I recently bought a cute Cath Kidston bag on my travels to every fashionista’s dream destination – London. I thought I was making a great purchase, until I found out that it was most likely a fake. I made a huge mistake.
It all starts a few months ago when I decided to go on a big shopping spree in London. I wanted to find some unique pieces, so I headed to the trendiest shops. That’s when I saw it; a pink bow framed bag with authentic Cath Kidston print. I instantly grabbed it out of the rack and fell in love.
I knew exactly what I was going to do with this bag: wear it day and night, always with pride and joy. I was over the moon, feeling like the luckiest girl alive. Little did I know what was in store for me.
My new bag had some big issues – the fabric wasn’t as soft as it should be, it was starting to peel everywhere and the straps have worn thin. It felt nothing like a real Cath Kidston bag. I smelt something fishy.
When I talked to my friends about this, they all agreed that it was most likely a fake. I was surprised to hear everyone’s opinion was the same. It all made sense now. I could have sworn I bought it from a reputable store, but after doing some research, it was very believable that I was scammed.
I started looking for other signs of a fake bag. The stitching was sloppy, the handles felt thin and not-very-sturdy, and the pattern was misaligned. All of these signals were consistent with a fake.
I found out other people had similar experiences too. They were all disappointed and out of pocket. It was a clear sign that we had all been duped.
I was so embarrassed but I realised that it wasn’t my fault. I learnt the hard way that one should always research before buying such items, and always purchase from trusted sellers.
Now I know to be even more careful when buying luxury items. I now look for the genuine article by doing in-depth research online. I make sure to look out for things like good material, correct spelling and the proper format of the trade mark. I meat out the items physically to check the details.
I told myself to never be swindled like this ever again. I also learned my lesson to do my research and look for the genuine article. I now know to always look out for counterfeits when purchasing expensive items or luxury goods.
However, this hasn’t put me of from buying good things. If there’s something that I want to buy, I just think ahead and do my homework. I now value the advice from my friends more, since I can’t trust everyone else.
I also learned that buying second hand goods is much cheaper and a safer way to go. There’s a great selection of designer items that you can find pre-loved. Since you can always get a refund on the items, there’s no risk of getting a fake.
I also learned to stay away from online stores that have incredibly cheap price tags. Many of these offer replica accessories, so I made a conscious effort to avoid them.
I now approach fashion a bit differently. I make sure to read through customer reviews and check to see if the store is accredited. I only buy from reliable websites that are associated with genuine brands. This helps me to avoid buying counterfeit items.
Overall, I realised that cheap isn’t always good. You get what you pay for, and if something looks too good to be true, then it probably is. Knowing this now, I feel much more aware of potential counterfeits and scams.