I purchased an Empire Palazzo Mini bag from a seller on eBay last week that is backed by the authenticity guarantee. I was so excited to receive my bag, and when I opened it up, I was so happy to find a gorgeous satchel that looked exactly like the pictures, safely wrapped up in its original dust bag. It feels sturdy, the leather feels luxurious and smells perfect, the two interchangeable straps both feel/look excellent, and the hardware and Medusa head on the front are all heavy and in excellent condition. I am a fashion major, and I think I have a good sense of authentic goods because I resell and thrift many used vintage designer pieces. I have owned a few Versace/VJC clothing pieces but never a bag. Everything seemed great until I got to the tag, and I saw it...
“Chack the authonticity”
I immediately checked the CLG, and it read “fake.” My heart sank. I then messaged the seller, and she was just as shocked as I was when I told her. She immediately started helping me by talking with Versace and eBay service reps and also helped provide a receipt from where she purchased the bag (FFarfetch), but no screenshots of the CLG code going through for her, as she says.
According to her, the bag she purchased is/was real- I trust her account because she's been accommodating and understanding throughout this process. Also, according to her, she has checked the CLG multiple times before, and she is unsure how often the code was scanned
before she bought it, the repeated use of a single code can sometimes cause it to read as “fake.” However, the spelling error on the tag is making me intensely nervous.
Here’s the dilemma: I've been comparing it to every Palazzo mini for sale right now, as well as any pictures I can find, and I cannot for the life of me find a good view of the tag. I know fake bags are notorious for having spelling errors (mainly LV and Gucci- I don't know much about the knockoff Versace market), and the CLG makes me nervous. However, it looks, feels, and even SMELLS like a genuine luxury handbag, and it passed the authenticity test from eBay, too.
The seller says she will refund me if I want to return it. Still, eBay support has told me there is no way to have it authenticated once again by their team- my only options are to take a chance on a potentially fake bag or not get to keep a potentially real bag.
Can anyone help me out here? Like I said, I don't know much about Versace bags and I am completely heartbroken over this and unsure of what to do. I only have about 72 hours. Thank you in advance.
