The Fake Industry

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Hello Boppers,

This is not your usual fashionable topic. There is no glamour here. Only the the truth, a serious topic that needs be addressed by us all.

Recently I discovered a fellow bag lover on Instagram supported the fake industry. The majority of this person’s collection was fake. I was originally shocked followed by disgust. They had no remorse and showed no signs of humiliation when caught. It got me thinking.. does this person know the facts behind counterfeit goods? And how many other fake supporters out there are unaware of the horrendous truth behind their actions?

The majority of people who purchase fake bags believe that doing so is harmless. A completely innocent and victimless crime. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Not only are they damaging a brand’s name and insulting those who actually work hard for their items. It’s more serious than that. Profits from purchasing fake goods support child labor, slavery and human trafficking. Research shows that the money has even been linked to terrorism. Is that fake Love bracelet and Firkin worth it now?

This quote should give you an idea of just how sadistic the fake industry is, “‘I remember walking into an assembly plant in Thailand a couple of years ago and seeing six or seven little children, all under 10 years old, sitting on the floor assembling counterfeit leather handbags,’ an investigator told me… ‘The owners had broken the children’s legs and tied the lower leg to the thigh so the bones wouldn’t mend. [They] did it because the children said they wanted to go outside and play.'” – How Luxury Lost Its Luster. This is just one example of the many barbaric and inhuman treatment of slaves caught in the industry. Ask yourself if having blood on your hands is really worth looking “cool” on Instagram.

AVOIDING FAKES:
– Purchase your goods from authentic boutiques or high end department stores. Even Walmart was discovered selling fake Gucci a few years back. Always be careful.
– Inspect the details. Any fashionista/fashionisto can spot a fake from a mile away but this takes experience and time. So if you’re new to a brand, look very closely. Is the stitching uneven? Messy glue? Strange looking hardware? Odd logo? If it’s too good to be true – IT IS.
– Vintage? Take extra care. Only purchase vintage goods from established and well-known companies. They will take extra care in order to avoid selling fakes as it opens them up to a number of lawsuits. Avoid new or suspicious looking websites. It also doesn’t hurt to ask around and check customer reviews.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SPOT A FAKE?:
– If you see someone you know with a counterfeit product, try to provide them with some basic information. If they fail to change their ways, you should block the person and let others know.
– If you see someone selling counterfeit goods, this is a serious crime, they can be reported to http://www.stopfakes.gov or try your local authority.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. PurseBop, and express just how grateful I am for our wonderful fake-free community. She has the strenuous responsibility of keeping the fakes out. It’s a 24/7 task that takes a lot of work but that’s what makes PurseBop and BopTalk such a wonderful community.

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what an INCREDIBLE post StyledGuy!!! Congratulations!!! Some things are painful to read, like the story of the children with broken legs, but must be said to try to make people understand that some things are just not worth it. I don´t know who the person mentioned by you and Saphhiresandscotch is, but I sure hope I am his/her follower, or their follower (in case it´s 2 diff persons).

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First of all; thank you for sharing that.. I am very interested in these issues since highschool. i also wrote a paper about sweatshops in China, child labor etc.. now i am in textile industry. we are producing for one of the most famous brands in Europe (i will not give names but they are very very strict about these issues) which i admire a LOT. This is a very very important development for all of us.. i hate when people use fake items.. there are goods that i can afford and also there are some that i can not afford :D this is not a big deal for me.. i dont buy sth that i cant afford. or go for a fake version of it.. i work for it and my collection is growing day by day .. not day by day lets say month by month :D :D but it makes me happy since it is mine and i invest on my own.. but i guess it is a big deal for some people.. i hope your post will be a lesson for them.. however to be honest, many of us are buying clothes some famous brands which are affordable.. i will not give names again.. but are we sure that they are not using child labor? or bad materials? i stopped buying from some of these brands since i heard these kinds of things.. but i believe that, every second people get aware of this issues, brands will start to take more responsibility about this issues.. or at least start to be more transparent.. thanks again Styledguy for this post :)

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Thank you for sharing. I hate fake and there are too may IG fake bags sellers out there. When I have a clear shot of my bags, I put watermark. Otherwise, these fakers steal photos and send them to innocent bag newbies.

  • Lifeandstyletips

    Hi Brunch at Chanel’s :) i always watermark my photos but somehow they manage to blur them or clear them :( so annoying!

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For those who want exclusivity but cannot affort it end up feeding the demand of cheap fakes. I see people carry obvious faux bags on ig. Anybody who has the real bags can immediately spot a fake. I can anyway. What’s the point of buying the fake version of it? To fool people and themself. The problem is, people care less about principles and humanitatian crimes and more about STATUS ? Thank you so much styledguy to sharing this story. Let’s keep this community fake free. Also, what can we do to stop the fake sellers on IG? They use our pics to sell their faux goods!

  • BoyWithTheBag

    You’re spot on about people caring more about status, the world is so screwed up.
    As for fake sellers on IG who steal you photos, that’s a double crime. They’re breaking your personal copyright rights too. I’d try and report to Instagram? Unless someone has a more successful way? Instagram staff are pretty useless and rarely take any action or even respond?

