Selling counterfeit goods is a violation of intellectual property rights (in this case, imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery), dilutes the brand name, costs the public millions of dollars in lost revenue, and supports underground crimes such as drug traffiking, child pornography, slavery, & terrorism. Counterfeit bags are made in sweatshops in third world countries by children as young as 5, who slave over 12 hours a day for pay as little as pennies per week. Furthermore, counterfeit replicas are of poor craftmenship, have absolutely NO re-sale value, and are used with the cheapest materials available, resulting in a vastly inferior purse that can be spotted by the majority of authentic purse holders. Louis Vuitton lovers are a special breed; they are very knowledgeable of every minute detailing that goes into each handmade Vuitton. Thus, those who knowingly wear fakes are fooling noone--not even themselves. There is however, a brand of fakes on the market unaffectionally termed the "uber-fake." These fakes are not like the embarrassing pieces of plastics you see walking around downtown...they are made above average and may in fact bamboozle a few unknowing eyes. However, even the best "uber-fake" I've ever seen looked immediately fake to me, as it would any LV collector. And considering that the best made fake will cost you several hundred dollars alone, it makes perfect sense to simply save up just a little more for the genuine version--or buy a used one on Ebay for about the same price. If you still find that LV is a bit too pricey, why not get a beautiful, authentic, lower-priced designer bag? A genuine Coach or Kate Spade is infinitely more fabulous than a fake Louis Vuitton any day!

Let's review again the top reasons why buying a fake is an all around NO-NO:

1. Your counterfeit purchase supports illegal activity, including terrorism (the 1993 WTC bombing was largely funded by the sales of fake Kate Spade handbags)
2. Shoddy, inferior craftmanship
3. A "good" fake will cost you several hundred dollars alone
4. No resale/investment value whatsoever!
5. Fakes keep the prices of authentic items rising (trademark owner's lost revenue)
6. Stealing another person's design (copyright infringement) for your own profit is just wrong
7. You aren't fooling anyone--people know that bag is fake (and they aren't impressed, honey)!
8. Like other illegal businesses, the counterfeit purse trade is un-taxed, providing no benefit to the community whatsoever

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*Preparing to buy: The research process*

Research is extremely important. Those who do their research before purchasing drastically reduce the chances of buying of a fake. Avoid impulse buys and too-good-to-be true auctions!

1. Education:
Familiarize yourself with the model that you want. Know what the retail market price is, because depending on the condition of the bag, you can expect to pay anywhere from moderately below retail to double the retail price. I cannot reiterate this enough! Many of you are being scammed under the illusional allure of a "bargain." For Limited Edition items, you will be paying even MORE than retail on most occasions.
Also make sure that the model you're looking at was even produced by Louis Vuitton. This is very important! Please--do not attempt to purchase Louis Vuitton on Ebay before educating yourself. Below are some wonderful educational websites that provide excellent information on fake vs. authentic Louis Vuitton. I highly recommend---no, insist that you visit them!

www.mypoupette.com
www.hisremnant.org/Vuitton/
www.1st-4-louis-vuitton.com

2. Connections:
Get friendly with your local LV boutique. You'll be visiting them frequently for authentications. Stop by to examine the model you intend to buy...look at it's logo placements, straps, rivets, etc. If the item is rare and/or Limited Edition, examine pics from the My Poupette Real LV Gallery. For Multicolore and Cherry Blossom items you can scroll down to view my authentic picture galleries. Take home a Le Catalogue for future reference. Heed my word, you will never be able to stop at just one Louis. Consider yourself warned!

3. Know it's worth and frequency on Ebay:
Don't forget to search the "completed" items as well to get a general idea of how often your target comes up, and about what for (this will take some general knowledge about the piece, so that you can weed through the irrelevant fakes).

