RESOURCE: Avoid Fake Designer Handbags Online

Sometimes it seems like it's easier to find a fake designer handbag online than to find an authentic one. A Gucci handbag for $200? The newest, sold-out Chloe for only $800? If it seems to good to be true, it probably is. I'll admit, I made the mistake of purchasing a "Guaranteed 100% Authentic" handbag when I was still an online shopping novice. When my bargain priced $135 Gucci pouchette arrived it had a pleather handle and plastic zipper. Not what I had in mind. I wish that someone would have warned me about that site before I ordered.

Now before I even think about ordering a designer handbag online I consult with the ladies of The Purse Forum. This online community of handbag-obsessed shoppers is like having a few hundred of your closest friends on hand to weigh in on whether that amazing new bargain website you found is reputable. If you do nothing else, read through the "authenticate this" handbag forum for first hand accounts of dealings with "designer" handbag retailers online and hints for spotting a fake. It confirms every online handbag shopper's worst fear: most of the sites sell fakes and, yes, the real fashionistas out there can tell a fake just by looking. But don't despair, the ladies of The Purse Forum are kind enough to keep a regularly updated list of websites generally considered to be selling the real thing. Online handbag shopping just became a lot easier.