How to Instantly Spot a Fake Handbag Online

Unless you are an expert who researches luxury goods day in and day out (hey, lucky person!), it's all too easy to fall into the trap of buying fake fashion wares. With the pre-loved and resale markets booming, sites like VestiaireCollective.com are here to step in and solve your e-shopping woes.

Vestiare Collective in particular has in-house teams dedicated to vetting each and every pre-loved designer item that get sold on their site, not allowing a single one to reach a consumer should it be considered counterfeit. Of course its crew has many authenticity-tracking practices in process, but there are tips you can personally employ in order to never be tricked into a bad purchase again.

We drilled Fanny Moizant, co-founder of the site, for her top tips. Scroll down to start using them today—then shop from the site's best designer handbag buys.

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"It is important to familiarise yourself with the product, go into a store, feel and touch it. Once you know how the genuine item looks and feels in detail, you’ll find it easier to spot a counterfeit version."

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"When checking for counterfeits, the first point to inspect is the stitching—uneven or slanted stitching is a sign of a poorly made item and therefore a potential counterfeit."

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"Do your research on retail price and be price aware. If you see a designer bag for sale for £250 when it's new season and worth over £1000, it's unlikely to be genuine. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!"

Related: Red Leather: A Microtend Gaining Major Ground

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"Check the lining; again, this is another area counterfeits often slip up. The people who create fakes often work from photos, so the colour match or quality of the material can be a giveaway."

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"If you're buying a handbag, check for a serial number, and ask to see proof of purchase if you're buying from an online resale site."

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"Check the logo and the hardware closely as this is where many copies slip up; each brand has a few unique details that will help them identify a genuine piece from a fake."

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"Only buy pre-owned designer goods from trusted sites. It's important to check that the pre-owned sites you shop on have an experienced authenticity team who will check each item sold to ensure that it is a genuine piece."

Shop the best resale designer bags below…

Hannah Almassi
Editor in Chief

Hannah Almassi is the editor in chief of Who What Wear UK. Hannah has been part of the the Who What Wear brand since 2015, when she was headhunted to launch the UK sister site and social channels, implement a localised content strategy and build out the editorial team. She joined following a seven-year tenure at Grazia magazine, where she led front-of-book news, fashion features and shopping specials as fashion news and features editor. With experience in both print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 16 years in the field as a journalist, editor, content strategist and brand consultant. Hannah has interviewed industry heavyweights such as designers including Marc Jacobs and Jonathan Anderson through to arbiters of taste including Katie Grand and Anna Dello Russo. A skilled moderator and lecturer specialising in the shift to digital media and e-commerce, Hannah’s opinion and work has been sought by the likes of CNBC, BBC, The Sunday Times Style, The Times, The Telegraph and MatchesFashion.com, among many others. Hannah is often called upon for her take on trends, becoming known as a person with their finger of the pulse of what’s happening in the fashion space for stylish Brits.

Hannah currently resides in Eastbourne with her photographer husband, incredibly busy son and highly Instagrammable cat.