How to Spot Knock Off (Counterfeit) Merchandise
It's a hard lesson to learn that everything is not always as it seems...or as it has been advertised. It really is a case of consumer beware as cheap reproductions are becoming more and more of a problem across the board in merchandise. From clothing to watches and purses to luggage, counterfeits are everywhere. The only answer is to be a smart consumer.
Step
1
Know what you're buying. Often a sale is clinched because of a name only. Someone hears Gucci and is already sold. If you don't know what a Gucci purse looks like, you will never spot a fake. Look at the product carefully to see what the label looks like. Often the knockoffs will spell the name differently and then their product is perfectly legal.
Step
2
Look at the quality of the item you're buying. Top quality merchandise doesn't have strings hanging, labels hastily attached, or stitches that are unevenly sewn. Nor do they have fabric or leather pieces that are mismatched or misprinted.
Step
3
Be wary of people selling items from their cars, their garage sales or the local
thrift
stores
. Think about whether these people would be well off enough to have a stock of expensive merchandise...and, if they did, think about they they would be selling it for nothing. If common sense says no, listen to it.
Step
4
Look carefully at the packaging. Is it smeared, uneven, or otherwise shabby looking? Expensive things are not poorly packaged.
Step
5
Buy at reputable stores when you're shopping for expensive items. Know the product you're shopping for. Use common sense especially and you should avoid knock off rip offs.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2082230_spot-knock-off-counterfeit-merchandise.html
It's a hard lesson to learn that everything is not always as it seems...or as it has been advertised. It really is a case of consumer beware as cheap reproductions are becoming more and more of a problem across the board in merchandise. From clothing to watches and purses to luggage, counterfeits are everywhere. The only answer is to be a smart consumer.
Step
1
Know what you're buying. Often a sale is clinched because of a name only. Someone hears Gucci and is already sold. If you don't know what a Gucci purse looks like, you will never spot a fake. Look at the product carefully to see what the label looks like. Often the knockoffs will spell the name differently and then their product is perfectly legal.
Step
2
Look at the quality of the item you're buying. Top quality merchandise doesn't have strings hanging, labels hastily attached, or stitches that are unevenly sewn. Nor do they have fabric or leather pieces that are mismatched or misprinted.
Step
3
Be wary of people selling items from their cars, their garage sales or the local
thrift
stores
. Think about whether these people would be well off enough to have a stock of expensive merchandise...and, if they did, think about they they would be selling it for nothing. If common sense says no, listen to it.
Step
4
Look carefully at the packaging. Is it smeared, uneven, or otherwise shabby looking? Expensive things are not poorly packaged.
Step
5
Buy at reputable stores when you're shopping for expensive items. Know the product you're shopping for. Use common sense especially and you should avoid knock off rip offs.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2082230_spot-knock-off-counterfeit-merchandise.html
