For those who are comfortable shopping online, “do your reference check to make sure the seller you are dealing with is legitimate,” shared Fung. “Make sure that the seller has a good reputation with good reviews. If they have been around for years, oftentimes you can ask around and see if people have good things to say about them, such as are they honest about the condition of their bags? Or do they tend to be sneaky and hide things from their customers?”
Ensuring there’s some form of authentication is especially crucial. Online platforms such as Vestiaire Collective, for example, offer an expert authentication service. “Typically, an average of 25,000 items are listed and reviewed by our Curation Teams daily. Following which, Vestiaire Collective Experts will authenticate the items in one of our five warehouses (across Hong Kong, South Korea, France, UK and US) before final checks are conducted by our Quality Control Team to ensure that the items are in pristine condition and match their description in terms of quality, size and colour,” shared the platform.
Fung also advises shoppers to always check the terms and conditions of the sale. “What if things go wrong? Get it in writing from the seller – is the purchase strictly non-refundable? Is there an authenticity guarantee? If the item is not authentic, will you get a refund?”
Lastly, always know your rights as a customer. When it comes to the condition of the bag, ensure that the seller is transparent in listing all of its flaws, and don’t hesitate to ask any relevant questions. “Condition is subjective, so know your rights when something isn’t up to your expectation. Otherwise you may end up paying five to six thousand dollars on a bag you don’t even like. It happens more often than you think,” Fung cautioned.
