On my most recent trip to Hong Kong, I decided to check out one of the most talked about places in the area – the Ladies’ Market. I was warned by some of my friends that this place was notorious for selling “knock-off” bags. I was both intrigued and slightly sceptical – so I put on my “buyer beware” attitude and headed off to the market.
My jaw dropped in shock when I arrived. There were hundreds and hundreds of stalls and all the vendors were selling the latest designer bags! It was like a dream come true for a bag lover like myself. Everywhere I looked, I saw the trademark “LV” and the special editions from Chanel. There were no off-brand bags or blatant knock-offs, only the real thing!
Although I knew that it was highly unlikely that all of the designer bags in the market were genuine, I couldn’t help myself. I spent the next four hours browsing the stalls, searching for the perfect bag. I was entranced by the dazzling array of fashioned handbags and wallets. After a long day of shopping, I finally settled on an LV Speedy 30 in a gorgeous chocolate brown leather.
At first, I thought that I had scored a steal of a deal – the bag was priced significantly lower than what I was expecting. However, after a few weeks of using the bag, I started to notice tiny details that I hadn’t noticed before. For example, the zippers’ finishing was sub-par and the sensitive leather developed cracks and wrinkles very quickly. It all added up to one obvious conclusion – I had been scammed and I was the proud owner of a fake LV.
Determined to claim back the money I had spent on the bag, I decided to go back to the market. It was a tense situation but I managed to talk to the vendor and negotiate a partial refund. Although it was only a fraction of the money I had originally paid, I didn’t want to be too greedy. After all, it was better than having nothing at all.
After my experience, I can certainly see why the Ladies’ Market has a reputation for fake designer bags. I’m not sure whether they are all selling knockoffs or if some of them actually sell the real deal. I guess that’s something only a true expert can tell...