Do not buy knock offs in Italy

[ClaudiaF]

As a public service;) reminder..do not buy knock off designer bags( or anything designer knockoff)being sold in Italy.

My girlfriend took her daughter there and was not warned by the ship ( not Oceania, but not sure if they warn their passengers either) or their private tour guide/driver who had dropped them off to shop..in any event , while my friend was in a store I believe in Florence ( but it doesn't matter this is the case all over) shopping her daughter was out side buying Louis Vouitton from some vender and 2 plain clothes men grabbed her..she screamed for her mother, and they were taken ( scared out of their wits..thinking they were being kidnapped , by these 2 men who spoke terrible English)..down alleys and side streets, my friend was yelling at everyone they saw that "They are Americans and being taken away"... to what ( I suppose thankfully)??turned out to be Interpol headquarters and daughter was arrested for buying the fakes.

It took them 7 hours to get out of there, with their ship having to send their passports etc., from Livorno 2 hours away,to get the daughters release and also cost her 1000s of dollars "bail" for her daughter.

While there was more to the story..best just to not do it.:eek:

[Rat]

Our guides warned us not to buy knockoffs. They also said the police would arrest the buyers, not the sellers. :confused: Yes, the fines run in the thousands! It was tempting though!

[Decebal]

They also said the police would arrest the buyers, not the sellers. :confused: Yes, the fines run in the thousands! It was tempting though!

 

Wow, what a silly policy, arresting the buyers instead of the sellers. Like putting the horse down because the cart is too heavy. :cool:

[dbh62ark]

Thanks for posting this information. When this subject comes up from time to time on the Europe boards, I have noted that there are beautiful leather bags for sale everywhere in Italy that are much classier than the knock-offs in my opinion.

 

:) Donna

[BeBeReader]

I agree with the previous poster.

 

Think about what knockoffs are. They are someone's theft of another person's intellectual property (creativity). How would you like to develop and market a product that someone then stole? If you buy these products, you help to foster intellectual/market theft. NOT A GOOD THING, folks.

 

Anyone who can afford a cruise on one of Oceania's ships can buy the real thing if she/he wants to.

 

Further, knockoffs are produced by terrorists and they help to fund their vile activities. When I was in Bali a few years ago, there was a street with shops, each dedicated to a separate "brand." How cheap and disgusting that was! The proceeds are used to fund terrorism.

 

Don't buy knockoffs. Anyway, who wants an ugly piece of poor workmanship with someone else's initials on it anyway?

 

BeBe

[drwong]

You mean the $20 Versace handbag I bought for my wife wasn't the real thing?!?!? :eek: Maybe that's why she bought me that "ROLLEX" watch for my birthday! :D

[BeBeReader]

Yes, Dr., I too had one of those "Rollax" watches several years ago. It self-destructed.

 

However, I must add that I bought a $5 watch on the street in NYC last fall that has lasted and lasted. It is not a knockoff. It is just a no-name and oh so beautiful.

[Fetchpeople]

And I know of someone who bought a fake Rolex on the street in NYC; liked it so much he took it in for repair when it broke down, asking the jeweler if it was worth fixing.

 

And then the jeweler told him it was a real Rolex.....

[Jane110]

BeBe,

 

I couldn't have said it better. And I'll add one more thing....

 

Buying that knock-off stuff keeps small designers out of business. I know more than one designer that makes adorable handbags that retail for under $50. and they can't get many stores to carry their items because the stores say that the customer who buys in that price range is buying the knock-offs.

[Jane110]

Wow, what a silly policy, arresting the buyers instead of the sellers. Like putting the horse down because the cart is too heavy. :cool:

 

I hear ya', however, the sellers are generally illegal aliens who have no money. Deporting them is impossible and getting them to pay fines is more impossible.

 

I was in the room when Claudia's friend was telling the story. She was fined $6000. for her daughter's shopping.

 

Thanks for posting this information. When this subject comes up from time to time on the Europe boards, I have noted that there are beautiful leather bags for sale everywhere in Italy that are much classier than the knock-offs in my opinion.

 

You're so right Donna. As much as I love my (real) designer handbags, I also equally love the gorgeous, well made bags I've bought in Italy, Spain and Argentina.

[digby]

Wow, what a silly policy, arresting the buyers instead of the sellers. Like putting the horse down because the cart is too heavy. :cool:

 

Actually I think it makes a lot of sense. Eventually people will be afraid to buy and the dealers will go out of business for lack of customers. It is a form of stealing, after all, even though most people don't think about it that way.