I've been given an amazing fake Mulberry bag, what would you do, keep or return?

[vix1980]

Ive been after a mulberry bag for ages, Im in the process of saving up for one but my poor mum went on ebay and bought one for me not knowing anything about them, bless her,

Anyway its real leather, all the hardware is stamped, Ive even checked it out down to the size of the trees /trunk on the metal hardware and its all an exact copy, the fact its Leather makes me debate whether to return it.

I feel horrible having to tell my mum its a fake but the serial number is a dead giveaway, I just typed it into google and it came up on a list of most faked numbers, apart from that I wouldnt have a clue to be honest (although I know die hard fans probably would, but i dont mix in that type of circle! )

So what do I do, she paid £75 for it and thought she had got a real bargain, shes been telling all the neighbours how much she paid and think she's done me a massive favour. Im always a bit at fakes, never buy them but this 1 is an amazing copy of something it would take ma at least another 6 months to save up for! The seller had listed it as just a Tan leather bag, it was only when she saw the mulberry print she realised what it was and thought the seller had made a mistake, so on her part the seller has done no wrong really, its just the zip is a bit stiff (also a giveaway for me) and I know easily replaced but theres no way on eart Id have spent £75 for a fake bag with a dodgy zip, what would you do?

yeahthatswhatisaid No, it only arrived yesterday so still have plenty of time to return it.

I didn't know you'd posted a link. Must have been the deleted post up thread.

I see you have a post deleted.
I meant by sending the link to all the PM requests.
You might be getting yourself in trouble.

There's probably more women carrying fake bags than the real things because they can't afford them

Coffee Oh i get you now, didnt think of that either!

The people who i have sent it to though i have mentioned I dont know what that particular website is like so I cant vouch for it, Its down to the individual though if they want to buy a bag from that site.

I have three Mulberrys and to be honest the quality is so poor, your fake will probably last longer

Keep it and enjoy it as a well meaning gift from a lovely sounding Mum!

Well, my Mulberry turned out to be a fake and I love it - plus it's better made than the real ones. So wear it with pride, I say.

"Doesn't it bother you that the people who counterfeit goods (not just handbags and clothes but also, sadly, medicines like malaria and HIV/AIDS medication) are often the same people involved in drugstrafficking, armstrafficking, moneylaundering etc?"

Actually it does. I didn't think of that aspect and I should have done. I won't buy fake perfume or pirate CDs/DVDs for that reason.

I was thinking about it more from the point of view that if it was a perfectly good quality handbag does it matter if it isn't an expensive brand?

Mulberry are crap now- made to appeal to women who don't need longevity in a bag because they buy two a week or something like that.

another article about fakes

Really, do think about what you're buying into when you buy a fake bag.

I think its irrelevant what you think of Mulberry, although I do agree. Its buying counterfeit goods which I personally have an issue with.

Perhaps some just wanted the link because like me are nosy and wanted to see what it looks like with no intention to buy one. When I see a Mulberry now I immediately think fake whether it is or not. That and the fact they are over priced are the reasons I would never have one.

I have no interest in Mulberry and only clicked on here to kill time. I do however have an opinion on buying fakes.

If someone bought me a fake in good faith then I would feel genuinely torn but the op has now resolved that. I think knowingly buying one is a different matter. Fashion manufacturing practices may be pretty scummy but at least there is a veneer of accountability. If you email a brand and ask about their practices, most will feel bound to respond. It will probably be a load of guff but at least it's a start. Fake products... well the clue is in the word. They are made illegally and you have absolutely no way of finding out where they were made or how or by whom.

I think you did the right thing telling her, quite frankly, most people when faced with a £75 Mulberry bag would be thinking "fake or stolen?", if she's going to do a lot of ebay and online shopping for 'bargains' she needs to be made aware she needs to be a little more cynical.

oh and can people stop saying "oh even if it was real, it was made in the far east for a tenner" or "the fakes are probably made in the same factory as the real ones" - part of the reason Mulberrys have got so expensive in the last few years is they have transferred back the bulk of production to the UK (they have one factory in Somerset and are supposed to be opening another), what you are paying for is British craftmanship, not 3rd world sweat shop produce, it's not just the quality of the materials but the quality of the production and the conditions of the employees you pay for in this case.

To be fair I almost asked for link myself out of curiosity but didn't want to be misconstrued for actually wanting one. £75 is still too much for me to spend.

Not to mention the ethics. I'd worry about child labour, trafficking, etc.

If you were worried about ethics you wouldn't buy any designer product- real or fake.

I meant £75 is too much to spend on a handbag. Not a "fake" one. I've never bought anything designer or fake designer, actually.

If you worried about ethics you wouldn't buy cheap High St products without careful research.

Mortana, really? Not in the super rich league of a selection of designer handbags, but I was of the impression many brands like mulberry, while expensive, are ethically far better than a cheap high street bag that's been cheaply produced in 3rd world countries. Manufacturing items in Europe is expensive, but means as a consumer you can be pretty certain you are looking at a product that has been made by people (who are adults) with safe working conditions being paid a reasonable wage for their work.

I know many designer items are still made in cheap sweat shops, but mulberry are one of those who have factories here.

It's a good job I've made my own handbag out of straw, grass, and sheep's dung, then.

Exploiting sheep to make a bag- can't you carry your stuff in your teeth like my Springer does?

I'd keep it. It's a bag. You like it. Your mother bought it as a present. Why go through the bother of returning it?

Mignonette

Keep it lovely story

Link please!!