4. Be realistic:
Louis Vuitton is the handbag equivelent of Mercedes-Benz: they hold their resale value. You will NOT be able to walk out of here with a mint condition, authentic Noe bag for $200! And if the bag you're looking for is discontinued and rare (i.e., a Pink Vernis Houston), you'll be paying almost full retail. For Limited Edition items, such as the ever popular Murakami lines--you may be paying up to double the retail price. IF IT SEEMS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE--IT IS!!!!!!!

5. Buy a catalog:
Call Louis headquarters at 1-888-VUITTON to order a Le Catalogue($10), or just pick one up at your local LV boutique for free. This is a must have for any collector. You'll be able to see the specific logo placement and dimensions of any item, crucial knowledge for eliminating basic fakes, which happen to comprise the majority of fakes on Ebay.

*6. PROTECTION:
Call your credit card company (this is THE most important pre-buy step). Find out what their chargeback procedures & requirements are. Most credit card companies will issue you a permanent chargeback for transactions from "misrepresented items." Ask them what sort of protection is offered for an unintentional purchase of a counterfeit purse. Be very specific. If possible, have them refer you to their policy in writing (on your statements, on their website).

I WOULD LIKE TO REITERATE THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING THAT THE ITEM YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ACTUALLY EXISTS--I receive numerous e-mails asking for authentications on bags that Louis Vuitton has never even created!

Note from om*: AUTHENTICATING is a two part process, consisting of examination of the seller, and the actual item itself. We will first go into things you should know about the seller...

*THE SELLER*

1. Seller's Feedback:
Little to no feedback? We all started at zero at one time or another. However, with a high ticket item such as Louis Vuitton it's best to stick to established sellers. Conversely, you can often find some awesome deals from these very same no/low feedback sellers that others have passed on. Ultimately you will need to use your own good judgement, but I don't recommend buying from an unestablished seller unless you know Louis Vuitton pretty well.
High feedback is good, but is not entirely indicitive of an honest seller. You'd be amazed at how many "Power Sellers" are selling fakes, with nary a repercussion in sight. Make sure you actually read their feedback. Look for positive "authentic" feedback as well as any negatives for selling counterfeit goods. Note that there will be times (although it is very rare) when an honest seller has been unjustly accused of selling a fake as retaliation for another unrelated transaction problem.

2. Seller's current auctions:
It is very important to check the seller's other auctions as well. Sellers of authentic Louis Vuitton fall into three main categories:
*Non-professional Ebayers who are selling something from their own personal collections
*Professional resalers who sell multiple authentic, used Louis Vuitton, usually having obtained them from resale/consignment shops and the like (most My Poupette sellers)
*Louis Vuitton VIP sellers who are able to obtain multiple quantities of new, Limited Edition Murakami items for resale
A red flag: a seller selling more than one of the same style of purse (i.e, 3 Almas and 4 Petit buckets). A bloody red flag: They are all new. I can unequivocably guarantee you--someone selling new, multiple bags of the same style of Louis Vuitton is selling FAKES! This does not apply to sellers of multiple new Multicolore items. The reason being: LV never goes on sale and is never offered at "wholesale" prices. Never. That means that no one on this grand planet can buy new Louis Vuitton for less than you or I! There is no way for someone selling multiple new authentic LV bags that are easily acquired in-store (for example, most Monogram bags) to make a profit. The only reason they would be able to profit is if they acquired those bags for less than retail. And the only way to get NEW LV bags for less than retail is to buy a fake. However, because the Multicolor line is hard to obtain (wait-list only), Limited Edition and highly coveted, sellers can charge more than retail and make a profit. This profit is based on attainment.

3. Feedback status:
"PRIVATE" feedback? EEEK. They could be hiding either negative feedback or shill bidding (using another ID to bid up their item so that it goes for more). Avoid them completely.

4. Seller's location:
A large percentage of fakes come from Canada and Asia. If you are in the U.S., it is preferable you stick with a seller from the U.S. as well; in case your item does turn out to be fake you will have greater recourse of action should you need to seek measures as drastic as small claims court. Of course there are exceptions; a few of the sellers on our Recommended List are in fact internationally based. Again, your good judgement is called upon.

