Fake Louis Vuitton handbags

By: Anne Robinson

Follow me on twitter amr8798

As you know, I am about quality. So, naturally, I want you to have an authentic Louis Vuitton handbag.

There are only three ways to buy an authentic Louis Vuitton handbag and have a sale that is approved by Louis Vuitton representatives. They are: online at http://www.eluxury.com/, at Louis Vuitton stores, or by calling 866-VUITTON. If you buy from another source, the sale is not authorized by Louis Vuitton and may be a fake or counterfeit product.

If you are buying from an unauthorized site, consider these tips that may help you spot the knock-offs.

Louis Vuitton uses brass and gold metal hardware, so any painted plastic buttons or zippers are not real LV.

The number of stitches is the same on each side, find the bag on the LV website, count the number of stitches and compare it to the one you are buying.

Authentic LV bags have symmetrical seams with no tilted material, this is true for the logo too.
Monograms that are cut-out, solid colored, or any color but gold are not authentic.

Louis Vuitton items are never sold at discounted prices.

So, how do vendors get counterfeit items into the United States? Without labels. Labels and tags are added to items after they are smuggled into the country. Therefore, officials have no proof that they are counterfeit when they pass through customs. Even if officials notice the strong resemblence between a bag and that of a designer's, that isn't enough proof without a label. Personally, I think this is crazy.

It is not uncommon for the Louis Vuitton company to take vendors to court. In 2008, Celine Dion bought counterfeit Louis Vuitton items at a store in China. The items showed up at one of her concerts, gaining the attention of Louis Vuitton. The store owners were sued and arrested.

A New York court in Manhattan rewarded Louis Vuitton Malletier SA $3.5 million in damages after the company sued LY USA Inc., Coco USA Inc., and Marco Leather Goods LTD, for selling counterfeit items.

In 2008, a French court ruled in favor of Louis Vuitton, making ebay pay $61 million to LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton for the sale of counterfeit items.

Hopefully quality is as important to you as it is to me. So, do your research and make a smart LV purchase.

Sale of counterfeit goods funding terrorism

By: Anne Robinson amr8798@gmail.com
Browsing through the tables filled with accessories all bearing a label that is shockingly similar to a high end designer has become a common tourist activity in NYC. Where can you find the best looking knock-off Marc Jacobs bag for under $50? Well, did you ever think about where the profits of that sale are going? To say the least, I was shocked and think my table browsing days on the streets of NY are over.

It is estimated that the selling of counterfeit goods has caused U.S. businesses to lose an average of $250 billion dollars a year! Companies are struggling as it is, imagine what we could do if that money was being invested in these businesses rather than leaving the country after illegal transactions.

Radical terrorist groups, such as Al-Qaeda, are making profits from the sales of counterfeit goods like Nike sneakers and Calvin Klein jeans. On many occasions, the FBI has found Al-Qaeda supporters with high quantities of counterfeit goods. There is also evidence that suggests profits made from a street vendor on Broadway were used to fund the first attack on the World Trade Center.

Terrorists know these street carts will tempt American shoppers, don't give in! As your designer land detector, I promised you that I'll make sure what you pay matches the quality you receive. Therefore, I know that a cheap accessory in exchange for a terrorist attack would not meet your standards.

So, the next time you are approached on the streets of NYC by the little old woman who is eager to make you the best deal of your life (so she says), picture Osama Bin-Laden behind the table...hopefully you'll decide against making a donation to his cause and will instead head to the trendy shops on 5th Ave to finish your shopping.