Counterfeit Goods

[RichB]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090822/tuk-t...ar-6323e80.html

Holidaymakers could be fined thousands of pounds for buying fake designer gear when they go abroad, lawyers have warned. Skip related content

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Tourists face fines over fake gear .Authorities in countries like France and Italy are stepping up a campaign against those who peddle counterfeit goods as well as those who buy them. Fines in France can rise up to 300,000 euro (£260,000).

Copyright solicitor Nicholas Phillips is warning tourists against bringing back fake designer sunglasses, sports gear, handbags and watches.

He told the BBC: "The most likely thing to happen to British tourists if they walk thought customs with a counterfeit Louis Vuitton bag is customs officers will tap them on the shoulder and take it away from them.

"They will also potentially fine them twice the value of the original bag, not the fake. [That] may run to several thousand euros - imagine twice that."

wtf?

[1929crash]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090822/tuk-t...ar-6323e80.html

wtf?

Exactly, wtf? How do you know you're buying counterfeits.? Avoid holidays in France and Italy. Combined with the European arrest warrant you could inadvertently end up doing porridge for buying a DVD.

[6538]

Exactly, wtf? How do you know you're buying counterfeits.? Avoid holidays in France and Italy. Combined with the European arrest warrant you could inadvertently end up doing porridge for buying a DVD.

Come off it, in the vast majority of cases you know if you're buying a fake. Real Rolex watches and Chanel bags aren't sold on market stalls for ten Euros. Similarly, classy boutiques charging 000's don't sell fakes.

[Guest skullingtonjoe]

Exactly, wtf? How do you know you're buying counterfeits.? Avoid holidays in France and Italy. Combined with the European arrest warrant you could inadvertently end up doing porridge for buying a DVD.

Just don`t bother buying `brand` goods (whether or not you believe they are genuine is irrelevant). Unless you `ve got thousands and/or are dumb enough to waste your dosh on such tat, it`s hardly worth buying these goods as you`re just paying for a (rapidly-depreciating) perceived value which has little real meaning, (except to naked emperors of course)!

Who was Louis Vuitton anyway? Just come pretentious snake-oil merchant no doubt?

There are better things to spend your money on. As for this nicking people - Jesus. What`s next? Fashion police on every corner, Gok Wan as an undercover detective?

[1929crash]

Come off it, in the vast majority of cases you know if you're buying a fake. Real Rolex watches and Chanel bags aren't sold on market stalls for ten Euros. Similarly, classy boutiques charging 000's don't sell fakes.

I honestly wouldn't know a fake fashion item from a real one. And CDs and DVDs are so cheap in this country, how would you know it was fake until you took it home and played it?

[6538]

Just don`t bother buying `brand` goods (whether or not you believe they are genuine is irrelevant). Unless you `ve got thousands and/or are dumb enough to waste your dosh on such tat, it`s hardly worth buying these goods as you`re just paying for a (rapidly-depreciating) perceived value which has little real meaning, (except to naked emperors of course)!

Who was Louis Vuitton anyway? Just come pretentious snake-oil merchant no doubt?

There are better things to spend your money on. As for this nicking people - Jesus. What`s next? Fashion police on every corner, Gok Wan as an undercover detective?

I'd disagree with that to a degree. Some brand goods do have very good residuals and do make sensible purchases at times. Rolex and some other brand name watches generally have very good residual values. A very few are in such demand that you can re-sell at a profit the day you pick it up.

Other half is heavily into handbags and often buys on ebay or at outlets. She'll quite often re-sell bags after a few months and get a large percentage back of what she paid - ocassionally even pull a profit.

When you think of it. From a financial point of view a Rolex or other high brand name watch is probably a better buy than a new car costing the same amount. In ten years time the car will probably be worth next to nowt but you will likely still get at least 50% back on the watch.

[Guest skullingtonjoe]

A nasty scam:

1. Countereit goods seller sells you goods. It doesn`t matter who buys the item. Counterfeiter has left some kind of unique identifier in the bag (other goods may be more tricky to run this scam).

2. You get back home. You are pulled over by customs - they check your bag and find the unique identifier.

3. You are fined a small fortune. Small time-crook in holiday destination gets a kick-back as do HMRC. Original manufacturer (e.g Louis Vuitton) pockets the rump of the fine.

4. Only loser is the hapless tourist, held up as a scapegoat: `successful prosecution` all over the papers etc etc etc....

Far-fetched, but after this `Lockerbie Oilgate` scandal, well...who knows?

[6538]

I honestly wouldn't know a fake fashion item from a real one. And CDs and DVDs are so cheap in this country, how would you know it was fake until you took it home and played it?

So, you're saying that you believe a ten quid Rolex bought on a market stall is original Rolex production? CD's/DVD's are not quite as easy, I grant you, but again, a stall full of new release DVD's all for two quid a piece isn't likely to be legit.