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I really admire the passion of the guy who wrote this post for caring so much to those poor kids. I know it is true that any of those could really support terror !!! This is 100% true.
And let me share with you a fact you might not know, and would might surprise you. I learn this through my business (you might not approve my bags, but I know it’s not kids labor, and I would never support terrorism)
When exporting from China the authorities put the responsibility on the logistic company (for example UPS) to check every shipment going out of China and not allow fakes to be exported!
The logistic company takes it very serious, checking every shipment, or they will be the one the authorities will blame if they would be found with fake goods.
They don’t even let out goods that uses Logo’s of brands on items that obviously doesn’t even pretend to be the real thing. For example all the phone cases like the Chanel – smoking kills… even that will be decline for exporting. So I think the fight against fakes had become much stronger.
With that been said, good night, XO

  • BoyWithTheBag

    I do not consider your beach bags “fake”, just like I don’t consider Saint Laurent’s Sac De Jour a fake. Both are Hermes inspired, yes. But that is very different to a fake. They are not being advertised as Hermes bags etc.
    Also I’m not sure China is doing enough to stop fakes since the problem still very much exists over there. And I think the problem is spread further than just China. 6% of the world’s annual trade is down to fake goods. The fake industry also counts for a loss of 750,000 American jobs.

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I couldn’t have said it any better StyledGuy, thank you for taking a stand on this. I am totally with you. I strongly believe that there are many ways of expressing style, and true style can never be faked. For the prices one pay for fakes, invest in one good bag. Call this an appeal. Say NO to fakes. Every reason you listed resonates soundly. I have been perturbed by the number of fake vendors on IG, and we know that there is no supply if there is no demand. At times I wonder if the IG culture encourages it. If as a community if we all speak out against fakes, and not condone it, hopefully we can make a difference. I know that Mrs PurseBop takes tremendous effort in her pictures selection and edit, and that matters, so so much. Let’s all embrace and respect authentic fashion and style.

  • BoyWithTheBag

    Agree 100%! Style is not about money, it’s taste. And let’s face it, if you wear fake goods then you probably have zero taste..

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Bravo and very well stated, StyledGuy! The fake industry is a growing human rights issue, and the culture is sometimes still perpetuated through instagram unfortunately. I want to thank you for sharing some of the more horrendous aspects of the fake industry, so that this behavior isn’t ignorantly written off as harmless. So many people are hurt in the process of creating and buying fake goods, and it’s definitely time to bring more attention to that. PurseBop is a community where authenticity is the only option from an ethical standpoint, and more importantly, because of our genuine love for beautiful fashion that deserves to be fairly recognized. I would appreciate that if a fake is inadvertantly posted by us that we are notified :)

PURSEBOP is DOES NOT SUPPORT FAKES!

You are a valuable and treasured member of our community, andI appreciate you taking the time to create awareness.
Love PurseBop
XO

  • BoyWithTheBag

    I feel Instagram is only adding fuel to the fake industry fire. Many people can’t afford expensive designer labels but want to front and look cool on Indtagram. It’s truly sad because people should only be purchasing these bags etc. for the craftsmanship and attention to detail – something you do NOT get with fakes. :(
    One of the things I love about our community is that we all love authentic pieces and do not tolerate counterfeits. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fake posted on here!

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StyledGuy, thank you so much for addressing this issue! It’s absolutely wrong that people are striving to maintain a look at the cost of human lives. I’m glad that you were so assertive about your stance and raw with the details – it’s the only way real action can come about. Hopefully, instagrammers who indulge in these counterfeit and fake items will stop being glorified. At least here on PurseBop, we can share the same admiration for authentic pieces!

  • BoyWithTheBag

    Thank you Morgan. If I can change at least one person’s thoughts on purchasing fakes, I will be content.

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wow, thanks for making this topic styled guy, to be honest i’ve never thought about the conditions under which the counterfeits were made and i doubt most others did too. i think that book looks really interesting actually, just ordered it on amazon haha

and thanks as well to mrs pursebop for keeping this community fake free. everyone please be on the lookout and if you see something say something, i sure will.

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This is such an important post, StyledGuy. I very recently found someone on IG whose collection seems very suspect to me, and could not for the life of me figure out how to politely inform this person without her possible retaliation on my own IG account. Several of our Boppers follow or comment on her pics, but I haven’t found one single comment yet that calls her out. Maybe people have DMed her instead. It may even be a different person than the one you ran across. Anyway, I’m so glad you posted about this and brought to light this serious issue that so many think is “not a big deal.”

  • BoyWithTheBag

    Thank you for the feedback!?
    Oh that is a tricky situation! I would hate to falsely accuse someone of owning fakes.. but I would just straight up ask. It’s the only way to find out. Asking and accusing are different, and if this person doesn’t own fakes they will get over your question. If your suspicions are correct they will probably block you? That being said, where there’s smoke – there’s flames. So you’re suspicions are probably right?

  • Cubanita_32

    Thank you for sharing this important issue. I don’t support the fake industry either,when I have seen a few users here with counterfeits bags it feels very upsetting. There are tons of users displaying fake bags and accessories. I don’t mind inspired looking accessories but I despise those counterfeit goods and those followers who are selling their fake goods and using some ig users real pics. Unfortunately is like impossible to stop them but at least is good to be aware of who they are.Thank you for addressing such an important issue. I see fakes almost everyday on ig. Warm regards.

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