In the pandemic world, online shopping has become much more convenient and popular than it has ever been before, and this detail has not gone without noticing from counterfeit brands. Therefore, we could say that in 2024 we have a boom in counterfeit products.
Nobody wants to pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars for a product that isn’t even authentic. What is even worse than poor quality and fake labels is the damage they can cause because of their toxic materials. Because of these reasons, it is always good to know some of the most general rules so you can prevent yourself from buying fake branded clothes.
- Research the seller – We can’t stress enough how important it is for you to check the seller. There are many legitimate third-party vendors and authorized retailers, but some are just trying to sell their counterfeit products and fool people. Always do a little research before you decide to purchase the item.
- Read the customer reviews – Whenever you are planning on buying something online, always read the customer reviews first as they will tell you the most unbiased opinions on a product as well as the seller. If you notice that there are wildly different reviews on the same product, it shows that the seller has quality control issues which is a big red flag and you have to decide whether you want to buy anything from such a vendor.
- Don’t let the discounts fool you – Remember, branded items rarely go on sale and even a small discount can be taken as a red flag. If you notice that the price tag on a product is too good to be true, then we would advise you to not purchase an item as it most likely is fake.
- Payment method – Sometimes counterfeit brands ask for direct money transfer, like a bank transfer instead of getting payments via credit or debit card as well as PayPal, which is a very popular way of paying for your items securely online. If the online store is asking for a direct money transfer, you should take it as a big red flag and consider searching for the product on another website. Think before you put your personal information on such online stores.
- Analyze the packaging – If it happens that you receive an item in suspicious packaging that is made of low-quality material and is not labeled, then you should look out for other differences as well. Brands often put their logos and lettering outside too and if your packaging is all plain or has noticeable errors such as spelling mistakes or flawed logos, then the item is not authentic.
Compare Clothes on Different Websites
It’s always the best idea to compare the pictures from the unknown website to the official photos on brands’ platforms. You need to take a close look: do the colors match? Is stitching as tight and symmetrical? Are shapes the same? Even if you find the smallest differences, then we’ve got some bad news for you, the product is fake. In some situations, the counterfeit brands take pictures from official websites to sell their fake goods more successfully so we advise you to contact the customer service and ask for some real-life pictures of the product, so you can make sure you are getting what you are paying for.
Pay Attention to The Main Features of Clothes
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- Logo – Counterfeit brands always struggle to replicate logos of the iconic brands and it’s not that much of a surprise. Most of the time, logos on fake products are distorted, with different shapes, shades, too pale or too bold, and they are placed incorrectly too. So always remember, to observe logos closely.
- Producer – Before purchasing an item ask the vendor who the producer is and if you already have the product in your hands, check the tag. The producer has to be the same as the official brand’s, so if it doesn’t match, then it is a major red flag.
- Country – Certain brands are produced only in certain countries. For example, Hermes products are mostly made in France and if your tag says otherwise, for example, “made in China” then the item is counterfeit.
- Price – As already mentioned, counterfeit brands always try to put appealing price tags on their products, which is the main reason people choose to buy from them. If the price seems too low in comparison to the original product, then they most likely are selling fakes.
- Quality – Authentic branded items aren’t expensive for no reason. They use the highest quality products and they pay their workers’ fair wage, which isn’t that common in counterfeit brands, that always try to use as cheap material as possible just to reduce the cost. Reduced cost results in low quality.
Buy at Official Store
To play it safe, it is always the best to buy from the official stores: you pay for high quality, you know what you get, and don’t have to wonder about its authenticity. Official stores always put documentation inside the packaging to prove their legitimacy which you can keep and if you ever want to sell your item to somebody else, you will have visual evidence that your product is authentic.
Use Authentication Services
Sometimes buying from official stores seems impossible and it is so tempting finding a good deal online and avoiding it just because of being afraid of its authenticity. You don’t have to say no to any of those deals when you know who to ask for expert help. LegitGrails offers professional authentication services on LegitGrails with the fastest turn-around time 24/7, where they’ll observe your item closely, make sure if it’s legit or not and give you an authentication certificate. Sounds like a big deal doesn’t it? If you still want to do it at home independently, you can also check out their authentication guides and do the legit check process step-by-step!
