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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think that you do not know if your Pandora Charms are genuine?

13 replies

faevern · 30/11/2019 08:46

Pandora charms … like marmite. I know some people hate them.

However the frenzy over the recent sale got me thinking. The shops return policy is a refund within 28 days or so. With all of the fakes on sale what is to stop someone buying a genuine charm and returning a fake? Meaning that we could buy that fake when we go into store (or online)

The staff do check the jewellery but you really can't tell the difference and its often a cursory glance.

OP posts:

Snowybunny · 30/11/2019 08:50

Youd need a receipt with a barcode on it?

churchandstate · 30/11/2019 08:52

I can’t see why you’d bother. If you had a fake good enough to pass for the real thing, you’d either give it to someone, wear it or sell it, wouldn’t you?

Elbeagle · 30/11/2019 08:54

Is there a big market in fake pandora charms?

Elbeagle · 30/11/2019 08:57

But yeah, why would people bother? They’d need a receipt from a genuine one that matched the fake one that they were trying to return... a lot of effort.

christmasathome · 30/11/2019 08:57

I agree with pp, if your fake is that good to pass a shop inspection then why bother? You would just keep it.

pasturesgreen · 30/11/2019 09:08

Seems a bit convoluted.
Nowadays you can buy not just the charms, but even the Pandora branded packaging (box, carrier bag...) from loads of Chinese websites. Going to the bother of returning a fake in place of a shop-bought charm seems a lot of faff for not much gain, surely?

Original poster

faevern · 30/11/2019 09:09

Yes I agree why not just buy a fake, however the chat in the office was about how they always bought in store so that the charms would be genuine and they were spending hundreds in this sale.

So in theory someone who wanted 'genuine' charms could buy one in store and a fake off eBay take the fake back with the original receipt and bar code and have a refund. So the girls in the office could be spending hundreds and still buy a fake.

I am no doubt BU that anyone could be bothered to buy and return, it would be too much hassle. But I wouldn't want to pay £70 in store for a fake that was £19 on eBay.

Am I overthinking this

OP posts:

Elbeagle · 30/11/2019 09:14

Definitely overthinking .
Anyway, the person buying the fake would probably never have any idea that it was a fake anyway, so in that sense it really doesn’t matter. They’ve paid £70 for the idea that they’ve got a real pandora charm, and as far as they’re concerned that what they’ve got.

Hagbeth · 30/11/2019 09:24

Sounds like even the real Pandora charms are overpriced and mass produced anyway. If it was a worthy collection it would be stamped and controlled.

SilverySurfer · 30/11/2019 10:10

I agree with Hagbeth. We are talking about Pandora charms here, not Faberge eggs.

If the fakes are so good that Pandora don't recognise them as such and accept them as returns, I think they are overcharging for the originals.

DanceItOut · 30/11/2019 10:46

I've not come across many decent fakes. The quality difference is obvious in most cases. The only really good fakes I've seen have cost nearly genuine prices so in the long run I don't think people would be able to get much profit in buying real ones and returning fakes that aren't spotted as fakes. Returns usually have to be cleaned etc before going back in the draws for sale so even if one was returned that had only had a cursory glance and not spotted it would likely be spotted before being sold on and then not sold. If it's good enough not to be spotted then I wouldn't mind it not be genuine. I love charm bracelets only certain types of charms that fit my tastes but have pandora and chamilia bracelets and other similar brands. What I'm paying for is a decent quality genuine silver charm in a style I like. I'm not as worried by the name. Although I do usually only buy them when on offers as if you were to pay full price the money you spend adds up very very quickly.

donquixotedelamancha · 30/11/2019 17:22

I wouldn't want to pay £70 in store for a fake that was £19 on eBay.

But that is literally what you are doing anyway- buying a small piece of metal at a vastly inflated price.

What does it matter which company originally ordered it to be made by the chinese factory? If it's being sold by Pandora then it's a real Pandora bit of overpriced metal. If an identical bit of metal is sold at a less inflated price by someone else, it isn't.

GrumpyHoonMain · 30/11/2019 17:23

There are a lot of jewellers who make custom ‘fake’ pandora charms in real gold / silver - they fit perfectly on the bracelets and are better quality (and often cheaper) than the original shite.

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