[Guest skullingtonjoe]

I'd disagree with that to a degree. Some brand goods do have very good residuals and do make sensible purchases at times. Rolex and some other brand name watches generally have very good residual values. A very few are in such demand that you can re-sell at a profit the day you pick it up.

Other half is heavily into handbags and often buys on ebay or at outlets. She'll quite often re-sell bags after a few months and get a large percentage back of what she paid - ocassionally even pull a profit.

When you think of it. From a financial point of view a Rolex or other high brand name watch is probably a better buy than a new car costing the same amount. In ten years time the car will probably be worth next to nowt but you will likely still get at least 50% back on the watch.

True. I agree with jewellery as it`s probably difficult to fake a real Rolex (a trained eye would know the difference and I `d go and get something assessed before parting with any money!)

As for bags - a massive `Ponzi`-type scheme if ever there was! Stupid rich women spending equally stupid hubby`s money!

[profitofdoom]

True. I agree with jewellery as it`s probably difficult to fake a real Rolex (a trained eye would know the difference and I `d go and get something assessed before parting with any money!)

As for bags - a massive `Ponzi`-type scheme if ever there was! Stupid rich women spending equally stupid hubby`s money!

It occurs to me,why would you want these things either genuine or fake? They are surely likely to mark you down as some kind of super-chav.And if you need a trained eye why would anyone ever buy the genuine article?

[Guest skullingtonjoe]

It occurs to me,why would you want these things either genuine or fake? They are surely likely to mark you down as some kind of super-chav.And if you need a trained eye why would anyone ever buy the genuine article?

That`s basically the rub. The goods have become so devalued by counterfeiters that possession of these items does `chav you up` (Burberry being the finest example!) This is a major porblem for brand items which is why they are going mental - countefeit items are so good that really good copies are almost indistinguishable from `legit` ones.

Just don`t marry some dozy bint who is obsessed with status symbols!

[1929crash]

So, you're saying that you believe a ten quid Rolex bought on a market stall is original Rolex production? CD's/DVD's are not quite as easy, I grant you, but again, a stall full of new release DVD's all for two quid a piece isn't likely to be legit.

Tesco's shelves are full of £3 DVDs. And as I said, combine this with the European arrest warrant, which requires no evidence (Thanks, Tony) you could be doing porridge in France and Italy in no time.

[6538]

True. I agree with jewellery as it`s probably difficult to fake a real Rolex (a trained eye would know the difference and I `d go and get something assessed before parting with any money!)

As for bags - a massive `Ponzi`-type scheme if ever there was! Stupid rich women spending equally stupid hubby`s money!

Actually, one of the reasons why Rolex's are often faked (in my opinion) is that they aren't particularly difficult to. At least from a cosmetic point of view. The fakes rarely last more than a few months without looking like sh1t though and you can spot them when you open them up. The most difficult ones to spot aren't fakes in the real sense but are built from genuine parts to look like rare models.

[6538]

It occurs to me,why would you want these things either genuine or fake? They are surely likely to mark you down as some kind of super-chav.And if you need a trained eye why would anyone ever buy the genuine article?

Not necessarily. Many people buy expensive items because they appreciate the workmanship or history of them, not merely to make them look good in front of their friends. If you take to opinion that buying a £2K watch is pointless then where does your argument logically end up? It ends up at the point of anyone who buys anything other than the cheapest of anything is a fool. Are you wearing the cheapest clothes you could find right now, living in the cheapest house, with the cheapest possible car on the drive and will your meal tonight be own brand bakes beans on own brand bread? If not, then you canot call others for employing the same logic as you.

[6538]

Tesco's shelves are full of £3 DVDs. And as I said, combine this with the European arrest warrant, which requires no evidence (Thanks, Tony) you could be doing porridge in France and Italy in no time.

It depends on the circumstances though. A market stall selling the latest DVD's for a couple of quid is unlikely to be legit. What about the ten quid Rolex? Are you still telling me that you can honestly conclude that you didn't know it was fake, or stolen?

It's a case of you as a purchaser making a sensible decision in all the circumstances. You can't just blindly buy stuff that is obviously dodgy and claim you didn't know. The vast majority of people aren't that stupid and can spot dodgy gear a mile off.

[1929crash]

It depends on the circumstances though. A market stall selling the latest DVD's for a couple of quid is unlikely to be legit. What about the ten quid Rolex? Are you still telling me that you can honestly conclude that you didn't know it was fake, or stolen?

It's a case of you as a purchaser making a sensible decision in all the circumstances. You can't just blindly buy stuff that is obviously dodgy and claim you didn't know. The vast majority of people aren't that stupid and can spot dodgy gear a mile off.

I've never ever thought of buying a rolex. My major vice is books. I suppose if someone offered me a Guttenberg Bible for £4.99 I would be suspicious.

[6538]

I've never ever thought of buying a rolex. My major vice is books. I suppose if someone offered me a Guttenberg Bible for £4.99 I would be suspicious.

So you can spot fake goods.

Even if you've never thought of buying a rolex you'd still know that one priced at a tenner is probably dodgy.

