The Problem with Fake Hermès Bags: Why Fashion Can’t Stop Counterfeits and What Shoppers Need to Know

Luxury goods are more likely than not to be counterfeit if you encounter them in the wild.

That’s just how prevalent the problem of fake stuff is and it takes an expert eye and a true sense of what a person is looking at to spot a knockoff.

Perhaps that’s why so many luxury brands are stepping up to the plate when it comes to consumer awareness about counterfeit goods and also why so many people are increasingly skeptical of “that new bag” or pair of shades someone is wearing.

How common are counterfeit goods?

Let’s just say that it is an issue that not only involves illicit factories and suppliers but even company employees as well.

That’s right, brands like Hermès and Louis Vuitton have to watch their own staff as much as they do the street vendors in order to find who is leaking what and where.

How much money do counterfeit products cost luxury goods companies every year?

One of the most famous cases involves none other than Hermès and their famous Birkin bag.

A conspiracy that roped in employees, vendors, and more, the fake bag scandal ended up costing that brand a whopping $20 million alone.

To put that into context, the people that were making fake Hermès bags basically had the infrastructure and capital to front their own boutique luxury brand.

That’s how much money people like this can make from selling a fake bag and it is reason number one why Hermès is keen on protecting their trademark.

The question remains, however, and that is: How did they do it? The answer to that is just as surprising as the price tag on a Birkin itself.

It’s actually much easier than the average consumer knows, and therein lies the problem. Luxury brands spend millions every year to imbue their brands with unique, unobtainable statuses that drive consumers wild.