A recent Twitter follower brought this topic to my attention, so I thought it would be a good idea to post a quick run-down on spotting a seller of fake items, usually designer clothes and handbags but it could be anything.
So these are my top 5 ways to spot a fake seller:
1. Seller is based in India, Pakistan or the Far East These countries are well known for mass producing fake items as the copyright laws are not inforced in these regions and in some places the manufacture of such items are activley encoraged as it creates jobs and is generally good business for the economy. So if your potential supplier is based in one of these countries and they are offering top brand name or desinger goods the chances are very high indeed that they will be fake. Brand owners control their stock very closely and there would be no reason why a company in these countries would have large quantities of wholesale stock.
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2. Seller has a Wide Selection of Colours, Sizes and Designs If you are lucky enough to find a genuine supplier of real designer clothes or other branded goods you have to take what they have available at that time, they usually sell out quickly and are in batches of random sizes and usually less of the popular sizes like Medium or Large. This is because they are getting end of line consignments that have not sold that season and it’s what is left over so quite often the less popular sizes. For the same reason you don’t get 10 blue shirts in small 10 blue shirts in Medium and 10 blue in Large. You might get 3 small one medium one large, four extra large and 5 extra extra large and you have to take the whole batch from small to XXL. This is so you cant cherry pick and leave the supplier with a load of XXL shirts that no one wants to buy. This is the normal way it works so if you are offered a large selection of whatever size colour or design ask yourself.. “Where the hell are all these coming from!!”
3. Seller is Offering Items at a Fraction of The Normal Retail Price This should be another great indicator, designer clothes are very high quality, using the best materials and production techniques which means even at their cost price they are worth more than the fakes are being sold at retail. The fakes however do not have the same overheads, the materials are cheap, the production standards are low and the factory workers are being paid less in a month than you pay for your next Starbucks. So if you see a Ralph Lauren polo shirt that normally has a retail price of around £55.00 and it’s being offered at £7.00 I can tell you here and now that it’s fake. There is no way in the world anyone can offer these shirts for that price. They are simply not available and you should smile to yourself and then run for the hills!
4. Seller Actively Advertising and Will Sell to Anyone A wholesale supplier that has access to a regular supply of designer goods has basically a licence to print money, they can control the market and they know that all their stock they have will always sell and sell fast, so generally they dont need to advertise, (you have to find them) and even if you do find them they may not even take your money. To get access to these products they often have to sign an undertaking from the brand owners that they will not sell the products to market traders eBay sellers or any non retail trader and that they are to be sold through retail stores of good standing and image. The reason is that the brand owners do not want their hard earned high-end image cheapened by a market trader selling their clothes on the street. Its not the image they pay so much to create in the media. A genuine supplier will expect you to fill out an application form with allot of details about how and where you trade. This is something as online traders we can get around if your clever which is explained in the Gold Level Membership but if they are not asking these types of questions and are welcoming you with open arms beware!
5. Seller has a cheap looking Website & uses a Hotmail address I guess this is pretty obvious but it can be human nature to overlook the glaringly obvious when you have $$$$ signs in your eyes as you see the beautiful looking images (mostly stolen from the brand owners site) of designer shirts and handbags at such a great deal. You can always find a reasonable excuse for anything if you want to believe it and the fake sellers will have plenty of excuses but the reality is if it doesnt look professional and the supplier has a free email address you need to ask yourself some serious questions. Common sense is your friend!
So these are my top 5 tips, if a potential seller hits more than one of these then you have a definite fake seller. Don’t get into an argument, just stay clear and don’t buy from them.
Finding a reliable and profitable wholesale supplier is one of the hardest and most important parts of setting up your own online business. As a Gold Level Member you can get unrestricted access to my own personal black book of tried and tested Wholesale suppliers from all over the world plus my personal help to get you on your way to success.
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Author: Andy Lawrence