Christian Louboutin fakes surge online, so how do you spot a fake?

Sarah Coles
Jul 14th 2009 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Savvy Shopper, Fashion, Technology and Online

As Sian pointed out in her recent post, there are a vast number of Christian Louboutin fake heels doing the rounds online at the moment. And as she says, it's not always easy to tell the real deal from the fakes from the website alone.

However, when you've forked out hundreds of pounds and the fakes arrive, you'll definitely be able to spot the difference, and if you thought you were getting a great deal on the real thing, you'll be sorely disappointed.

So how can you spot a fake?

The people behind Bragitup.com, which we covered a few days ago, experimented with ordering some fakes that from first glance at the site looked real. The site itself was packed with the kind of things that seem reassuring: free shipping and no tax, money back guarantees, payment options and prices available in a number of currencies. They paid £125 for a pair of £470 glitter sling backs, which seemed like a fabulous deal.

Jim, their editor says: "The shoes arrived from Hong Kong and are clearly not the genuine article. Whilst they do have the famous red sole, the finish is shoddy and the fit, poor."

So he has helped us put together, the seven ways to check if you are falling for a fake:

1. First of all, take a good look at the website layout and design. Expensive designer items tend to be sold on expensive and good-looking websites.

2. Real sites also tend to work efficiently and be easy to navigate. The fakes are clumsy to browse and have links that don't lead anywhere (they go in circles).

3. Look closely at the images. Real sites will have spent time and money presenting their items in the best possible way, often with multiple views and zoom options. Although the fake sites might have photos of the genuine items, the photographs tend to be amateur.

4. Read the copy, linguistic errors are a real giveaway of a fake site. It's also worth being wary of those who protest too violently about how genuine they are.

5. Read the About Us page. Look for a registered postal address, VAT and registration numbers.

6. Try to contact the site you're buying from. These sites want your sales, so they should make getting in touch easy. If it isn't, be suspicious. A lot of the fakes don't have telephone numbers, instead offering instant chat, but with assistants either offline or away, so effectively useless.

7. Look at the web address. Designer sites tend to have the most obvious URL. So Christian Louboutin would be ChristianLouboutin.com. Be highly sceptical of anything that's deliberately very similar to this.

One alternative is to use a site you trust as a portal to retailers. So price comparison sites like pricerunner and kelkoo will vet the sites they use, and take down any that are out to rip customers off. If you click through from there you have an added level of security.

Alternatively, you can stick with sales direct from the designer shops themselves. Which Jim tells me he will be scouring personally for real Christian Louboutin bargains.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

11-16-2009 @ 10:04AM

Sissel Maureen Østdahl, Norway said...

I happened to see a web-site called "Christian Louboutin 70%". I looked at the shoes presented there and they looked brilliant - on the photos!!!!
What I actually thought, was that they sold shoes left over of last season's shoes, and that my size - 41 in Louboutin - would be impossible to get. A friend of mine takes 37 and she had only got 36 which she had bought. They looked beautiful, but then, she has never had a pair of real designer shoes at all.
I have a pair of real Louboutins, but I tried to order a pair of the robot shoe boot from this web site and was surprised when they said they had my size. So I ordered.
It took quite some time to get them and the communication was poor. I was not given a tracking Number, so had to ask for that several times.
In the meantime I got this funny feeling. A pair of CL boots at USD 239, no shipping, no tax. So, I googled Christian Louboutin fake - and got my answer.
Well, I had made my purchase and finally received the boots. I must admit, they looked all right. Quite nice, actually. The only thing which was very noticeable and annoying, was an extremely strong smell. I have only designer shoes in my closet, and a smell like that was highly unusual. Also, when looking closer at the boots, I noticed that the leather seemed not to be straight in several places. It was bulging, as if it had not been smooth enough to stretch properly.
I tried them on. OK I suppose. This style is a little bit high for me, so would not have been 100% comfortale anyway - I think.
But the bulging, the smell - and knowing they were fake and that they were far from first class, even if I might fool people strutting around in them - it all simply ruined any joy for me at all. They are now lying at the back of my closet and will probably not be worn. At least not by me.
I read an advice regarding the fake business: Rather save for one pair of the real thing than buy lots of these. Even if my pair did not show any obvious signs of being fake, many do and it's an awful feeling having been fooled. Shoe bags, card assuring authenticity. Stealing someone's talent in such a greedy, money grabbing business.
Never again!!
Sissel

1-24-2010 @ 5:48AM

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