5. Seller's accepted method of payment:
Seller only accepts money order? HIT THAT BACK BUTTON! Paying with a money order is basically giving money to a stranger. Pay only through Paypal (or a similar on-line service) through which you can use your credit card. Your credit card company will be your only protection should your bag turn out to be fake or in other cases of fraud--if you never even receive the item. Paypal alone offers little protection (they only involve themselves with items never received, not authenticity issues) and Ebay offers even less. A request for payment to a P.O. box is another red flag.
DO NOT RELY ON EBAY TO RESOLVE AUTHENTICITY ISSUES WITH YOU; THEY ARE ONLY A THIRD-PARTY VENUE.
Many buyers erroneously believe that auctions are reviewed by Ebay before being listed and that they are protected from fraud. NOT SO. The Ebay community is a self-policing one.
I repeat:
DO NOT PURCHASE THE ITEM IF YOU CANNOT PAY WITH A CREDIT CARD!

6. Seller's pictures:
If the seller is using pictures from eluxury.com or other stock photos, you don't really know what you are getting. Most authentic LV sellers will provide you with several photos from different angles, showcasing the authenticity of their item. Of course there are exceptions; private collectors who just want to sell a piece from their own collection may not be as photo/web savvy. If not provided, be sure to ask for pictures of the interior.
WARNING! Beware of the old Bait and Switch Scam~~~where a seller steals pictures of authentic purses from others, presents these photos as their own, and sends you a fake bag instead (not the one pictured). The bag you are bidding on looks real because it IS real. This scam is becoming alarmingly more and more common and ubiqutious. How can you protect yourself? As always....PAY WITH A CREDIT CARD. In the auction itself, look for unusual cropping or unnatural blurring. Most photo thieves just steal one photo. If you suspect that a seller may be pulling a B&S, ask for more detailed photos. If he can't provide you with any, bypass the auction regardless of his excuse. If they were his photos to begin with, he obviously used a camera to take them~~why can't he give you any now? You should also do a COMPLETED item search of the same item to see if the photos have in fact been recycled. I've been able to sift through completed auctions and find the original owner of the stolen photos almost every time. If you are a victim of photo theft, report it to Ebay for Picture Theft. "Ebay members are not allowed to use another eBay user's pictures or descriptions in their listings or About Me page without the owner's permission. Listings that violate eBay's Picture and Description Theft policy may be removed early. Multiple violations of this policy can result in suspension."
*If you are a seller--please help prevent this scam by tagging your photos with your ebay name, something that can be easily done with any simple photo editing software.

7. Seller's promises:
Claiming that the purse is "100% Authentic" may be reassuring, but unfortunately dishonest sellers are now saying that about their fake merchandise too. DO NOT TAKE THIS STATEMENT TO HEART. I simply cannot reiterate this enough! You must look for other authenticity clues. If someone is dishonest enough to SELL a fake purse to begin with, they will have no qualms with lying about it's authenticity either. I don't know how many e-mails I receive a week from buyers claiming, "but the seller guaranteed it was authentic...."

8. Seller's Conditional Guarantee:
I am seeing many fake sellers with the following "promise" in their auctions:
"This item is 100% guaranteed authentic or your money back. I will only issue you a refund if you can get a letter from a Louis Vuitton boutique, on LV letterhead stating that the item is not authentic. Please make sure you ask for a manager and not sales associate when doing so."
Sounds reassuring? WRONG! Anyone even remotely familiar with Louis Vuitton knows that they do NOT issue out authentications in writing. LV gives out verbal authentications and nothing else. This is just a way for the seller to procure confidence from you in buying from them, only to refuse your refund later because you were not able to obtain this unobtainable letter. IT IS A SCAM.

9. History:
Steer clear of ambigious history descriptions, such as the famous "this was a gift, so I don't know if it's real", or "I'm selling this for my sister/friend/cousin/great-great step-Aunt Bea, who tells me the item is authentic," or "I got this from an estate sale from this super rich lady so it has to be real." Many sellers mistakingly believe that this "disclaimer" somehow absolves them from selling a fake.
Sidenote: it is prohibited by Ebay to sell fakes, even if you disclose the item as being fake.

