Target and fake coach?

[MrsMoose2001]

CNBC Business news reported this am that Coach has filed a tradmark suit against Target for selling fake Coach bags.

 

Fort the most part from what I got as I wasn't really paying close attention, the bags really are fake, so well made that it is almost impossible to tell the difference.

 

One of the men reporting the business news said, "it is so well made you can't tell the difference I would buy it" the other guy said you would?

, my DH said, to me, which I thought was a very good comment, and very true, "it doesn't matter how well made, it's illegal" the point is not how well made they are, the point is that it's illegal. And I agree with DH, I think that is the the only point, doesn't matter how good a copy, it's a copy and it's wrong and illegal.

 

What is the news turning into. This was a business report on stocks and a reputable news show and the guy says "why not? it's so well made"?

[derf5585]

Target Accused by Coach of Selling Knockoff Handbags (Update3)

from

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=asAvRRyoKOKo&refer=home

 

How to spot a fake COACH bag

from

http://reviews.ebay.com/How-to-spot-a-fake-COACH-bag_W0QQugidZ10000000000839005

[BlueHerons]

I don't understand this. Does the Target bag have a label that reads "Coach"?

 

How could anyone think they are buying a Coach bag at Target?

[NorthernLite]

Sometimes fakes are so good the buyer, in this case Target, can't tell. Otherwise I'd go back and sue Uncle Sam for the Swiss Army watch I bought my DH at the old Munich PX. Found out it was a fake when a jeweler couldn't replace the battery and pulled out a list of flaws for spotting knock offs.

[Jane110]

CNBC Business news reported this am that Coach has filed a tradmark suit against Target for selling fake Coach bags.

 

Fort the most part from what I got as I wasn't really paying close attention, the bags really are fake, so well made that it is almost impossible to tell the difference.

 

One of the men reporting the business news said, "it is so well made you can't tell the difference I would buy it" the other guy said you would?

, my DH said, to me, which I thought was a very good comment, and very true, "it doesn't matter how well made, it's illegal" the point is not how well made they are, the point is that it's illegal. And I agree with DH, I think that is the the only point, doesn't matter how good a copy, it's a copy and it's wrong and illegal.

 

What is the news turning into. This was a business report on stocks and a reputable news show and the guy says "why not? it's so well made"?

 

MrsMoose,

 

Thanks for the news. It's sadly pathetic. I can only think that if the reporter was relaying a story about someone using counterfeit $100. bills that were excellent copies he'd jump in and say he'd use them too because "why not? it's so well made?"

Wonder how he'd feel if his local store gave him change in counterfeit currency? Or his paycheck was a well made fake?

 

IMO, the reporter should either be dismissed from his job or at least made to go on the air and apologize for his cluelessness because his words and opinions reflect the opinions of the network he works for. He's a *business* reporter???? Yikes! Well this certainly shows that they hire newspeople without any knowledge of how business works. It doesn't take more than a high school education to know what kind of financial havoc can be wrought when billion dollar retairs sell counterfeit goods and say their real. <sigh>

 

I'd be interested to know if there's any follow-up. I'm sure Coach will have something to say about the networks opinions. :eek:

[MrsMoose2001]

Well I read a short followup on line and it seems that the bag was sold in Largo Fla? Target says the bag is real, it had coach tags on it. It seams that coach says it's a fake.

 

The news reporter this morning, was jokeing about it with one of the other "anchors", so I don't know if anyone will take them seriously for saying it, but I agree with you Jane, it's an inappropriate comment, in this case, I would not even say because it reflects the opinion of the network but because I think that news casters should give the news and not add in their personal thoughts or views. I would not view his comments as views of the network, just his opinion, and even said in jest, it's wrong because it is illegal.

 

I doubt anyone watching that show would have noticed or bothered to pick up on the "jokeing between the two". DH did, and I caught it, but for the most part, it's really a "stock business report" I'm not sure how the target audience will see it.

 

In any case, I agree with you it's wrong, and you make excellent points.

 

The report says that Target advertising the bag to be "official" hmmm....

 

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15116396/

[momofmeg]

I saw that this morning too. The bag sold for around $200 at Target and $300 elsewhere. Target said they were legit-and it could be- as they could have been bought from a middleman or something the newsperson said-(not that I understand all that) at any rate-Target believed they were the real thing-Robin on Headlines News this morning said whether they are real or fake those would be bought off the shelves now that this hit the news.