[1929crash]

So you can spot fake goods.

Even if you've never thought of buying a rolex you'd still know that one priced at a tenner is probably dodgy.

I'm such a cheapskate I'd probably think it was overpriced.

[The Ayatollah Buggeri]

Tesco's shelves are full of £3 DVDs. And as I said, combine this with the European arrest warrant, which requires no evidence (Thanks, Tony) you could be doing porridge in France and Italy in no time.

I may be being naive, but were anything like that to happen the outcry would be such that even the sheeple wouldn't stand for it.

Likewise, the tourist industry of any country that starts prosecuting people who buy stuff in good faith will take a major hit from the bad publicity.

My gut feeling would be that if you tried to buy several Chinese Rolex ripoffs, that they'd throw the book at you, but that the political fallout that would result from routinely doing people who just buy a one-off item would be such that they wouldn't dare.

[1929crash]

I may be being naive, but were anything like that to happen the outcry would be such that even the sheeple wouldn't stand for it.

Likewise, the tourist industry of any country that starts prosecuting people who buy stuff in good faith will take a major hit from the bad publicity.

My gut feeling would be that if you tried to buy several Chinese Rolex ripoffs, that they'd throw the book at you, but that the political fallout that would result from routinely doing people who just buy a one-off item would be such that they wouldn't dare.

I agree. I think there will be a tourist backlash.

[profitofdoom]

Not necessarily. Many people buy expensive items because they appreciate the workmanship or history of them, not merely to make them look good in front of their friends. If you take to opinion that buying a £2K watch is pointless then where does your argument logically end up? It ends up at the point of anyone who buys anything other than the cheapest of anything is a fool. Are you wearing the cheapest clothes you could find right now, living in the cheapest house, with the cheapest possible car on the drive and will your meal tonight be own brand bakes beans on own brand bread? If not, then you canot call others for employing the same logic as you.

All the other examples you give though have a downside to their cheapness.The cheapest clothes won't be as comfortable and will most likely deteriorate with washing quickly.The cheapest house will be in a chav ridden area.The cheapest car will be less reliable,own brand cheap food won't taste as good.But a watch or a handbag?Mrs.P bought me a Timex three years ago,it tells me the time.Sound logic?

[6538]

I may be being naive, but were anything like that to happen the outcry would be such that even the sheeple wouldn't stand for it.

Likewise, the tourist industry of any country that starts prosecuting people who buy stuff in good faith will take a major hit from the bad publicity.

My gut feeling would be that if you tried to buy several Chinese Rolex ripoffs, that they'd throw the book at you, but that the political fallout that would result from routinely doing people who just buy a one-off item would be such that they wouldn't dare.

Italy has been doing this aggressively for a while now, I believe. I don't think it's likely to harm a country's tourist industry

because buying fake rubbish isn't a primary reason for going on holiday and very, very few fake items will be purchased in genuine "good faith". Just don't buy dodgy gear - simple.

[6538]

All the other examples you give though have a downside to their cheapness.The cheapest clothes won't be as comfortable and will most likely deteriorate with washing quickly.The cheapest house will be in a chav ridden area.The cheapest car will be less reliable,own brand cheap food won't taste as good.But a watch or a handbag?Mrs.P bought me a Timex three years ago,it tells me the time.Sound logic?

They don't have big downsides, you are over stating the case. In all the cases you mention the difference is so little it's almost irrelevant. Certainly with clothes because there is almost no difference in reality. Actually, the five quid Primark jeans I've got on are virtually identical as a pair you'd pay ten times as much for and don't look remotely like they're going to fall apart any time soon. The reason people don't buy the absolute cheapest is because they want something different for no really logical reason.

How much was the Timex, £10, £20, £50? You could get a cheap watch for a quid probably and it would still likely be working. The decision to buy the one you have is no different from the decision to buy a £5K Rolex.

[profitofdoom]

They don't have big downsides, you are over stating the case. In all the cases you mention the difference is so little it's almost irrelevant. Certainly with clothes because there is almost no difference in reality. Actually, the five quid Primark jeans I've got on are virtually identical as a pair you'd pay ten times as much for and don't look remotely like they're going to fall apart any time soon. The reason people don't buy the absolute cheapest is because they want something different for no really logical reason.

How much was the Timex, £10, £20, £50? You could get a cheap watch for a quid probably and it would still likely be working. The decision to buy the one you have is no different from the decision to buy a £5K Rolex.

Well,I don't know it was a present and I thought it would be churlish to criticise her for extravagence.But yes,the quid watch would be ok with me.I'm not Peter York.

[6538]

Well,I don't know it was a present and I thought it would be churlish to criticise her for extravagence.But yes,the quid watch would be ok with me.I'm not Peter York.

Not saying you should have criticised it. I'm just using it to illustrate the point. That being that we as humans don't generally acquire the cheapest things simply from a sense of utility. There are usually good reasons for buying things other than the cheapest available that will do the job (such as gifts).