10. Seller's response:
Ask plenty of questions and don't expect anything but full answers. Is she the original owner? If so, where and when did she get the bag? If not the original owner, where did she get it from? Tell the seller that you intend to take each and every LV purchase you make on Ebay to the LV store for authentication (and mean it) or send in pictures to My Poupette's Authentication Service. You want to be polite and cordial, but get the point across that you will be a real pain in the a$$ to deal with if the item you get is a fake. I found that this alone has weeded out fakes from real. I always end with "if you aren't 100% sure the bag is authentic, don't respond to this e-mail and it will save us both a lot of trouble. Otherwise, let me know that this purse is absolutely authentic and I will most likely bid. Thank you!" Touching base with the seller beforehand is a necessary step to protect yourself from fraud. Honest sellers with nothing to hide will answer your questions patiently and thoroughly; someone selling a fake might not even bother opening your e-mail. If you do not receive a response, do not bid. If you recieve one but the answer seems to be full of hemming and hawing, either write back to clarify his responses, or just delete the auction from your Items I'm Watching list and move on.
A counterfeit seller's DREAM BUYER:
*Doesn't ask questions
*Is not well educated about Louis Vuitton products
*Pays with a money order
*After receiving the fake, may or may not complain but does nothing further

11. Date Code:
If not provided, ask for a date code (some call it a "serial number," although this is erroneous). There should be 6 characters in total. The first 2 characters will be letters and last 4 will be numbers. If authentic, the 3rd character (first number) will not be higher than 1. The 4th character (second number) will not be lower than 8 with the exception of 0. The 5th & 6th characters (last two numbers) can be anything from 0 to 9. Have I confused you enough yet?
Note: Vintage pieces made before up until 1990 may not have any such marking. The date code is often discretely embossed and difficult to find (like in many Epi pieces), but can also be more obvious, sewn on a leather tag (like the Pochette), or directly under the D-ring (such as the Houston, Bucket, Bedford, Looping...). On some pieces, you may go insane trying to find one because they are right on the seam (Cherry Blossom Papillon). Some date codes cannot be seen without damaging the item (stretching); this is especially so with wallets. Please do not freak out if you cannot find it. Entirely different pieces can have the exact same date code. Know that MOST fakes also have "date codes." Some are obviously invalid (often they are model numbers), others are true codes "lifted" from a real one. Remember the aforementioned "uber-fake?" They all have valid date codes.

ONE MORE NOTE: I am aware of at least one exception to the two letter preface rule--there were a few authentic bags produced in the early nineties (some Epi Noe's) with a date code prefix of A2.

WORD OF CAUTION: The absence and/or presence of the date code alone is NOT enough to determine authenticity. You must not rely on the date code solely when looking for authenticity. I need to stress this strongly because too many of you are relying on date codes much too heavily!
However...you can eliminate a bag with a fake date code. For example, right off the bat you would know that any bag with a date code of "SP8935" is fake. You can also think of the date code as a "confirmation number" of sorts; matching the date code in the auction (or given to you by the seller) with the bag you receive ensures that you have received the bag you bid on.
One more note: #9 is subject to change. Louis Vuitton is constantly trying to foil their counterfeiters, and occasionally change their "formats" in an effort to do so. This is why you may find the date code in a certain location on a model, and in another location on the same model of a different age, both of the bags being authentic. TIP: Every single Cherry Blossom item should have a date code that ends in the number 3. No exceptions!

12. Receipts, Dust Bags & Boxes, oh my!
Just like the date code or any other single factor, you must not depend soley on a receipt to verify authenticity. The same goes for boxes, bags, tissue paper, ribbon, or care cards presented in the auction. A copy of a receipt really means very little. There are indeed sellers who will give you a copy or actual receipt of an item they bought, but will send you a fake bag anyhow. Receipts, bags, and boxes are also now readily available in "packages" from counterfeit companies. Again...do not singularly rely on any of these "extras" when determining authenticity.
HORROR STORY: I recently saw an auction where a seller was selling a lot of 4 genuine LV receipts. What do you think the winning bidder was using them for...?

