Hi all, looking for some advice please.
I recently met a Lady who sells Designer handbags, she networks and does not advertise. She invited me to her home and sold me several handbags which she claims are the real deal Louis Vuitton, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Prada and Gucci. With Christmas coming I purchased for Family members. I transferred Funds by Bank Transfer, Seller has offered me more items since initial purchase, Seller was also generous by gifting me with a bottle of expensive Champagne, I was led to believe items were genuine. I have researched the items are almost perfect replicas. My issue is that I feel deceived, now the pricing was too good to be true for the real deal, but for a replica I feel cheated On the purchase. I would like to return a few items which I am not happy with the quality on. The seller has told me she does not accept returns. I realise now it was a deal which was too good to be true. Please no nasty comments I am just looking for advice on how to handle the seller when I talk to her about her expensive replica designer handbags.
Hi @Meldale70, welcome to the community.
Unfortunately, this normally indicates that something is fishy. If a price is too good to be true, it usually means a scam or a sham. It appears from the information presented, you have fallen for a sham.
Choice has covered counterfeit goods in the past and how to report them…
It is important to report them as it is a form of theft (intellectual property of the brands they rip-off) and fraud (taking money off others through deception). If you don’t report, they will continue to rip-off others.
In addition to reporting it to the relevant authorities, most luxury brands like the counterfeits you have bought, one can also report intellectual property theft of their products with them too. Just internet search the brand with the words ‘report counterfeit’. Just make sure it is the genuine company/brand website when making the report
If it has occurred recently, contact your bank and see if there is any opportunity to reverse. Tell them what has happened and you will/have reported it to the relevant authorities. It is unlikely to be able to be reversed, but it never hurts asking.
This is not surprising as they think they won’t be caught can can operate outside the law.
Personally I wouldn’t be returning anything but allowing the relevant authorities to use them as evidence.
Hopefully if they are prosecuted, there is some opportunity for you to recover some of the monies handed over/transfer to them. The relevant authorities will be able to give an indication if this is possible when reporting them.
I am amazed at the seller actually using their home. Very useful as you will be able to inform the police exactly where they are,
Actually holding out the bags as genuine is fraud. Of course if they were genuine and selling for way under the retail rate then they could be stolen property. The actual brands are also interested in knowing where the sellers are as their lawyers can get involved in intellectual property actions too. You know where they live and have bank account details. Report it.
That is an important aspect because you do not have personal relationships or social capital in play. Report her as advised by @phb and @Pkk. Do not expect much from the police except them taking your report. The brand name importers are most likely to follow up with action.
Keep the purses as well as any communication you have that claims the products are genuine as evidence and hand over related texts and emails to the brand owners.
A footnote is that the counterfeit products might get seized in the process, a possible outcome that dissuades many people from taking action when they have been shammed/scammed. The victim becomes the victim again, having bought in good faith. Some sham/scam artists are aware and are brazen because they understand few of their targets (eg customers) are willing to have the counterfeit products seized and be out of pocket with nothing except knowing they did the right thing. In some cases restitution may be possible, yet not often as the perps have passed on their ill gotten gains to be out of the victim’s touch.
The other thing to consider is if you don’t report them, what to do with the handbags.
If you decide to give them as gifts, you are now also part of the deception and it is likely that at some time that they will find out that the bags are counterfeits. It is also possible, but somewhat unlikely, that if they travel overseas with the bags, arrive back in Australia (or another country) and the customs officials think they are counterfeit, they may be confiscated. Is this something you want your family/friends to experience?
You can still give them as gifts but tell your family/friends that they are counterfeits…I wonder how they would react and what they would think of you giving them something which is fake. I know how I would feel if I received a fake product as a gift for a special occasion.
It is a difficult dilemma, but in the end it is your decision what path to take. At the end of the day you have spent your hard earned cash and have been duped. You have to decide whether to take the moral and ethical approach and report them, or continue the deceit and deception with your friends and family hoping then never find out the mistake you made.
