Many unsuspecting budget fashionistas spend up to $1000 on “authentic” Louis Vuitton bags that turn out to be fakes. Before purchasing your bag, read these basic rules to determine whether or not your louis vuitton is fake.

How to Tell if Your Louis Vuitton is Fake

• If it claims to be “brand new” and costs less than $300, most likely it is fake.
• If the “LV”  logo is upright on both sides, it might be a fake.
• If it’s “brand new” and being sold on eBay or Yahoo! Auctions, there is a good chance it’s fake.
• If the piping is not leather, it is fake.
• If the seams are uneven, frayed, the monogram is off or the bag is poorly sewn, it is definitely fake.
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• If there is no date code (a.k.a date number) provided or if the seller is reluctant to provide a date code or receipt, it could be fake.
• If it’s a new bag and the bag’s handle is a different color leather than that of the piping, it’s fake.
• If the seller doesn’t allow returns, most likely it’s fake.
• If you bought it in your local Chinatown or from a street vendor, it’s fake.
• If the dust cover has rounded edges and/or it doesn’t come with a dust cover, it’s fake.
• If the bag has a hanging tag (of any type) or a bright yellow tag or envelope, it’s definitely a fake.
• If you bought the bag on an ecommerce site other than eluxury.com (be careful of eBay), it’s fake.

For more information on how to tell the authenticity of your Louis Vuitton bag, visit an authorized Louis Vuitton retailer like (Neiman Marcus or a boutique at your local high-end mall), call the Louis Vuitton headquarters at (212) 758-8877 or visit My Poupette, a site dedicated to the promotion of real LV bags.

** TBF Note: I have no opinion one way or the other on the whole fake bag issue. However, most people assume if you’re carrying a Louis Vuitton Monogram Canvas, it’s a fake. So why bother purchasing the fake OR the real thing? My advice: head to the nearest Loehmanns, Marshalls, Off Fifth, Saks Fifth Avenue, or Last Call Neiman Marcus, purchase a real, high quality bag (Coach, Marc Jacobs, Longchmap, Cole Haan) for cheap and put the money you save into your retirement account. **

Products reviewed in this post may have been sent to TBF Group, LLC directly from brand/retailer. THIS DOES NOT IMPACT THE OUTCOME OF OUR REVIEW