Want to authenticate LV bags in stores Think again…
Very quick guide:
talking with some suppliers and trying this myself at the LV store on Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, I found out this:
it might or might not be shocking to some of you, but if you walk into a LV store, you SAY that you bought your bag on the Internet, they AUTOMATICALLY say it’s a fake.
Why? Because you didn’t buy from them and they lost money on you.
Supplier experience: bought a bag from Neiman Marcus, walked into a store and asked them to authenticate it, saying she bought on the net. They said it was a fake.
My experience, YESTERDAY:
walked into the LV store on Rodeo Drive, said that my Speedy 30 Multicolore, Black, doesn’t have the 30 under the leather piece on top, and the LOUIS VUITTON mark on the leather piece where the keys are, was slightly put upwards compared to other bags I’ve seen. NOTE: these are supposed be major tells that it’s PROBABLY a fake.
RESPONSE: Did you buy it in a LV store? Me: Yes. Her: Then it’s real sir, don’t worry.
They are hand-made so minor differences occur.
See? Now, you have to think that it is true that minor differences can occur because THEY ARE hand-made.
This is also in defense of a lot of honest ebay sellers that see some listings shut-down because of answers people get in stores.
Somebody also answered me on a forum, saying that a SA in a Louis Vuitton store told her that ALL bags sold on Ebay are fake.
No Comment.
Finally, from a GUCCI Care Card:
“The distinctiveness of every item made with this type of leather lies in its manufacture by craft – only technique in order to bring out the properties of the natural skins, such as veining, dark and light shading, and reactions to water spray and rubbing. These features, together with the tendency towards scratching and scuffing and the characteristic fading in areas of greatest wear (corners, folds and edges), are to be considered qualities and not defects, and therefore fundamental factors in the natural appearance of the leather. Protect the product against rain and dry it immediately with a cloth should it get wet, as the leather has not been waterproofed. Should a light, white patina appear, clean with a soft, dry cloth. An item that is treasured, and its natural qualities appreciated in full, thus becomes unique, authentic and special. Our staff is always on hand for all information or other requirements.”
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