Is this Longchamp Le Pliage Bag Fake?

[afuckinggoat]

I bought a second Le Pliage as my original one (stone) is being used as a nappy bag. I bought it on Vinted and now think it might be fake. My original was bought from Longchamp directly so I know that one is real!

Can you help me authenticate the new bag?

Issues I have are:

The inside is beige. I was expecting it to be white.

The leather on the fold over features diagonal marks that look off. The diagonals look vertical rather than subtle and horizontal like my original.

The leather just feels slightly different to mine.

The texture on the rear side feels different. Very smooth.

The internal pocket is on the wrong side.

I think that the onus is on the buyer to demonstrate an item is counterfeit rather than on the seller to prove its authenticity, but I will double check that.

It's far easier generally for the seller to demonstrate that. I don't have the receipts for my Longchamp but I do have receipts for some expensive items, or my account history with certain retailers shows what I've purchased online.

The seller doesn't have the receipt for this item but has sent me lots of receipts for other longchamp bags that she owns.

That's convenient for her

Cobbler didn't think it was leather (gave it a good smell) so I've raised it with Vinted, citing the differences between my bag and the new one as the main pieces of evidence, but also mentioned the cobbler.

The seller is livid that I've mentioned the cobbler. I've apologised for any offence caused, and said that she will get the bag back and won't be out of pocket, and I'll be funding the postage, but she's very very cross that I've mentioned the cobbler...

She's desperate not to have the bag back...

I wouldn’t like it if fake either OP. Raise the matter with Vinted. As regards a real Le Pliage check out the Longchamp website. I like the new range small long handled all black ones at £110. I think they are more modern. I have a couple of the other Pliages and love them.

According to DD, a Vinted seller has to provide original receipt to authenticate 'designer' goods. Not sure if that applies to Longchamp.

I've looked at five of our Pliage shoppers, all genuine but ranging in age from 3 years to 20+.

All have the diamond embossed leather running horizontally.

All have the pocket on the opposite side to the leather flap.

Colour combinations:
Black/black
Grey/black
Hot pink/white
Pastel green/white
Dark red/beige

Looks like terrible stitching but could be a Bicester village job

How do you know she's v cross about the cobbler?

Might be an odd question but I find it very strange that Vinted make the buyer pay for the return of ' not as described ' goods. Does anyone know why this is?

Why does the mention of a cobbler get such a strong reaction ?

Bought one in the Longchamp shop on Bond Street last week. White inside. Made in China (bit annoyed about that now I know some are made in France, but hey ho). Has a big pocket under the flap and a small credit card pocket opposite. Very very straight and neat stitching and smells of leather. Thanks for the updates OP loving tje cobbler getting involved!

The vertical diamond pattern was the first thing that made me suspect the bag.

Your post has been extremely helpful; thank you!

@Jellywobblescobbles
I've had a look and I definitely like the long handles. I think I might get this one.

I’d wait a while OP if you are not bothered by the colours as seasonal colours tend to be in the sale in my experience.

I bought one for my mum from Longchamp in Monaco about 15 years ago. She recently put it on the charity pile so I hooked it out and put it on vinted.

It took a long time to authenticate because there is no real internal label, the inside was beige also and the pocket was on the same side as yours....

She messaged me three times about the cobbler, once saying that "his" opinion had no relevance (how sexist to presume the cobbler's gender!), and twice more complaining that I should not have mentioned the cobbler in my explanation to Vinted as "he has no standing with Longchamp". It is true. My cobbler has nothing to do with Longchamp, but she does work with leather an awful lot.

I can only assume that the seller has an ex-lover who was a cobbler, a man who re-heels shoes and breaks hearts, and the mere mention of the profession causes her deep upset.

Anyway she has gone from refusing to accept a return, ardently guaranteeing its authenticity, to demanding I return the bag today.

Would love to know the seller if you feel like messaging please.

I've had a dodgy buyer recently and it's annoying.

I love that the cobbler is a woman!

I have zero experience with a La Pliage apart from seeing the woman on a flight with what looked like one, and the chats on here about them. They look v. Handy for nappy bags and flight bags, if a little triangly.

Therfore, for me, it would come down to price. What did you pay? Knock off dupe price or legit second hand price? Are the about £100 usually? If so, £30 for a good knock off is fine right?

Sorry to sidetrack your post slightly OP, but there is a medium one for sale on my local buy/sell app, but it has holes in the corners. Hence the reduced price.

She states that they just need a hand stitch. I'm not sure about hand stitch, but if anyone had this problem, are these holes easy enough to repair?

There's a huge difference between a legitimate retailer producing something cheaper which is inspired by something far more expensive and looks a bit like the expensive item. There's a Dune sandal which sells out every year which is clearly based on the Hermès slider. There are other brands which are based on Le Pliage and countless copies of Chanel jackets by many retailers. None of these are "knock off"

This bag does not look genuine. The inside label has, to my eye, clearly been tampered with. It's fraud. You might think that's an exaggeration, but it's what "knock off" is.

@Highlighta the corners often do this on the nylon bags. I’ve not tried repairing the ones on mine as they are still fully useable.

I only wanted to say I love your user name OP.

Also now hankering after a new pliage as my grey one has had it.

If you buy your Longchamp bag from the shop and have the receipt, they used to repair the corners free of charge.

I have a yellow Longchamp bag that looks the same as your dodgy one, OP. I’m not at home right now, but can compare with mine tomorrow night. I’ve had a lot of Longchamp bags and there has never been any doubt that the flap and handles are leather.

Thank you, I am quite tempted. It is around 20pounds converted (I am not in the UK).

I may ask the seller if she still has the receipt, and see if that swings my decision.

Update:

The seller received the bag back and claims there is a new red mark on the bag that wasn’t there when she sent it.

I have a time stamped photo of the bag taken a few hours after I collected it with this mark visible, and the seller’s photos were taken and uploaded 11 months ago. The bag was covered in marks and in terrible condition, so the seller clearly doesn’t care for her things and the mark obviously got there in the year between the photos being taken and me opening the package.

I hope that Vinted will get back to me tomorrow to resolve this as it’s just unbelievable at this point.

She’s claiming the cobbler must have had red marks on her hands and got the marks on the bag. The mark was there the day before I took it to the cobbler but here she is again moaning about the fucking cobbler. I’m so tired of this chancer.

Good luck with this OP.