 

I guess though if I wanted a fake Coach I would have bought that $50 one last year in St. Marten-which the saleslady claimed was the real thing. (not that I believed her) It looked better-this one just looked like an oversized beach bag to me.( the one they showed this morning on Headline news)

[momofmeg]

Sometimes fakes are so good the buyer, in this case Target, can't tell. Otherwise I'd go back and sue Uncle Sam for the Swiss Army watch I bought my DH at the old Munich PX. Found out it was a fake when a jeweler couldn't replace the battery and pulled out a list of flaws for spotting knock offs.

 

I doubt you would get very far with sueing Uncle Sam even if you could prove they knew better.

 

Sounds like my MIL buying what she thought were saltwater akoya cultured pearls for $300 at the PX that she gave to Meg when she turned 16. I knew right away they were freshwatrer pearls as they were not round enough. My MIL could have saved $250 and bought them from Walmart. Now whether she was mislead or she just did not know any better I don't know.

 

Meg broke the strand like about 8 months later-I took them to a jeweler who comfirmed what I thought and who said they were not worth being restrung-so I replaced them with another freshwater strand from Walmart-my MIL has neer known the differance.

[babakookie]

Saw this report on tv also- thought the reporter was joking, but still didn't like it. Labels don't influence what I buy- if the bag looks good, and I need it, and the price is right, I buy. Coach is a great brand, but lots of other bags have similar looks and functionality, for less money. IMHO

[BlueHerons]

Sounds like my MIL buying what she thought were saltwater akoya cultured pearls for $300 at the PX that she gave to Meg when she turned 16. I knew right away they were freshwatrer pearls as they were not round enough. My MIL could have saved $250 and bought them from Walmart. Now whether she was mislead or she just did not know any better I don't know.

 

Meg broke the strand like about 8 months later-I took them to a jeweler who comfirmed what I thought and who said they were not worth being restrung-so I replaced them with another freshwater strand from Walmart-my MIL has neer known the differance.

 

But they were a gift from your mother in law to your daughter. Why didn't you just get them restrung? The 'worth' being they were from your mother in law to her granddaughter.

[Jane110]

Well I read a short followup on line and it seems that the bag was sold in Largo Fla? Target says the bag is real, it had coach tags on it. It seams that coach says it's a fake.

 

It'll be interesting to see what happens and to find out if it was a fake or not.

 

The news reporter this morning, was jokeing about it with one of the other "anchors", so I don't know if anyone will take them seriously for saying it, but I agree with you Jane, it's an inappropriate comment, in this case, I would not even say because it reflects the opinion of the network but because I think that news casters should give the news and not add in their personal thoughts or views. I would not view his comments as views of the network, just his opinion, and even said in jest, it's wrong because it is illegal.

 

You're right. It just got me a little nuts to think that a newscaster would trivialize counterfeit goods as a "no big deal" thing.

 

The report says that Target advertising the bag to be "official" hmmm....

 

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15116396/

 

That's something I can't speculate on. I would think that a huge retailer like Target wouldn't knowingly get involved with selling copies. Could you imagine the lawsuit if Walmart or KMart starting using a red circle as their logo? Yikes!

[judy&steve]

Target selling Coach? I can't believe it. The whole Target allure is that it is slightly more chi chi than, say, Wal Mart or K Mart. They get big time designers to put their names on mass-produced goods. As far as I know, Coach hasn't agreed to lower themselves to that level. I think it's well and good for Isaac Mizrahi or Michael Graves to lend their names to Target merchandise, but the buying public shouldn't be misled into thinking they are buying high quality items because there is a designer name attached to it. These items are not constructed with quality fabrics and materials. It was a great marketing ploy for all parties involved. Customers get well-designed clothing or toasters or handbags. Designers get licensing fees from Target and Target gets customers. Pierre Cardin comes to mind. Pierre Cardin had his name on everything that could be worn, carried, sprayed or written with. I think the only way Target would sell Coach products would be to have Coach make a lesser quality line for Target to sell. I don't think Coach needs to do that, because Coach is pretty accessible price-wise. And, I never thought of Target as a place to buy close-outs or off-price non-Target stuff.

I still find it hard to believe, although I don't doubt that it's true.

--Judy

[Jane110]

Judy,

 

I know what you mean. Forgetting about the "real or not real" issue. Why would Target sell Coach and why would Coach want to sell to Target? I'm certain that Coach would never add a lower priced line to sell to a store like Target. And it they did, they wouldn't label it "Coach". As you say, they're not all that expensive anyway in terms of the handbag world, so why ruin their good name? I have an original Issac Mizrahi raincoat that I bought in Bergdorf Goodman and it was very expensive. If people ask which designer made it and I say Mizrahi, no one thinks it comes from Target!