13. Records:
Keep all e-mail correspondences between you and the seller, including copies of your payment receipt. You should also consider printing out the auction page of the item you won. If a problem regarding authenticity should arrive, you will have documentation of your correspondence that can be used to help faciliate the resolution of your case by a third party.

14. Second opinion:
If you're still uncertain (and even if you aren't), get a second opinion (and a third, and a fourth...). Post the item number in question on the Ebay Clothing & Accesories Board and within minutes you will have experts giving your their valued analysis. You can also use the Authentication Service provided by My Poupette. You can also contact MrsTroppo, and lastly--my Yuku Group has section just for Authentication questions (you must be a member).

15. Bidding:
Ready to bid? Determine beforehand what the absolute maximum is you are willing to pay, figuring in all shipping, handling, and applicable taxes to this amount. There is absolutely no benefit to bidding any sooner than the last few seconds of the auction; bidding before this can start a bidding war, which raises the price of the item higher than it would have possibly gone for. Emotions can run high in the auction world. Bidding beforehand also allows others to track what items you are bidding on and follow suit. The exception is when you think that you can win the item for less than the buy-it-now price and you want to eliminate this option for other buyers. This doesn't mean that you have to schedule your life around bidding on an auction. I highly recommend using a sniping service like Esnipe or AuctionSniper. They are automated services that bid for you as late as 4 seconds before the auction's end. I haven't placed a manual bid on an item for at least 2 years! Both offer free trial services; after that I believe the cost for auction wins of $25-$1,000 is 1%, rounded down to the nearest penny. So if you win an item for $500 on eBay, the eSnipe fee is $5 (you only pay if you win). Some sellers may complain that sniping keeps their profit margin down--on the contrary, I think they benefit greatly. How many times have you missed bidding on an auction because you were busy with, er, real life? Sniping is an automated procedure that can be programmed at your convenience. A sniped bid is certainly better than no bid at all! Ready to snipe?
Click HERE to join www.auctionsniper.com and we both get 3 free snipes!

TIP: It is highly recommended that you buy from a list of trusted LV sellers whenever you can. These are sellers who have been proven to sell authentic in the past, and have been determined by many in the LV community to be trustworthy and dedicated. They are held by stringent standards with regards to authenticity AND condition. These lists can be found at the My Poupette as well as MrsTroppo's websites:

Honorable Mention Sellers
Recommended Sellers
MrsTroppo's Recommended Sellers

Please note that buying from this list does not release you from your responsibilities to research the bag! The lists are wonderful places to start, but you must still be thorough when determining the item's authenticity. This is because every single seller cannot be vouched for every single item sold.
WARNING! If you see a My Poupette Recommended Seller or Honorable Mention Seller logo in an auction, please make sure that the person is ACTUALLY on the list!
HORROR STORY: I have come several different sellers who simply stole the logo picture from the My Poupette site and added it to their auctions, deceiving countless buyers.
For shame!

Yet another great list: Poupette has put together a "No Sale" list--a compilation of Ebay sellers and websites that have been known to sell counterfeit. Study this list before buying and avoid these sellers at all costs!
Poupette's No Sale List

Note from om*: Please think of authenticity as a puzzle. No one piece completes the sale. You must gather various bits of information before you can come to a satisfactory conclusion. I will reiterate until I'm blue in the face: you must NEVER rely on just one piece of the puzzle (date code, receipt, etc.)

1. Stitching:
Louis Vuitton items are hand-stitched. Every stitch should be even and proportionally aligned. Sloppy and uneven stitching is a sign of a fake.

