I recently had an experience that was eye-opening to me; one that taught me an important lesson on being vigilant as a consumer. A few months ago, I decided to treat myself to a designer bag from a big name designer. I was browsing the selection of bags available in Australia online and saw a very convincing version of one of the designer’s bag that cost half the price of the original. I was tempted. After all, could the design be so wrong?
Turns out, the design wasn’t wrong. It was, in fact, spot on. I had stumbled onto a counterfeit product without even realizing it. And when I inspected the bag closely, it was clear why it was so affordable; the materials were of a much poorer quality than the original, in addition to some of the details being just a little off. I felt so foolish that I had almost been fooled by this copycat.
I could have been feeling really embarrassed and angry with myself if it wasn’t for a friend of mine who enlightened me on the issue of fake designer bags in Australia. He told me all about how, sadly, counterfeiting is an industry new of its own. And sadly, fake designer bags are becoming increasingly common in Australia. It is almost too easy to be mislead, because the counterfeiters manage to recreate the original so closely, down to the little details.
It makes me feel so angry to think that counterfeiters can get away with such behaviour. Not only are they able to rip off brands with relative impunity, they are also scrounging off of people who are naïve enough to fall prey. Moreover, the profits made from selling these fake designer bags are often used to fund crime and the proceeds of their sales go to groups that are involved in illegal activity.
That’s why it is important to be aware of, if not wary of, certain platforms online. Of course, you don’t want to be suspicious of everybody and everything; but if you’ve ever heard of the term, “too good to be true” then it certainly applies here. If you see a piece of designer-branded goods forway more affordable than its suggested retail price, then my advice is to stay away and buy from a more reputable source.
It also pays to ask around with friends, family and colleagues. Word of mouth spreads fast so if someone else has had experience with a certain platform or website, for better or for worse, they can usually give an opinion on it.
Aside from that, if you want to score yourself a designer bag, it pays to read up on the market beforehand and be sure of the original model and price of the bag you want. Also, if you are unsure if what you’re getting is the real deal, it’s best to consult with an expert in the field. It is always best to be sure that what you are getting is authentic and not fake!