Counterfeit news: Hermes freaks out on eBay fakes

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About that Birkin that you picked up online for $2,000?
Hermes has tidily won a lawsuit against eBay France to the tune of $50,000 for selling counterfeit Birkins and Kelly bags. This is an interesting case for many reasons because eBay doesn’t sell directly. In essence, this suit puts the onus on the online auction house to regulate the authenticity of its sellers’ goods. (The Rage once bought a Ferragamo purse on eBay that was touted as ‘guaranteed authentic’ for $230 that arrived and smelled suspiciously of burnt rubber. She threatened the seller with dismemberment and was reported to eBay for e-assault. She never did get back her money.) In 2004, Tiffany & Co. purchased 200 ‘Tiffany’ items on eBay and found 75% of them to be fake. It will be interesting to see if eBay in America tightens its policies. Counterfeit make up, hair flat irons, and other goods sell on eBay regularly.

Have you ever been duped on eBay?

photos: Hermes.com; ebay.com.