Fashionably Yours is a Toronto consignment store that specializes in reselling second-hand, brand-name fashion items. Exposure to counterfeiting is part of the business.
“There are some people who come in and say, ‘Oh, look at this bracelet I just bought.’ And I say ‘Oh, that’s not real,’ ” said Michelle Cross, a store employee.
Cross said she believes approximately 15 to 20 per cent of the goods unknowing customers bring into the store are counterfeit.
“There are two types of merchants selling counterfeit goods,” Cross said.
“Those who sell counterfeit as counterfeit for counterfeit prices . . . and those who promote counterfeit products as being authentic and charge authentic prices.”
“Both cases are equally harmful in diminishing the integrity of the luxury retail market,” she said.
How to verify whether something is counterfeit or not differs based on the nature of the product, Cross said. Some things to look for include serial codes, fabric quality, consistency of stitching, logo placement and accuracy, and how a product ages.
For example, when purchasing Louis Vuitton products, a person would look for authenticity codes – two letters followed by four numbers – properly branded hardware and grommets, and the patina, or darkening of leather handles and trim, Cross said.
“Consumers just need to conduct accurate research or comparison of the products that they are looking to purchase . . . prior to buying,” Cross said.
“Frada” is how Carolyn Mosel describes these kinds of knock-off items.
Mosel is the owner of the family business, Mosels, a luxury goods store in Montreal.
“Any suppliers we have are authorized. We have in the past, however, dealt with suppliers who have almost no shame in selling us ‘Frada’ . . . they are perfect imitations.”
Counterfeiting doesn’t just impact the fashion industry.
“Counterfeiting is considered to be of low risk and high return. A lot of money can be made on intellectual property. Money from those crimes have been used to fund other criminal activity,” said RCMP corporal Darren Morgan.
Currently, the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) doesn’t have the authority to search or seize counterfeit goods, according to Natalie Glister, a CBSA communications officer.
Instead, the CBSA must rely on the RCMP and other government departments if they manage to identify counterfeit products.
Consumers with an untrained eye should remember that if the price is too good to be true, then it probably is, Mosel said.
