Handbags Choices

If you love the designer handbag look but don’t have the budget to pay for it, you’ve probably looked at buying a designer knockoff handbag. If you’ve hesitated until now before taking out your credit card to buy a knockoff, good. There are some things you should know before you make this type of purchase so you’ll be walking in with your eyes open.

First, you should know that there are two types of knockoff handbags: one is good, and one is bad.

The “good” type of knockoff is the designer-inspired handbag, also called a replica handbag. These purses have the designer look but they don’t pretend to be something they’re not. They don’t use designer tags or logos, and they aren’t sold to you with claims of being the genuine article. Inspired handbags, are a fun, economical way to add some designer pizazz to your fashion look without spending a fortune. Sure, you’re not going to fool anyone into thinking it’s the real thing, but you’ll save a small fortune and look great doing it.

The “bad” type of knockoff tries to pass itself off as the real thing. These cheap rip-offs are mass produced from poor quality materials and workmanship, and are gussied up with designer tags to fool you into thinking you’re getting a Vuitton, Prada, or Coach when you’re not. These bags are counterfeits and if you buy one, you’re probably being ripped off, because the seller will charge you many times what the item is worth while telling you you’re getting a big discount on a valuable item.

By following a few easy tips, you can usually spot a counterfeit designer handbag. If you see a handbag that claims to be a genuine designer item being sold anywhere but a high-end department store or boutique, be very suspicious. Designers carefully control where their goods are sold, and they don’t allow any inventory to escape to roadside markets and online auctions.

If you’re buying a designer handbag online, make sure it’s from a well-known retailer. Anyone else is in a great position to take advantage of you because you won’t be able to see and handle the bag until after you’ve paid for it. When you buy online, you can’t even tell whether a bag is vinyl or leather by looking at its photo.

Take some extra time when you shop online to find the site’s returns policy. If it’s not listed, or it’s shorter than 30 days, then take your business elsewhere. Don’t buy from stores that charge restocking fees. A store that needs to charge these fees in order to stay profitable isn’t going to be dealing in genuine designer handbags.

For any kind of online shopping, your credit card is your friend. Not all debit cards allow you to file a chargeback if an online merchant refuses to accept the return of his merchandise. Payment services associated with online auctions may have their own rules that don’t afford you the protection you get from using a credit card.

If the online merchant does business outside your home country, think twice about buying from them. Shipping times can extend beyond the returns period, and other countries have their own laws about doing business that might be more lax than yours.

Finally, if you see claims like, “guaranteed genuine,” you should move on. Designers like Gucci and Prada don’t need to guarantee that their products are genuine, because they are genuine.