How to Spot Fake Designer Bags

Last Updated: October 21, 2021

Designer bags are high-quality, durable, and prestigious. But it's easy to get ripped off. Luckily, if you look closely at the bag, there are some ways to tell if the bag is fake before you buy it.

Steps

1
Fake purses are always at flea markets. Go there, look at the purses, then, if you can, mentally compare them to real designer bags for practice.
2
If you're going to shop online, don't go to ANY site that isn't the actual manufacturer's site.
3
Check the lining of the bag. It either feels extremely cheap and has protruding strings, due to poor stitching; or it should have a custom label or logo on the bag somewhere, which indicates that they are authentic. The names sometimes appear on zippers or pockets and some companies like to put it in the same spot on every handbag to ensure their customers know it’s real.
4
Check the buckles: Real will have the highest quality of brass or nickel, while a fake has plastic, polished hardware and or nicked or dented hardware.
5
Look at the zipper! If it's bad, FAKE. (Zippers never last on a fake, and they are hard to open most of the time.)
6
If The label of the purse is starting to come off you will obviously tell it is fake

Community Q&A

Question

I have a Luis Vuitton bag that has these letters and numbers in the inside: RA 1780-003. Is it real?

Community Answer

Yes, that is a real serial number for Luis Vuitton; the bag should have a suede lining.
Question

I have a Louis Vuitton embroidered handbag with a sewn-in tag inside saying Louis Vuitton Paris Made in France. Could this be real?

MTSTS

Community Answer

Yes, it is real. Most Louis Vuitton bags are made in France. However, due to the growing demand, bags are now being made overseas (for example, an RA mark in the Louis Vuitton bag means that the bag was made in Italy). Also, this tag is a proof of the bag's legitimacy.
Question

Does the zipper having a plastic wrap mean it's fake?

Community Answer

No, legitimate bags often have plastic wrap like that for protection.
Question

I have a Louis Vuitton purse. It's suede inside and the number/letters inside are RA-1780-003, but they're printed on a small tag inside the lining of the bag. Is it authentic?

Community Answer

Vuitton doesn't usually use codes for their bags. It may have a date code, but they don't tend to have numbers like that, so it oculd be a fake.

Warnings

Be careful on what you think is real or not! If your instincts are telling you that the purse is a fake, chances are you’re probably right and its best to leave the bag where it lies.

Thanks!
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