Fake Hermes bags sold as real using Hong Kong receipts
Staff Reporter 2012-06-30 11:35
Hermes bags at the French brand's flagship store in Shanghai. (Photo/CFP)
Unscrupulous traders in China have used receipts from Hermes stores in Hong Kong to sell their fake products as genuine designer bags over the internet. Over 80% of the Hermes bags bought online were counterfeits, said Patrick Thomas, CEO of the French designer brand. A fake bag can make up to 10,000 yuan (US$1,570) in profit for an unethical retailer, according to Chinese media.
Counterfeit bags have in the past been made by contract manufacturers who then sold their copies through traders to retailers. One wholesaler said their counterfeit products are made of high-quality leather and by reputed manufacturers. If clients want something in quality close to the genuine article, they can offer to use the same type of leather as the Hermes factory uses, according to Want Daily, our Chinese-language sister newspaper.
Fraudulent retailers are now taking advantage of loopholes to sell fakes as genuine. Receipts issued at Hermes stores in Hong Kong have become a method for them to make buyers believe the high-quality counterfeits are genuine Hermes bags purchased in the special administrative region.
However, Hong Kong law has strict regulations to protect consumers' privacy, meaning that records of purchase transactions are not allowed to be checked through receipts, therefore the printed documents cannot prove that the products were purchased in Hong Kong. Unethical online retailers have exploited this fact and the Hong Kong receipts have become prevalent in the online market for luxury products purchased, according to Want Daily.
