you confidently push the door open. A blast of cool air hits your face, and you smile. You've waited all week for this. You've been saving, skipped Starbucks in the morning a few days this week, and now you can own it. You will be the only one of your friends and co-workers with this new designer dress. As you walk into the store, you take a direct route to the couture section. You've been here before. You see MICHAEL KORS in bright gold letters right above racks of clothing. But, that smile fades quickly after searching for 20 minutes only to realize that your dress, your dream dress, is only left in a size 0.
Here's the bad news: we all know that feeling. I can't magically take your disappointment away. But, what I can do is teach you how to find that same item online without having to worry about whether it's real, fake, or just overpriced. Follow these 7 simple steps to buy with confidence and love the results!
1. Start with the UPC. It may sound silly, but when you miss out on an item that's in your size, always try to find a duplicate in the store. Look for a manufacturer tag and right under the barcode, you will see a long series of numbers. Write this down! When you start your search process to locate the item, use the UPC code when conducting your search. On eBay, sellers have the option to add the UPC on every clothing listing. If a seller has this item, you can be pretty confident that they have the manufacturer tag. Manufacturer tag=authentic item.
2. Don't have a pen? If you have an Android or Iphone, pull up your eBay app on your device. Under search, you will have an option that says "scan". Pick this option and line up your camera on the barcode. Scan and view results!
3. Compare prices of all your results. If the average cost of the item is $50 on eBay, expect to pay around that amount. Anything substantially less, should raise a red flag for you.
You may be asking, "What do I do if I'm just browsing different items, but haven't seen something specific in a store?". When searching eBay for designer or couture clothing, follow these tips.
4. Look for pictures that include price tags. Price tags from the manufacturer help authenticate an item. If you see generic price tags with no labeling or store name, remember these could be from a liquidation or discount store. While these may be authentic, there is no guarantee in those circumstances.
5. Look for actual member taken pictures. It seems simple, but if an item only has stock photos on the description, remember you are not looking at the actual item. There is some risk involved in these situations.
6. Buy from powersellers. If someone is an eBay powerseller, they have consistently received positive customer feedback, shipped items in a timely manner, and have an established history with eBay. This status is evaluated quarterly by eBay and adjusted if needed.
7. Never buy the item and assume it's authentic just because the title of the auction has a keyword in it. Many auctions use keyword searches such as "Free People", "Designer", "Couture", "Ralph Lauren", etc. Check the item description under the pictures to ensure that the brand of the item matches what's in the title.
If a deal seems too good to be true, ask questions of the seller. Ask for measurements of the garment. Ask for duplicate pictures. Ask for some additional detail that will help you feel confident. The fact of the matter is, if a dress in a store is $1000, but is selling on eBay for $10, you should probably assume it's real...really fake.
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