How to Spot Fake Louis Vuitton Handbags

Louis Vuitton has been manufacturing fine quality travel bags and handbags for over 150 years. There was a time in the United States when you could only purchase their merchandise at a couple of high end department stores. Now the brand is much easier to find, but it's also much easier to be ripped off with a counterfeit. The key to spotting a fake handbag is to study the merchandise and know what to look for.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Make sure the handbag you want to buy was actually something made by Louis Vuitton. Before you purchase it, go to the manufacturer's website and verify they made that particular style in the color you are looking at. Often, the style closely resembles one of Vuitton's bags, but the fake is offered in colors that Louis Vuitton never used.

2. Check the monogram to verify authenticity. The LV monogram is generally symmetrical from side to side. So look at the bag overall to see if the monogram is symmetrically placed in relation to the handles and sides.

3. Look closely at the stitching as it should be very even and straight. In addition, Louis Vuitton places the same number of stitches in the same locations on similar bags. So if you know a particular style of handbag has 5 regular stitches across the top of the leather tab, you can spot a fake if it has only 4 stitches.

4. Compare the features of your handbag to the ones described on the manufacturer's site to see if your bag matches the description. For example, see if it should be lined and if so, in what color. Verify how many zippers it should have and where they're located.

5. Verify the dust bag included matches the one offered by Louis Vuitton for that particular handbag. There are fake dust bags out there and they generally are so obviously different from the one Louis Vuitton uses that it's an easy verification.

Tips & Warnings

• To ensure you purchase an authentic bag, shop at a Louis Vuitton store or reputable distributor that carries the Louis Vuitton brand. If you want the real deal, you will have to pay the price.