[MrsMoose2001]

It'll be interesting to see what happens and to find out if it was a fake or not.

 

 

 

You're right. It just got me a little nuts to think that a newscaster would trivialize counterfeit goods as a "no big deal" thing.

 

 

 

That's something I can't speculate on. I would think that a huge retailer like Target wouldn't knowingly get involved with selling copies. Could you imagine the lawsuit if Walmart or KMart starting using a red circle as their logo? Yikes!

 

I agree with you, I was not happy to hear the newscaster saying these things even in jest. It's a criminal offense and to joke about it is just "not right" in my opnion. I would be surprised if anything comes of it, just because of it's "target audience", but you never know. I would not want him to loose his job over a lapse in judgement but something. I don't watch the show so I guess unless it makes headlines, I'll never know.

 

As to why? well all I can say is it's probably stupid greedy mistake. Greed makes a lot of people/companies do stupid things. Store greed. Why does an obviously sucessful person who certainly doesn't need the money commit a (white colar) crime. Let's look at Martha, I agree with the jury so since she was found guilty I can say, what possessed a woman in her position with her obvious wealth to do something stupid? Same with Target?

 

As to lowering themselves, well I did see Prada at Costco at one time. Granted they weren't the latest and were from seasons past, but the fact that Costco did carry Prada, IMO put the line down, so if Costco carried Prada, I don't know what a Target's is, I've never been in one, but why not Target carry coach.

 

Baume & Mercier sold the catwalk watch at Costco, Tag sold their watches and I heard that in the USA you could buy a Rolex at Costco. In my opinion all lowering of themselves.

 

I have no problem with outlets, I think they are great, but, if Ralphy makes less of the good quality polos for example for the outlet that is also lowering himself. And not everyone knows that it is "less quality" out of a better choice of words. And I've seen some of the merchandise at the designer outlets and I don't think they would ever have sold that stuff at full price at say Saks or any high end store which led me to believe that the stuff was made specifically for the outlets and that in itself is lowering the name at least IMO. If it's just last season or last year's or even 2 years old stuff, that was originally sold in a high end store, that makes sense, but to create merchandise that could or would never sell in a high end store at full price is IMO deceiving in itself and lowering it's standards.

 

And if you can get a discount "name XXX" on the internet or e-bay (and I'm not talking used merchandise/pre owned), or Bluefly or whatever that is no different for the most part than buying from a discount store. What really is the difference between buying from a discount website or a discount store, not everyone wants to or can shop off a computer.

 

I can see why Target would sell coach, even a $50 discount on an item would attract buyers and the key is to attract people to a store.

 

Why would coach sell to Target, one word "greed", how many Target shops are there in the US? And how many people shop at those stores? And what is the demographic of the Target consumer? Of course a stupid mistake by a stupid individual, but I can see the reasoning behind it on both sides.

[Hoyaheel]

I can see Costco and Sam's Club carrying luxury merchandise at a discount (because it's an old style or specially for their company or whatever--that's a part of their business and has been at least as long as I've been shopping at Price Cluyb/Costco--dates me a little there, doesn't it?) But I absolutely cannot see Target carrying a fake Coach. As others have mentioned, it doesn't seem to fit with their business plan....

[MrsMoose2001]

I can see Costco and Sam's Club carrying luxury merchandise at a discount (because it's an old style or specially for their company or whatever--that's a part of their business and has been at least as long as I've been shopping at Price Cluyb/Costco--dates me a little there, doesn't it?) But I absolutely cannot see Target carrying a fake Coach. As others have mentioned, it doesn't seem to fit with their business plan....

 

Oh I hope I didn't write it wrong, I don't think anyone should carry or sell fake, I was saying that I didn't see anything different from Target carrying a discount (real) coach than Costco carrying a real Prada or a real Rolex.

 

I do not support or encourage fakes. Sorry if it came out wrong.

[momofmeg]

But they were a gift from your mother in law to your daughter. Why didn't you just get them restrung? The 'worth' being they were from your mother in law to her granddaughter.

 

 

Meg caught them in her hair and ripped them out-she had had her hair done up and it was all full of hairspray which is why the pearls caught when she put them on AT HOME and I was in the OTHER room- instead of getting help from anyone.

 

I told her to save her money and have them restrung, because of her foolishness.

 

Actually it was almost two years later at Christmas time when I bought the others. They are actually 7 millimetor (the other pair was 6) and the luster is much better. I offered to to pay for restringing the others as part of her "gift" that year and she said no she wanted this other set of pearls. So she made the choice. But she does still have the pearls.

