A popular Australian luxury retailer has been cleared by a government authority of selling ‘superfake’ designer handbags.
An extensive investigation by NSW Fair Trading found there was no evidence to support the 1,000 claims Cosette had been selling fake handbags.
The company, which was founded in 2015, operates as an online multi-brand designer store and has a physical flagship store in The Rocks in Sydney‘s CBD.
NSW Fair Trading was inundated by hundreds of disgruntled Cosette customers claiming they had been sold ‘superfake’ designer bags, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Cosette has consistently denied claims it sold fake designer products.
NSW Fair Trading has confirmed over 1000 complaints have been thrown out after working directly with European luxury brands to test the authenticity of the items.
Those brands include Prada, Saint Laurent, Gucci, Burberry and Balenciaga.
‘Our investigation found no evidence to support allegations that the designer handbags sold by Cosette are fake – each item was tested and verified as authentic by the brand,’ a NSW Fair Trading spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
‘In some instances, the luxury brand confirmed the authenticity of handbags that multiple online authenticators had advised customers were fake.’
The regulatory body warned customers to be wary of online authenticators.
‘The investigation highlights that there are significant issues with the accuracy and reliability of online authenticators, who use AI and algorithms to provide authentications,’ the spokesperson said.
In August 2023, it was reported NSW Fair Trading had received over 550 complaints about Cosette about luxury goods valued at over $1million.
The clearing of Cosette’s name comes as a customer’s claim against the company was thrown out at a separate tribunal.
Cosette was taken to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) by customer Yi Feng Percival who was granted a refund for a Saint Laurent Lou camera bag.
The NCAT had initially ruled that an authenticator had deemed the bag – which retails for $2,550 – in Australia was a fake.
Cosette successfully appealed the decision and the customer was ordered to return the refund to the luxury brand.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Cosette and NCAT for comment.
