Whenever buying designer goods on eBay, there is a 90% chance its fake. The following are some tips for buying online:
Check feedback, Look at the other items for sale, Look at the price, Look at where the seller is from…

Check feedback. If many people say it was fake, then it is.

If the seller has sold alot of these in the past and they’ve all sold 50% under retail, it’s fake.

I don’t even consider dealing with a seller if the feedback score is under 100. If the positive feedback percentage is under 95%, be very careful.

Is the seller’s feedback private? This is not a good sign. Why would a seller hide their feedback rating instead of allowing potential buyers to review their past transactions? Very suspicious - Proceed with Caution.

Is the photograph a stock photo? One taken from eLUXURY.com or other reputable online stores? If it is, how do you know what you are receiving? More Caution needed.

Look at the other items for sale. Does the seller have a large quantity of one thing? If they do, I am willing to bet that the merchandise is counterfeit.

Look at the price, if it’s a brand new current season item, and its selling for much below retail, then it is fake. They’d be losing alot of money if they sold a $2000 bag for $500.

Look at the real ones! Go to the boutique or high end department store, and see this item first hand. Look at the tiny details, such as zipper pulls and buttons and them compare to the online auction. Ask for more photos if needed.

If you don’t have any luxury stores near you, then a good place to compare fine details is www.bluefly.com. They have a zoom function that is really handy.

Look at where the seller is from, if you see Turkey or Turkmenistan, stay away. Turkey is known as bad fake hell, and a friend of my mom’s bought a few fake clothes from there, and they didn’t survive the washing machine. If it’s from anywhere in Asia, its a good chance that its fake too. I’ve also noticed alot of fakes from the UK.

Compare tags, that’s one of the easiest ways to spot a fake. Real LV, Chanel, Prada, and Fendi doesn’t have any tags attached to the bags.

Chanel bags don’t come with a long black gold trimmed edge care book. They should only have the authenticity card in an envelope, and a Japanese/English Karl Lagerfeld booklet. Prada doesn’t have any tags attached to it either.

There’s lots to look for in LV so the best thing would be to compare to MyPoupette - http://mypoupette.com/photos.html

The easiest way to tell apart a fake is by asking the seller if it’s guaranteed authentic, and if they accept returns if found otherwise. I emailed more than 20 sellers dealing with LV, Prada, Gucci and others, and have not recieved any replies to date. (I did so 3 days ago.)

What forms of payment are accepted by the seller? Only Western Union, no PayPal. RED FLAGS, EXTREME CAUTION NEEDED! Only use forms of payment where YOU the buyer can be protected in the event something goes wrong with your purchase.

How & from where is the seller shipping your item? If you are using PayPal, it is a MUST that you receive your item before the 30 day-to- the-minute time limit is up; if not… move on! Is insurance & tracking included? Do they have a return policy, if yes; what is it? Ask these questions if not stated on the listing. Still have doubts, keep asking the seller questions. Can’t get a straight, honest answer… MOVE ON!

Good ol’ common sense & intuition. If you are having second thoughts, whether it’s a gut feeling or a little voice in your head… DO NOT PROCEED WITH THE TRANSACTION! If you do not feel comfortable about it… just don’t buy it.

I cannot stress it enough that you must inform yourself with as much information as possible BEFORE you consider making an offer, not after. Do the necessary research (homework) prior to purchasing. This will only help you to make an informed decision, it will not safe guard you completely because internet purchasing is… Buyer Beware. But I believe it will clear up many concerns & help you to avoid taking any unnecessary risks.