The fake of a luxury product consists of the imitation of the appearance of the product but also of the brand label. The imitation of a luxury bag is often very well done so that it is impossible for you to differentiate it from the original. You can no longer rely on the small, specific details of the bag, because counterfeit companies are very good at reproducing them identically. So how do you check the authenticity of a luxury bag ? What are the techniques ?
Branded luxury bags and fake bags : the problem
Consumers of luxury goods, especially branded bags, can sometimes fall victim to a scam. Instead of carrying a genuine bag, they unknowingly have a counterfeit bag in their possession. The fact is that today it is very difficult to tell the difference between an authentic product and a counterfeit. It is true that there are still some fake bags that are noticeable to the naked eye because of a poorly sewn handle or a poorly written mark. But there are also fake bags that look just like the real thing.
The problem is that genuine luxury bags are very expensive. They can cost hundreds or even thousands of euros. To be scammed and deprived of the right to carry an authentic handbag by paying this price is therefore inadmissible. But counterfeit products can also create another real problem. Because of their accessibility, these products will indeed become flagship models on the market.
They will sell better to the detriment of the authentic models. This will undoubtedly have a negative impact on the turnover of the real brand. If we go even further, counterfeits even harm a country’s economy. Fortunately, there are effective solutions to prevent the purchase of counterfeits. It is now possible to authenticate a luxury bag thanks to artificial intelligence. In other words, you can easily recognise a copy of the original version.
The authentication service
Authentication of luxury bags usually involves two steps. The first step is to verify the authentication of the bags by a system of artificial intelligence and microscopic technology. More concretely, this involves analysing the quality of the materials as well as the specificities of each handbag. The second step is the physical examination of the bag. This is a meticulous auscultation carried out by a team of luxury bag experts.
Entrupy, the application behind authentication
Entrupy is a device developed by a New York start-up. It uses :
- a microscopic camera,
- a mobile application.
Entrupy application
In the beginning, the aim of the start-up was to bring the truth about the Chanel 2.55 bag or the Birkin from Hermès. Thanks to this application, customers were able to find out whether they were buying an authentic bag or not. Most luxury goods authentication services use this application. This includes bag authentication. But this application is also in high demand, especially by online shoppers who do not want to be scammed with counterfeit products.
Moreover, Entrupy wants to go even further and plans to promote its application as a reference in the industry. Currently, the company has already been able to analyse thousands of luxury accessories (handbags, diaries, wallets…) from different major brands :
- Chanel,
- Dior,
- Céline,
- Balenciaga,
- Hermès,
- Louis Vuitton,
- Gucci,
- Burberry,
- Fendi,
- Prada,
- Goyard
How Entrupy works
Companies and authentication service providers use both the application and a portable device provided by Entrupy. The small portable device is used to scan the product. It takes pictures of several parts of the product and introduces it into the computer system. The software, which will process the photos, incorporates numerous algorithms that detect and analyse a large sample of materials (which usually depends on the products of the company using the application). Thanks to this system, the company is able to certify the authenticity of a luxury product at any time.
As far as the application is concerned, it works as follows. A system allows the user to take images of the object to be analysed and send them to Entrupy. When the images arrive in Entrupy’s system, it compares them with a multitude of authentic images stored in its database. Therefore, thanks to the comparison, after a few seconds, Entrupy is able to determine whether a product is authentic or not.
The benefits of luxury bag authentication services
Since the covid-19 pandemic, online shopping has become very popular. However, it is also this type of shopping that makes it easier to sell and buy counterfeit products. This often happens through bargains. A product that the seller describes as genuine, but second-hand, and which is sold at half the price of new original products.
Consumers who absolutely want to own a top-of-the-range product, and which is apparently still in very good condition, do not hesitate to invest. It is this impulse to buy that counterfeiters try to nurture in order to encourage consumers to buy a counterfeit product. And what is distressing is that the consumer is very proud of having made “a good deal”. A lot of counterfeit products are sold this way.
Thanks to state-of-the-art authentication services, you can now shop with peace of mind. You can find out whether the bags or other second-hand accessories you want to buy are genuine or not. In addition to this, to reassure their customers, shops can also collaborate with a luxury authentication service by offering a free authentication service for luxury products.
One of the advantages of these authentication services is that they offer instant results. From now on, when you buy a Louis Vuitton bag, you will no longer be content to simply look at serial numbers, the correct location of the handles, and other apparent defects that can help identify counterfeits. To be more than 99% sure of the authenticity of your bag, ask the seller to authenticate the product. You can also read: How to choose the right French online casino.
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