2. Logo placement:
This is where your catalog will come in handy. In general, the LV logos should not be cut off. There are rare exceptions; some vintage pieces have cut-off logos, and pieces that use the logo as a background (such as the Cherry Blossom and Graffiti bags), may also have cut-off logos. In fact, the Cherry Blossom Papillon is cut off on top by the vachetta leather trim on both sides. In some cases, the cutting of of logos is simply unavoidable. However, you will never see an authentic bag with haphazardly cut-off logos.

3. "Mirror" image:
It is commonly believed that each LV bag should create a mirror image, meaning each side should be the same in regards to logo placement. This does not hold true for most models, however.

4. Upside down logos:
Many assume that any bag with upside down logos on one side must surely be fake. This is absolutely not true. Some pieces are cut from just one piece of canvas, so naturally when they wrap around to the back side the logos will be upside down. The Monograms Speedy, Musette Tango, Musette Salsa, Papillon and the Vernis Thompson Street are all examples of this.

5. Leather:
Louis Vuitton straps are made from superb quality, untreated leather. When new, the leather will appear a very pale yellow. Over time it will develop a natural "patina," ultimately changing into a dark honey-color. The leather's color should correspond with it's age/use--this is something that you will be able to gauge as you gain more experience about Louis Vuitton bags. The vast majority of fakes have a colored leather unlike any LV bag in any phase of patina.

6. Shape:
Again, your catalog will come in handy here. I can eliminate many fake bags on Ebay upon first sight simply because they are off in dimension, size, or shape.

7. Date code:
As aforementioned, not something to obsess over~~but definitely something to be aware of. Many fakes are stamped with the catalog number; this is especially so with fake wallets. Any Monogram, Mat, Damier or Glace wallet stamped with anything that starts with M6 is FAKE. This is the catalog prefix for these wallets. Any Vernis wallet stamped with a prefix of M9 is fake; any Damier wallet with N6 is fake.
TIP: every single Cherry Blossom item should have a date code that ends in the number 3. Because it is so lightly stamped, it is often mistaken for the number 8. Every single Multicolore piece will have one that ends in either 3 or 4. No exceptions. Here is an example of the model number being stamped unto a Monogram wallet:

8. Patches:
Many of the older fakes have outside patches with "Louis Vuitton Paris" or the like stamped on them. These are indefinitely fake. Exterior patches are only found on custom made items (where you can have just about anything done) or on vintage travel pieces produced by The French Company between the 70's-90's. Interior patches, however~~although not common, are in fact found in some genuine LV styles such as the Epi Demi Lune, the Vernis Reade PM, & the Monogram Recital. These interior patches are rectangular in shape and naturally, have authentic LV font type. The newer fakes are hipper to the fact that LV bags do not come with exterior patches, so these are mostly found on vintage fakes. Never buy anything with this type of exterior patch. Study the font face as well~~this is not genuine LV typeface:

9. Plastic on handles:
It is a myth that all bags with plastic on the handles are fake. In fact, ALL Louis Vuitton bags arrive to the boutiques with protective plastic coverings--most Sales Associates simply remove them before display and/or before being purchased. Many bags do in fact make it to their prospective homes with the plastic still on. However~~if you see plastic that appears to be shrink-wrapped (close-fitted), this generally indicates a fake bag.

10. Made in...
Louis Vuitton has factories in France, Spain, and the good ole' USA. Many erroneously assume that any LV bag made in the US is fake. Certain styles are produced in one location more than others; for example I believe a great deal of pochettes are in fact, made in America. This does NOT mean that if your pochette was made in France, it is fake. The Retro Styles (Cherry Blossom, Eye Love) are made in Spain. Purse connoiseurs debate about the quality of bags made in these respective regions, however please rest assured that the Louis Vuitton name--which is synonomous with quality--is constant and predicatably dependable irregardless of where it was made.

11. Type-face:
I have yet to see one fake that can accurately mimic genuine Louis Vuitton type-face. Many bags can be eliminated simply be looking at it's "Louis Vuitton, Made in Paris" stampings. Study the following pictures below. These were taken from AUTHENTIC BAGS and all showcase what genuine LV type-face looks like: