eBay vendors of fashion items, kosher? Esp sunglasses

[DonkeyApple]

I work on the basic assumption that most things in life that involve getting a retail punter to pass over money are, one way or another, a scam.

I need to replace a pair of sunglasses that I treated myself to and have recently gone awol.

The mark-up on these types of goods are phenomenal so rather than head back to the shop I purchased them from I thought I'd search the web.

I've found several shopping websites that have them for £100 or so less than the high street and they are on eBay under US listings for even greater discounts.

So, I find myself in a quandary. I'm aware that the mark up is more than big enough for sellers to remove £100s and still be selling the genuine article but my natural stance means that I am assuming the eBay sellers are flogging fakes and that the online shops that I've never heard of could well be total scams.

I've looked at customer reviews but I don't hold much value in them as any online retail business usually buys these reviews from the kind of scummers who who're themselves on sites like fiver.com and added to that, even if they are genuine reviews how would they know if they received the real thing or a knock off? Most modern consumers seem to have no ability to tell quality from junk once a brand has been stuck onto the item.

In short, is there someone on PH who has genuine knowledge of the online sunglasses market and can educate me as to how stinky it is and which online vendors are legitimate?

Thanks.

[Shakermaker]

I think many of the manufacturers set the prices very high compared to the cost, and they take most of this money themselves. I don't think they let the secondary retailers keep much of a cut of them. So if someone is selling genuine ones, they'll probably be at that high price bracket.

So I'd go with scam, maybe.

Like all the things I see on Facebook so often where some idiot clicks on an "event" where you can apparently buy Ray-Bans for only £20, which then infects all my devices if I get invited to it as well.

[joshleb]

How much are these sunnies on the high street then?!?

Do the shops have a real shop or an actual website too?

[Hoofy]

The only way to trust discounted places I can think of is sales in airports, a shop abroad (ie buy while abroad) or TK Maxx (I can't imagine that they would be selling fake gear but happy to be corrected; you're limited in what you can get, of course).

[DonkeyApple]

The original pair were £275 or £375, I can't really remember.

I've found online replacements here: https://www.sunglasses2u.com/find.do?search_string...

That company uses a PO Box and hasn't filed accounts since 2015.

An on eBay there seem to be a raft of US and Canadian sellers such as this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Revo-FREEMAN-Polariz...

The £40 ones found in these listings I have assumed already to be knock-offs: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_t...

[Dog Star]

A mate of mine got a very big (ie. six figures) fine and a suspended sentence for selling fake goods (not saying what) on eBay. I wouldn't be buying off there.

Sunglasses fakes are rife on there - eBay even have their own advice http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Hints-and-tips-to-avoid-...

Incidentally - hope this is allowed - I recently got some RayBans from Edel Optics which were genuine and a lot cheaper than UK retail - they came in less than a day from Germany.

[garylythgoe]

I often wonder the same.

Here is an example.

Ray Ban RB2448N which I'm interested in.

£134 on the high street generally:-
https://www.johnlewis.com/ray-ban-rb2448n-square-s...

£92 on ebay:-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ray-Ban-Sunglasses-2448N...

That's a significant saving from a % point of view.

[Dog Star]

garylythgoe said:

I often wonder the same.

Here is an example.

Ray Ban RB2448N which I'm interested in.

£134 on the high street generally:-
https://www.johnlewis.com/ray-ban-rb2448n-square-s...

£92 on ebay:-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ray-Ban-Sunglasses-2448N...

That's a significant saving from a % point of view.

Those will be legit.

[RC1807]

Dog Star said:

garylythgoe said:

I often wonder the same.

Here is an example.

Ray Ban RB2448N which I'm interested in.

£134 on the high street generally:-
https://www.johnlewis.com/ray-ban-rb2448n-square-s...

£92 on ebay:-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ray-Ban-Sunglasses-2448N...

That's a significant saving from a % point of view.

Those will be legit.

Because 57,000 feedbacks?

[Roofless Toothless]

DonkeyApple said:

how would they know if they received the real thing or a knock off?

This intrigues me about designer stuff. If it is so hard to tell the difference between a fake and an original, how is it justifiable to pay such high prices for the real thing? It's a belief in the magic power of a name, surely?

(Says the owner of an Epiphone Les Paul ... )

[Hoofy]

Roofless Toothless said:

DonkeyApple said:

how would they know if they received the real thing or a knock off?

This intrigues me about designer stuff. If it is so hard to tell the difference between a fake and an original, how is it justifiable to pay such high prices for the real thing? It's a belief in the magic power of a name, surely?

(Says the owner of an Epiphone Les Paul ... )

The quality of lenses is often a good way of telling. Obviously not on the Les Paul.

[raywillden]

DonkeyApple said:

The original pair were £275 or £375, I can't really remember.

I've found online replacements here: https://www.sunglasses2u.com/find.do?search_string...

That company uses a PO Box and hasn't filed accounts since 2015.

I have bought Oakley's from them, they came from Germany and arrived quickly. Definitely genuine.

[MOBB]

Mrs MOBB was looking for a pair of sunglasses recently, to replace her Prada's that are past their best.

I was expecting to see prices around £150-£200 in the shops.............but no, £250 - £300 plus seems to be normal now.

When did this happen? I'm all for nice stuff, but that's just mental.

[Aldos Army]

Roofless Toothless said:

(Says the owner of an Epiphone Les Paul ... )

to be fair, an Epiphone is still made by Gibson so perfectly legit

[DonkeyApple]

MOBB said:

Mrs MOBB was looking for a pair of sunglasses recently, to replace her Prada's that are past their best.

I was expecting to see prices around £150-£200 in the shops.............but no, £250 - £300 plus seems to be normal now.

When did this happen? I'm all for nice stuff, but that's just mental.

If you want to be really nerdy (which I am on this subject) then the steep rise in premium on badged goods ties in with the growth of zero interest consumer debt and 'nothing to pay for 6 months' deals, along with regrowth in balance transfer deals for cards and a return of silly credit limits on cards.