You may try to save a few bucks by buying a designer handbag replica, but there are several reasons why it makes sense to buy the real thing:
1. Although replicas may look like the real thing, the workmanship and quality can't be compared to the original.
2. Counterfeiters avoid paying taxes since their businesses are generally operated on a cash basis. Citizens like you and I still have to pay.
3. The sale of counterfeit designer goods has been linked to terrorist and gang activity as well as organized crime. Drugs are often smuggled inside counterfeit handbags.
Spotting a fake
There was a time when it was easy to spot a fake: misspelled logos, cheap leather and shoddy hardware. Now, fakes are starting to look rather good and it’s hard to tell the difference. Here's how to tell what’s real and what’s not:
1. Authentic handbags are purchased from authorized registered dealers. Authentic designer handbags are not sold by street vendors, at home parties, at flea markets, in New York's Chinatown, in Los Angeles' Santee Alley, or at mall kiosks.
2. If you’re considering a Coach handbag, the company’s website provides a list of authorized dealers. Both Coach and Kate Spade give detailed information on spotting replicas of their products.
3. The price. A new Prada handbag will not sell for $50.
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