Louis Vuitton is one of the most well-known luxury brands in the world. It has been in business for more than 160 years, and its products are sold in more than 130 countries.
Due to the huge success of brands like Louis Vuitton, counterfeiters are piggy backing on the popularity of the goods & cashing in by selling inferior quality goods at a fraction of the cost. Counterfeiting is an ongoing issue in the fashion industry and it can be difficult to detect when shopping online or in a store. Louis Vuitton are continually fighting to prevent replicas & updating their products with ‘security’ features to distinguish as genuine article from that of a reproduction, the latest being an embedded microchip.
LOUIS VUITTON MICROCHIPS, WHY & WHAT FOR?
As of March the 1st 2021, LVMH (Louis Vuittons parent company) implemented RFID - Radio Frequency Identification in their products. This a scannable chip within the item that allows Louis Vuitton employees to bring up the details of an item on their device.
It is the modern date code, although anyone can scan these microchips with a compatible app such as NFC & RFID for iPhone (seen below after a Louis Vuitton scan), there are no public apps that decipher the information in an understandable format. Whether Louis Vuitton or a 3rd party produce an app is yet to be seen.
Counterfeiters are adapting their production methods by using sophisticated materials that can be hard to spot, a microchip is a step in the right direction for consumers but only if it is readable to all like a date code.
I have seen a cheap bag on instagram, shall I buy it?
With the rise of social media and online retailers, it has become easier to find these goods online; with not all sellers being entirely honest about the authenticity of their items. Instagram cough cough…
Buying from a reputable site that certifies their products is paramount. The old cliche ‘if its too good to be true, it usually is..’ is an old cliche for a reason, because it is true and it couldn't be more true with luxury designer bags.
If the Louis Vuitton Speedy 35 you have seen on Ebay from a seller with 0 feedback is selling for half the market price; you aren’t buying a discounted genuine but an overpriced counterfeit.
THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL
Yes, it is true. If someone can make a bag, then they can certainly make a paper invoice. That is why independent companies like Refined Luxury are selling countless certificates of authenticity. Not only does this help with a bags resale value if you were to sell it in the future as you have provenance but in some ways more powerful than an original Louis Vuitton invoice that we see replicated so many times.
Refined Luxury's authentication process is rigorous and detailed. It is a multi-step process that includes a visual assessment by a member of the our authentication team before awarding a certificate of authenticity to the product. Each item we sell comes with both a physical & digital certificate specific to the bag inclusive of the items details such as date code & images of the item.
I already have a bag, can I just buy the Louis Vuitton authentication?
We offer our authentication services to everybody, whether you buy & sell pre loved designer bags as hobby or you want to verify that bargain you got from Vinted a few years ago.
If you are looking to sell your bag and you want to get the best money, our Authentication Service allows you to give potential buyers peace of mind and get you a better price.
