The difference between a dupe and a counterfeit

Many brands are inspired by famous brands or designers when designing their products. Because they don't invest in materials or packaging in the same way as their inspirations, and because they don't have the same reputation or the same product ranges, their prices remain very affordable. These brands design dupes, which should be clearly distinguished from counterfeits. But how can you tell the two apart?

The dupes

The dupes are inspired by trends (fashion, technology, decoration...), and are generally re-adapted luxury products to which the brands add their 'touch'. They are good quality products with respectable compositions. They make the unattainable accessible. However, on these products, no details of the brand from which they were inspired are kept. For example, on a dupe you won't find the brand name, the name or the logo of the great designer, because it carries its own official brand.

Depending on the shop you go to to buy your dupe, the prices offered will vary. For example, fashion brands such as Zara, Stradivarius and Mango offer many dupes by top designers at prices 10 times lower.

Left: Hermès oran sandals selling for €485, right: Mango dupes selling for €49.99.

Counterfeiting

Counterfeiting, on the other hand, is the (attempted) copying, reproduction or imitation of an official brand down to the last detail without the brand's authorisation. These are manufacturers who copy down to the last millimetre what has already been done by a brand before them, retaining the logo, packaging and brand name, thus claiming that their product is 'real' and worth as much as the original.

Counterfeiters generally present their products as genuine, and this is an illegal practice. The owner of a counterfeit can be fined or imprisoned.

The prices offered by counterfeiters are often lower than those of official products, but you may well come across counterfeits that are as expensive as the originals. The aim of these counterfeiters is to deceive customers by enticing them with "bargains".

In contrast to the dupe, a counterfeit is often poorly crafted: it has poorly finished details, it is designed with more than questionable materials and with compositions that are often dubious given that they are produced outside the regulated frameworks, i.e. without the slightest control.

Using counterfeit products can be dangerous for you, especially when it comes to products to be applied to the skin or face, such as make-up or perfumes, because they are designed with products that are harmful to your health. You can get skin reactions: swollen skin, red skin, skin covered in pimples, and so on. So be careful when you make a purchase that seems too good to be true - it could be!

For example, you can find counterfeit products on online sales platforms such as "Wish" or "AliExpress". These sites do not control their sellers, so some of them take advantage of the situation to sell illegal products. To attract less attention, they offer abusive discounts (between 70 and 95% off).

On the left, a Jacquemus "Le grand Chiquito" leather bag sold for 625 euros, on the right, a Jacquemus counterfeit sold on Wish for 22 euros (if the price isn't enough, you can tell it's a fake just by the colour of the bag).

How can I avoid buying counterfeit products?

Analyse the point of sale

If you're shopping in a physical shop, check that the location isn't unusual. If it is, beware - they're probably imitations.

If you shop on the internet, make sure that the site you use is reliable. The first thing to do is check that the protocol is HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure). It is located in your URL bar in front of the name of the website you are visiting and is always accompanied by a small padlock that proves that a security certificate is in place. Click on the padlock for more information.

1 - Certificate padlock / 2 - Protocol / 3 - Domain name

Beware of sites where you cannot contact the seller because their contact details (e-mail address, telephone number) are not given.

Other factors also need to be checked:

• General terms and conditions of sale: mandatory, if they are missing, don't waste any more time on this site.
• Legal information: this must enable you to clearly identify the person responsible for the site
• Spelling mistakes: large numbers of spelling mistakes are a sign that a site is unreliable.

Look at the price of the item

Don't hesitate to compare the price offered on various other official product sites to find out whether the price charged on the product you want to buy is worrying or not.

Generally speaking, when prices are very low for items that are usually sold at high prices, they are counterfeit.

Examine the product packaging

Look for imperfections on the packaging, manufacturing defects, spelling mistakes on the labels, irregularities, the quality of the packaging, etc. If the item has any of the items on this non-exhaustive list, it is most likely the work of a counterfeiter.

Keep an eye on product composition

Although you may not be an expert in product composition, do some analysis of the composition of the product you wish to buy, if it is given. As with the price, compare it with similar products offered by other brands to see how close it is.

To sum up, a dupe has its own official brand, it is cheaper than an official product but the price difference is not huge, and finally, the dupe is generally a good quality product designed under a regulated framework. So a dupe is far better value for money than a counterfeit, but it's also better for your health and hygiene.

Buy second-hand products with Obvy

Thanks to the second-hand market, you can buy products from top designers/brands and dupes at great prices, and make substantial savings in the process. And by using Obvy to buy your second-hand products you're armed against counterfeits.

As well as verifying the identity of our users, you benefit from a system that protects you against scams.

With Obvy, when you make a delivery transaction, you have 72 hours from receipt of your goods to certify their conformity. If, thanks to our advice, you realise that you've been scammed and are in possession of a counterfeit, you can simply return your parcel to the seller and be reimbursed.

You can also use the transaction history to keep track of all your Obvy transactions.

At Obvy, we do everything we can to give you the best possible customer experience, and above all, the most secure one!