How to avoid a fake Balenciaga Handbag (or any fake designer bag)

As with all designer handbags, there are an awful lot of fake Balenciaga handbags floating around. To avoid getting caught out and paying for a cheap knock-off, you need to be savvy and have a bit of handbag background knowledge.

Firstly, it is vital that you know the product you want to buy. There are many types of Balenciaga handbags so you don’t want to end up with a bag that just looks a bit like a Balenciaga bag. Do your research – look at the range of handbags available at Balenciaga.com and familiarise yourself with the styles available, and any distinguishing features that make Balenciaga handbags unique. It is worth bearing in mind that the website probably only displays the current collection and you may have to do a bit more digging to find the back catalogue. Balenciaga handbags are only released in certain colours each season, so you may want to check which colours have been released, and which are obviously fake. If possible, visit a Balenciaga boutique and get a feel for the handbag in real life. This may be a bit intimidating but if you find a helpful Sales Assistant and explain to them what you are doing they may be able to help give you some pointers on how to tell a real Balenciaga handbag from a fake. Some designers offer an authenticity check in store, but due to the high number of fake designer handbags produced a lot of brands have stopped doing this.

If you are looking on eBay for your Balenciaga handbag, there are some signs to watch out for. Firstly and most importantly the price. If the handbag has a starting price of 99p, you can almost guarantee it is a fake. The price of a Balenciaga handbag brand new in a shop would start at around £500, so it is extremely unlikely that anyone is going to sell their £500+ bag for 99p. You should expect to pay around 60-70% of the original price for a second hand Balenciaga handbag on eBay – if it is much less than this and the seller does not give a valid reason in the description, you should assume it is a fake. Check the seller’s history – if they have sold a lot of designer handbags in the past, or have a lot listed currently, chances are they are not genuine designer handbags. If they are a genuine seller, more often than not they will write a bit in the description about where the bag came from, why they are selling it etc. But this is not proof that they are genuine – a lot of dodgy sellers will be able to produce fake receipts and all sorts to try and prove that it is a genuine Balenciaga handbag.

On your hunt for a genuine Balenciaga handbag, just remember to keep your wits about you and don’t get swayed by cheap prices – if it sounds too good to be true it most likely is. A Balenciaga handbag is an investment and it is definitely worth doing that extra bit of research beforehand, as with all designer handbags, to make sure you are getting the real deal.