Editor’s Update: July 17, 2024
France Has a Strong Warning for Those Traveling With Bags to the Olympics
France’s fight against fashion fakes moved into overdrive before the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Beyond the airport warnings about penalties for carrying and purchasing these knockoff products discussed below, authorities are now trying to rid the City of Lights of its faux vendors. Part of the intensified preparations and protections, beyond the significant construction, road closures, and Seine cleanup, is a crucial battle against counterfeit goods, particularly fake fashion and replica handbags. This initiative is not only about preserving Paris’ ‘luxury capital’ allure but also safeguarding consumers and supporting legitimate businesses.
Image courtesy: @guigurui
Recent reports from the fashion capital highlight the ongoing efforts to ramp up the war on fake fashion. In a notable raid on April 3, 2024, police shut down 11 stores at the Saint-Ouen flea market near the Stade de France, seizing 63,000 counterfeit items, including replica Louis Vuitton bags and Nike products.
Image courtesy: Robb Report
“Paris doesn’t want to be known as the counterfeit capital of Europe,” said John Coldham, an intellectual property lawyer at Gowling WLG in London who collaborated with brands during the ‘Fake Free London’ pre-Olympics operation of 2012. However, a greater concern for French fashion houses may be the reluctance of foreign shoppers to visit Paris during the Olympics, rather than the revenue lost to counterfeits. Only time will tell what impact this has…
Unfortunately, fake fashion is big business globally. Counterfeit branded clothing alone is estimated to have cost companies in France an average of €1.7 billion in lost sales annually between 2018 and 2021, according to the European Union Intellectual Property Office. France had already intensified its fight against fakes, with customs seizing 20.5 million counterfeit products last year—a 78 percent increase from the 11.5 million items confiscated in 2022.
Real Vs Fake. Image courtesy: The New York Times
Let’s face it, fakes aren’t just another bag. These seemingly harmless goods violate safety regulations and fund illegal activities. They aren’t just a way of grabbing a designer label for a fair price.
As the world focuses on the 2024 Olympics, Paris’ stringent penalties and heightened vigilance against counterfeit goods remain a top priority. Whether you’re attending the Games or traveling internationally this summer, remember that buying or carrying fake designer items is against the law and poses serious risks. Protect yourself by choosing authenticity.
Image courtesy CPB
“Fake it til you make it” is the wrong advice when it comes to traveling with handbags. Not only are authorities cracking down on big commercial shipments of counterfeit goods, or otherwise infringing intellectual property, but they also may be checking you out at the airport. That’s right, officials are paying attention to the luxury goods you are carrying or wearing. So, whether it’s the purse purchased on the street at home or a superfake from an international replica factory, buyer and traveler beware.
A recent report from Atlanta, Georgia’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport documents a crackdown on fake merchandise. Customs and Border Patrol officials provided travelers a lesson in the dangers of counterfeits. In one example, a passenger learned that the cigarettes purchased might just be grass from someone’s yard. Or worse – contain harmful or lethal ingredients.
Moreover, officers warned that traveling with these goods exposes you to forfeiture. In other words, if Customs thinks you have a fake designer handbag, it will take it away. Where, when, or how you got it, doesn’t matter. There is no welcome mat for fake goods.
Image courtesy WSBTV
To our knowledge, this is the first report of such activity on American soil. Years ago, we wrote about French laws banning fakes. Perhaps that’s not surprising given that so many top luxury handbag brands are in fact French. Think Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Dior, just to name a few.
Signs were posted throughout Paris airports warning that buying or carrying fakes is a crime. Violators are subject to a €300,000 fine and three years imprisonment. And French Customs authorities are trained to identify counterfeits. Is that a risk you’d want to take?
Read also:
Part VI: The VAT and Customs Procedures
France Bans Fake Handbags
And apparently, France is not the only country cracking down on fakes. On a recent trip to Italy, @Boptalk found similar admonitions at the airport in Rome. Glass cases of seemingly designer wares were labeled “counterfeit goods seized by Rome Customs Office.” It didn’t seem to matter whether purchased in Italy or elsewhere.
Rome airport @Boptalk
Rome airport @Boptalk
The moral of the story is pretty clear. Don’t shop for fakes abroad. Truthfully, don’t own them at all. As U.S. Customs and Border Patrol reminds Americans,
“The dangers of buying counterfeit products aren’t always obvious. There are economic impacts, legal implications, and health and safety risks that are important for you to know before you buy. Particularly, when shopping online, beware of counterfeit goods. Fake goods can lead to real dangers.”
For more information, check out the Customs and Border Patrol website.
However, the bottom line is that if you own replica bags, leave them home whenever and wherever you fly. You never know which Customs officials are expert authenticators.
More information here
Love, PurseBop
XO
Updated: July 24th, 2024
Comments
60 Responses to “The Danger of Traveling with Fake Designer Bags to France This Summer”
I’m so glad this law in effect 🤣
Never saw while my latest travel in Europe April 2023. I always use replica rather then spend such a huge amount on original. Duplicate is much better and reliable then original now a days.
Never saw while my latest travel in Europe April 2023. I always use replica rather then spend such a huge amount on original. Duplicate is much better and reliable then original now a days.
Its really disturbing to know that people are more focus on futile things. What about the more important things like homelessness, hunger, increase mental health disorder,what about hiring not staff to keep high increase of delayed flights? Those are more important than worrying about someone’s handbag!
Well we will see who really can afford them now lmao!!! I’m so glad I don’t try to live above my means. Don’t get me wrong I love nice pretty things. But I’m nobody’s Label Whore,why spend a fortune on one bag.When u can have many for way less.Most people with designer things buy them to show off. If u can’t afford them u don’t need to go broke to get them.There are nice designers that are way cheaper.Like Coach,Calvin Klein,Prada,Guess just to name a few.I love love love bags and have plenty.But I will never pay thousands for on bag even if I could JS.
Buy what makes you happy and can afford
This is SAD!!! Y care everything got a copy.. u got people wth low income that want to be cute.. they go for the small people go to Turkey and over sea and take there sewing machine if that’s the case.. the big stores just made people buying off the street and there not getting a part of that money… and what are they doing wth these items there taking from the people.. after hours I see the wkers wth them on where did they get there bag from..where are they turning these bags in to
I think it’s up to whatever the person likes, no one can tell you what to buy, if I like a certain replica then I’m buying it,F@#k these money hungry designers, they just hate losing money to replicas.
Trying to scare people? Try harder.
In other words you don’t want poor folks to evenhave a cheap version of the rich folks fancy.
You guys should go after those who manufacture the article not the person who buys.
The reality…….Just goes to show how superficial and shallow these people are. Leave people alone, this world has wayyyyy bigger issues. Thanks for showing us what you prioritize. They race really just mad others are happy with purchasing dupes and nothing can shame them!!!
Wonderful high time all countries should implement this
i have a real louis and i never keep receipt. us is very old 20 yesrs as hood as new. old model. how can they imagine ta take awsy my real luois that would be very unfare.
thanks for the information
Right, they’re going to disrupt travel on the busiest weekend of the year out of a desperate need to confiscate your Cucci bag? I don’t think so. Happy Thanksgiving!