 

Yes we could have paid to have them restrung-I just felt that this was Meg's responsiblity. I suggested she take and have them made into a bracelet at least. I imagine she could have that done for less then $30.

 

Meg is a 22 year old woman now-so an adult who should have some responsiblilty. Also Meg has a one carat diamond heart necklace that her grandmother has given her-so not her only "gift" from Grandma.

[Hoyaheel]

Oh I hope I didn't write it wrong, I don't think anyone should carry or sell fake, I was saying that I didn't see anything different from Target carrying a discount (real) coach than Costco carrying a real Prada or a real Rolex.

 

I do not support or encourage fakes. Sorry if it came out wrong.

 

I wasn't disputing the real/fake thing at all. I was disputing (wondering??) why on earth Target would be selling Coach AT ALL. Had nothing to do with your post. Selling upscale products at a discount is something that Costco and Sam's Club do. Getting "high end" designers to make special lines at a discount is what Target does. Different things, in my book. And I haven't heard ANYTHING about a Coach line at Target--and since I love shopping there, I try to pay attention:p

[Micki Dee]

There was an article in the Detroit newspaper last week about Target. According to the article, Target is now going to start selling some upscale products. Coach and Tommy Hilfiger were among the few mentioned. The products and designers will vary from store to store. They are trying to bring in the upper scale shopper(like that will really happen).

[Hoyaheel]

There was an article in the Detroit newspaper last week about Target. According to the article, Target is now going to start selling some upscale products. Coach and Tommy Hilfiger were among the few mentioned. The products and designers will vary from store to store. They are trying to bring in the upper scale shopper(like that will really happen).

 

Thanks--that helps explain a lot. I don't think the demographic of my Target will ever lead it to be one where the "high end" experiment takes place, but you never know:rolleyes: And of course, this current Coach fiasco isn't helping them as they try to move in that direction....

[MrsMoose2001]

I wasn't disputing the real/fake thing at all. I was disputing (wondering??) why on earth Target would be selling Coach AT ALL. Had nothing to do with your post. Selling upscale products at a discount is something that Costco and Sam's Club do. Getting "high end" designers to make special lines at a discount is what Target does. Different things, in my book. And I haven't heard ANYTHING about a Coach line at Target--and since I love shopping there, I try to pay attention:p

 

Ah ok, no probs, just didn't want to be misunderstood that I was advocating fakes.

 

I have no Target here, and have never been to a Target, no clue as to what they look like or anything, I just assumed that it was like a Costco but for clothing. Thanks for explaining, not I understand.

[BlueHerons]

Meg caught them in her hair and ripped them out-she had had her hair done up and it was all full of hairspray which is why the pearls caught when she put them on AT HOME and I was in the OTHER room- instead of getting help from anyone.

 

Yes we could have paid to have them restrung-I just felt that this was Meg's responsiblity. I suggested she take and have them made into a bracelet at least. I imagine she could have that done for less then $30.

 

Meg is a 22 year old woman now-so an adult who should have some responsiblilty. Also Meg has a one carat diamond heart necklace that her grandmother has given her-so not her only "gift" from Grandma.

 

Gotcha. Makes sense to me now (not that you had to explain yourself to me).

[momofmeg]

Gotcha. Makes sense to me now (not that you had to explain yourself to me).

 

That is what I thought myself. The jeweler himself said they were not worth restringing although he said he could make it into a bracelt without restringing for much less.

 

I found out later my FIL had bought those around the time the freshwater pearls first came out with the more round looking freshwater pearls. I guess that is why they were so expensive. We learned this when 4 years later we finailly told Meg's grandmother. We felt a little guilty about not telling her.

 

My MIL told us he (the FIL) had bought them around 10-15 years earlier for her and as she never wore them she decided to give them to Meg after Meg turned 16. When I learned that-it made sense that the pearls cost that much. We did not know that-we had thought she had bought them for Meg when Meg turned 16. We did know the pendant she gave Meg was a 20th anniversary present from my FIL to my MIL.

 

Since Meg's grandfather has died since she gave her the pearls, I do think she should have a bracelt made of that strand.

 

But my whole point in the first post-was sometimes we mistake things we buy to be something they are not-so it is actually us and not fraud. My MIL still claimed they were saltwater pearls. I do beleive my FIL just did not know better and for $300 instead of $1500 he thought was a "good" deal at the PX.

[Sunshine91]

They are trying to bring in the upper scale shopper(like that will really happen).

 

Oh, you never know. The upper scale shopper has to buy their TP somewhere. :D