming sellers! No matter what.
6. Back to the pictures, you need pictures of all the correct tags, dust bag, interior authenticity plaques and tags, interior pockets (sometimes the fakes have extra or different pockets), exterior signs of authenticity, such as engravings and tags, et cetera. But you must research what these should look like for your designer and bag. Sometimes these pictures are unclear, because it is very hard to take some of these photos. Ask if the seller can try to take clearer ones, but nicely. Fuzzy photos of details are understandable, in this case, you can give a slight pass while you look at the full picture.
7. There must be pictures of the front, back, both sides separately, bottom, and like I said, interior. Don’t accept only pictures at an angle, ask for more.
8. Check the listing text. Look for complete descriptions, including size, pockets, colors, style description and/or number, etc. Make sure things go along with the photos, and if they don’t, ask what’s correct.
9. Make sure, very sure, the listing says you are looking at the photos of the exact bag you are receiving, not just style, but exact item to be shipped to you. Don’t accept a bag completely packaged and not inspected. If the seller doesn’t state this, ask, often it’s true but isn’t mentioned. If the bag the listing shows has visible flaws, this should be the same bag you receive, but if it isn’t stated, ask.
10. Never trust for a second a stock photo being the only photo, or the only photo of the front. Don’t trust professional photos, these may be taken from web stores selling counterfeits. (Personally, I hate photos with white backgrounds. I like to see real life photos, this is just eBay!)
11. Used bags can be a little better trusted. Watch for photos of flaws. Be prepared to pay more or just as much for a flawed used bag, because this might say more about authenticity, unfortunately.
12. Price: don’t go by lower prices, especially at Buy It Now. Pay attention to start bids, even if they’re higher at the moment, and sometimes a reserve can be a good thing, unfortunately.
13. Look at all of the seller’s current auctions and don’t forget to check completed listings. If there are many of the same bag, especially a more expensive bag, be wary. If there are a lot of very expensive bags, be wary. Stay away if the seller uses the same images for all of the same style. If a completed listing has the same photo, but didn’t sell (the price should be red, I think), then the same pictures are fine. If one bag did sell a while ago and your listing has the same photos, the bag could have been returned, but don’t put too much trust into that. If it was returned, it might have been because it’s fake. Check other auctions, if the same bag is used for any other multiples, forget that seller.
14. Look for a good return policy. 24 hour notice? Not good enough in terms of authenticity. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can get a letter from a boutique stating counterfeit status, most shops won’t do this.
15. Always pay through PayPal and with a credit card. Both of these give you extra protection to get your money back. Never pay with PayPal funds, check or checking card. Never pay with anything other than PayPal. Always purchase insurance for the full amount.
16. Don’t buy from overseas in case you need to send it back and would have to pay nonrefundable shipping. Never buy bags from Asia, the faking capitol of the world.
17. Vintage bags can be fake and are sold. Research these just as much. This can be tough, but there are authentic bags. And there are great deals. Plus there are timeless styles that will fit into your current wardrobe!
18. Before you move on after research into bidding, also do your research on how to get a refund on a fake. If the process seems too much, maybe you shouldn’t shop eBay. Sorry.
19. Now, once you get your bag, inspect it. Bring it to a boutique. If you don’t live near a boutique, you might want to order a bag for inspection or comparison, which can then be returned. Once again compare the bags. Feel the leather. Smell the leather! Trust your gut instinct. We have a 6th sense. A $1,000 bag should give an aura of expense, quality, and luxury. If the bag seems authentic and well-made, but one thing bothers you, go to a message board.
20. Finally, outside sources: eBay Guides, eBay’s Fashion Accessories Message Board, and eBay Groups.

Popularity: 7% [?]