Louis Vuitton is the most counterfeited designer bag on the market today. The scary thing that may occur to someone is paying for the same amount as an original Louis Vuitton when in fact what they got was a fake one.

In this article, we’ll be sharing some tips that we ourselves use in evaluating and purchasing designer handbags. However, In authenticating a Louis Vuitton bag there are many things to consider such as, leather, stitch trim, inside lining, hardware details, monogram pattern/alignment, d-rings, and much much more. So let’s start with 3 of the simplest technique that can help you spot a fake LV bag.

1. Louis Vuitton Stamping

When it comes to counterfeit goods, they usually have the details copied as best as they could, however, Louis Vuitton is too smart for that and they made sure that they make specific features in their products down to the last letter.

Features of an original LV bag stamp:

a. The horizontal line of the “L” is very short.
b. The “O” should be more round, almost a fat circle not an oval, and looks bigger than the “L”.
c. The heads of the “TT” in Vuitton should almost touch each other.
d. The letter should be somewhat thin, clear, and crisp.
e. The number of stitched on the leather stamp are equal on parallel sides.

 

2. Hardware

There are exceptions when it comes to stamp lettering, as it would depend on the LV model. Now, our next tip is something that counterfeit goods have had a hard time imitating because of the materials used by Louis Vuitton.

a. A fake LV hardware would have poor quality and often fade or easily chips out its coating.
b. The zippers and clasps should be working smoothly too.
c. Louis Vuitton stamped hardware should have clear impressions and be centered in the piece.
d. Counterfeit LV hardware uses glossy gold finish, an LV original would have a matte shine.

 

3. Datecode

All LV bags should have a date code in it unless it was made in the early 1980s when this feature wasn’t available at the time. The Datecode represents the date and place where the bag was manufactured.

a. Search an LV bag through and through to find the date code; some are hard to find. After searching and you still can’t find the date code, then what you’re holding is probably a fake.
b. The Datecode should match the “Made in (country)” of the bag’s stamp. For example, an “LP” on the date code would mean that the bag was made in Germany, but if the bag’s stamp says  “Made in France” that’s a definite sign of counterfeited bag.

Here’s a copy of the countries and their LV date codes.

Made in France: A0, A1, A2, AA, AAS, AH, AN, AR, AS, BA, BJ, BU, DR, DU, CO, CT, ET, FL, LW, MB, MI, NO, RA, RI, SD, SF, SL, SN, SP, SR, TJ, TH, TR, TS, VI, VX
Made in Italy: BC, BO, CE, FO, MA, RC, RE, SA, TD
Made in Spain: CA, GI, LO, LB, LM, LW
Made in U.S.A.: FC, FH, FL, LA, OS, SD
Made in Switzerland: DI, FA
Made in Germany: LP

 

We hope you find these tips useful when purchasing a Louis Vuitton bag. One last tip that we can share with you is to only buy your luxury goods from trusted resellers. If the price is too good to be true, then there’s a chance that it probably is. With The Relux, you can be sure that we’ll be %100 honest when it comes to our item’s authenticity.