What's wrong with buying counterfeit?

Used to love going to Chinatown in NYC to buy counterfeit watches, ties, CDs, etc when I was in high school.

Sadly, it's all been cleaned up now, except for the few people on the street of whisper, "want a watch or purse?"

I have no problem with people buying counterfeit if they choose to, but I hate people who sell knock-offs as the genuine article and rip people off.

I think that a big part of why the companies hate counterfeits is that it cheapens their image. We have all seen the folks with Chanel purses or LV bags and you just know its fake. Personally, I would only have these items if I could afford them and if I thought they were really worth it. The few things that I do own which are original I mostly regret buying because I was really just trying to look like I was more affluent than I really was. Now that I am more affluent, I don't really care that much for designer stuff.

I has a friend who worked at the counterfeit crackdown unit of Chanel. She told me that, often, the companies contracted by Chanel to make these bags just continue making them past the number for Chanel. The extra bags, which are of the same quality as the official Chanel bags are sold to those who peddle in counterfeit goods.

In fact, when they would do a raid, they would have to take the bags back to the office to check if the numbers matched. If they didn't, they were counterfeit.

There are, of course, lower quality bags also peddled as true Chanel.

the city doesn't get the taxes from the sales of counterfeits.

Exactly. Why pay Nick Nolte prices when hiring Gary Busey is cheaper, with extra crazy as a bonus?

As much as people on DL loathe walmart and fast food joints for not paying a "living wage", you would think they would be organizing lynch mobs to go after counterfeiters.

It is about perceived exclusivity, for one thing. It's also about a cheap looking bag that carried the company's logo and cheapens the brand.

When you see maids on the bus with "Chanel" bags, it reminds people just how meaningless labels have become.

It cheapens the original. Kinda like non-union tours of Broadway shows.

Not a good idea for travelers: If you're caught wearing a counterfeit while going through customs in France, they confiscate it and charge you a fine equal to the price of the authentic item.

Exactly, r9. That's what I don't get. Whenever I see the Chanel or LV logo bags I think "What Trash!"

Designer!

It also reminds you of how much profit they make and how ugly and not-very-special most of the originals are--they have status because people know they're expensive but an LV bag is just coated canvas, not any sort of beautiful butter soft leather

What I hate about counterfeit goods is that a lot of money supports terrorists and drug dealers.

There's a story in the book De Luxe about how one counterfeiter used children as slaves and many of them had broken legs so they couldn't run away.

lol @ R15

R16.

My husband bought me some hostess pants, they looked like they were counterfeit.

But should it shine in every detail, like a ring you're buying retail?

When clutching your pearls, the beads must be non-imitation and fully bitchworthy.

[quote]the companies contracted by Chanel

Only company Chanel contracts to make anything is Luxottica to make their sunglasses. They own everything else. That is the whole point of Chanel. Everything is made in house and owned by the company. Chanel is still a private company, a private label owned by one family. They have bought all of the ateliers - Montex, Desreou, Lesage, etc., 10 all together, to create their clothing and accessories. A lot of these houses were struggling and about to go out of business, taking generations of craftsmanship with them, before Chanel came along, so it's pretty cool. Some houses just specialize in feathers, or buttons, or embroidery. Chanel is expensive because their products are made in house by the best people in the business who have been doing it for generations.

[quote] Only company Chanel contracts to make anything is Luxottica to make their sunglasses

Not true. They have a contract with my company to make their perfume bottles. We make millions and millions of their bottles

R21, that's good to know.Makes me respect and appreciate the brand.

As far as the products relating to accessories and ready to wear, r22, handbags, clothing, shoes, sunglasses. Of those types of products, sunglasses are the only thing that Chanel contracts out. I don't know anything about their beauty products. I would guess it's fair game to say they don't make the cardboard boxes they box their shoes and bags in, but that's not really to be expected.

Counterfeit goods allow the poor to put on airs. Their fake goods should be seized and their owners kept in their proper stations.

And to be honest, it comes down to the designers themselves. If the designers put out crappy products, there is no way I'm paying full price. There is no way I am going to pay $1345 for a Goyard Tote that is going to start falling apart after use when the knockoff is just as good and will probably wear a bit better.

[quote]doesn't take money from the companies because the people buying the counterfeits on purpose wouldn't have bought the real thing anyway.

I never would buy a BeeGee's album. So by your logic it's OK to download their music, because I like them, but not enough to buy their music.

I once watched a documentary on counterfeiting. Apparently consumer goods (fake wallets/purses) aren't the real problem. The real problem is counterfeit airplane parts, car brakes, medicines and other items that have a direct impact on public safety.

The expert in the documentary argued that by buying that fake Louis V bag, you're supporting criminal networks that also sell these fake items.

Also, a lot of products in dollar stores are counterfeit. That tube of Crest is just as likely to be filled with chemicals that can do serious damage to humans. Recently, I noticed a dollar store carried an Axe spray that I like (gold temptation--its a vanilla scent). Long story short, it smelled very different than what I buy at Target (and it hasn't been around long enough that you could argue it was part of an old/expired batch). I'm certain it was counterfeit.

Counterfeit Axe spray? I'm sorry ... I ... I just ... can't. Why would anyone bother? It's like counterfeiting pennies or something.

Axe sprays are the work of Satan. If there is such a thing as a counterfeit version, the difference is probably just a smaller percentage of evil.

r29 - As i said, many dollar store brand name products are counterfeit. I guess pennies add up.

The quality is really different. But I have also heard that some counterfeits are just as good as the real ones. If it is the case, then I would buy counterfeits in a heartbeat.

[quote] Also, a lot of products in dollar stores are counterfeit.

No, mostly they're made for other markets where there aren't rules about what ingredients may be used (think third world, like Mexico and the like). So a tube of Crest toothpaste is still Crest, just not made to be sold in the US.

R32 you literally beat me to that by seconds.

The only questionable products I've seen in Big Lots, etc are products with US names (e.g. Palmolive soap) that weren't made here and weren't intended for the US market.

LV = ugly at any price.

I've bought so many counterfeit watches in my time. Just love switching it up for cheap

There was an episode of L&O:CI where people were getting killed from counterfeit mouthwash from China that contained some toxic ingredient.

As long as it’s convincing, nothing, OP. The snobs are really just jealous because they were dumb enough to pay full price.