How to spot fake goods

Whether you're after a new watch, a designer handbag or a pair of sunglasses, here's how to spot a fake.

Watches

The easiest way to tell whether a watch is a fake is the price. If it’s ridiculously low, it’s unlikely to be genuine (even if it's in the Black Friday sales!).

A Rolex watch should be fairly heavy so if it’s feeling a little light, chances are you’re not holding the genuine article. Real Rolex watches also won’t make a ticking sound and the second hand should appear to be moving smoothly and continuously, rather than once a second.

Genuine Cartier watches, meanwhile, will have the brand name inscribed on the movement – you’ll be able to see this if you remove the caseback.

Again, the watch should be quite heavy and if it’s genuine, it will have scratchproof glass. There should also be a cabochon stone on the winder.

And if you’re looking for a Breitling watch, the logos should be embossed, not printed, onto the dial if it’s genuine. The caseback will also be engraved, not stamped.

Handbags

Many women adore designer handbags. But if you’re going to splurge on one, make sure it’s genuine.

The genuine article should be made from top-notch material and, if it's a leather bag, make sure it actually smells of leather. It should also be fairly heavy and the leather should be a consistent colour all over.

The stitching should also be good quality. If there are any loose threads or wonky stitching, chances are, you’ve been stitched up!

Real designer bags are also likely to have the brand name in several places and this will be sewn in – not on a cardboard label hanging off the strap.

It’s also a good idea to look for the serial code which is often on a strip of material inside a pocket or the main compartment.

If you can look at the interior of a genuine bag, then that should help you be able to tell if the interior of a bag you're looking to buy is a fake.

Sunglasses

Counterfeit sunglasses are likely to feel cheap and the designer logo will look cheaply printed. The hinges will likely be flimsy and poorly aligned. 

The real deal will feel heavier and more solid and will come with luxurious packaging, including a box, case and tags.

Be warned that counterfeit sunglasses usually don’t offer adequate protection from the sun’s powerful UV rays.

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Designer clothing

If you’re big on your labels, make sure the designer clothing you’re buying is genuine.

If it’s the real deal, it will be made from good quality material that won’t stretch or shrink easily and the stitching will also be spot on.

So try to examine the item closely before you buy.

Check for spelling mistakes on the brand name too and it’s also worth giving the buttons a once-over to see whether they have the correct logo printed on them.

DVDs

If you’re hoping to boost your film collection, watch out for counterfeit DVDs. These will usually have poor sound and picture quality and even though they’ll be cheap, they often won’t be worth the price.

If a DVD is marked Region 0 or Region Free, it’s likely to be a fake - the majority of genuine recently released DVDs are encoded for a specific region (Region 1 or Region 2 for standard DVDs, Region A/1 and Region B/2 for Blu-ray).

As for the cover, it might seem obvious but check for spelling spelling mistakes and that the images are clear. The cover should also contain a security hologram.

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Shop with care

Selling fake goods is illegal and many products are actually unsafe to use. If you purchase fake goods when you’re abroad, you may find your products are seized on the way home by the UK Border Agency and you may end up paying a fine.

So if you know the product you’re buying isn’t the real deal, don’t buy it.

If you’re shopping online, always carefully check the spelling of the website address or URL – if anything is misspelt, it’s likely to be an unofficial site.

It's also a good idea to type the name of the website into a search engine to see if there are any reviews or warnings about it.

Check to see whether the postal address is easy to find on the website – if it’s not, you’ll be better off doing your shopping elsewhere.

When you go to pay, always ensure the padlock symbol is shown on the screen when you fill in your payment details. The web address at the top of the page should also change to ‘https://’ as opposed to ‘http’ – the ‘s’ signifies it’s secure.

And finally, if your purchase is over £100, it’s a good idea to pay by credit card.

That’s because you’ll be protected by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act (1974), which will give you valuable consumer protection if there's a problem with your purchases. If your order is under £100, look to use a Visa debit card so you can make a claim under the Visa Chargeback scheme.

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