The Pitfalls of Buying Designer Clothing on eBay

Do the Discounts Compensate for the Cost of Fake Designer Clothes?

Jan 15, 2009

Designer clothing on eBay appears to offer convenience and some amazing discounts. However, how many people are aware that 75% of all items are fake designer clothes?

Auction site eBay has become one of the most popular websites for buying designer wear. Leading marketing information provider, Nielsen, found out that eBay had 14.447 million unique users in October 2007. Just 12 months later this figure had grown to 15.841 million, representing an increase of 9.6%.

The meteoric growth of eBay is based on the availability of bargains. However, with fake designer clothes, delivery issues, unscrupulous sellers and a host of other problems many people are starting to wonder if the prospect of cheap designer clothes is really worth running the risk.

Fake Designer Clothes

Knock-off and fake designer clothing is rife on eBay. The picture on display may look fine, but that means precious little. It is incredibly easy for any seller to manipulate a picture and make a few false claims. The only way a buyer can tell if they have purchased fake designer clothes is when the item arrives.

There are a number of unscrupulous sellers of designer clothing on eBay. According to an article by Suzanne Evans in Wales Online, "A woman who marked Primark clothes with a designer stamp to sell on eBay was caught by Trading Standards officers monitoring the website."

In March 2008 Tiffany & Co announced that it is taking legal action against eBay after finding that almost 75% of items claiming to be originally from its stores were really fakes. The greater the value of the item the higher the risk of buying a fake. If a price sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Pre-existing Problems with Designer Clothing

Whilst it is possible to inspect purchases when at designer clothes shops, eBay cannot extend buyers the same opportunity. Those who make a purchase and subsequently find that there are holes, marks of stains on their designer clothing can face an up-hill battle trying to get their money back.

The best advice to any buyer of cheap designer clothing is to make purchases using Paypal. It offers a buyer vastly more protection and those who do receive designer clothes that aren't of merchantable quality can get a refund via the Paypal disputes system.

Additional Postage Costs when Buying Designer Clothes

In an attempt to reduce eBay charges on the sale of designer clothing, many sellers reduce prices and charge higher postage. This can mislead buyers into thinking they have more of a bargain than they really have. Postage charges aren't an issue for those that shop at TK Maxx and Bicester Village.

Order for Designer Wears Don't Arrive

Whilst the postal service isn't exactly reliable, some unscrupulous sellers never even send designer clothes out in the first place. It can be very difficult to prove unless the buyer has specifically requested proof of postage or Paypal protection exists.

There are some great bargains to be found on eBay. The problem is that the unscrupulous sellers undermine savings on designer clothing. Report anything suspicious to eBay and be sure to read seller ratings. Be wary about buying from new sellers and always buy cheap designer clothes using Paypal.

The copyright of the article The Pitfalls of Buying Designer Clothing on eBay in Women’s Fashion is owned by Asa Ghaffar. Permission to republish The Pitfalls of Buying Designer Clothing on eBay in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.