Is it legit? How to avoid purchasing fake products

Buying designer clothes online can be tricky, and you need to be able to trust that everything you pick is authentic. All the stock Mainline Menswear receives and sells comes directly from the companies themselves, including Ralph Lauren, Versace, Hugo Boss, Fred Perry, Lacoste and every other designer brand we have available on our website. Clothing and footwear are then stored in our warehouse until it is purchased and shipped directly to you. We take pride in the high-quality of our stock and great relationship with our designer brands.

Nonetheless, we understand that buying designer clothes online can be nervewracking when you can’t see it before you’ve bought it, and you want to be reassured that what you’re buying is the official, legit product, and not a fake. Some of the most searched google phrases include: “is it safe”, “is it legit”, “is it genuine” and “can I trust this site?”

To make things simple, Mainline Menswear has developed a checklist of what to look out for, to ensure that the product you purchase is real and genuine.

How to tell if your product is legit

The first dead giveaway should be the price. If the product is available for more than 30% less than the original RRP, sadly, it’s likely to be unreliable. A good idea is to check the product price on the original website, and then compare it to the one you’re considering purchasing. For example, our Ralph Lauren Polo shirts sell for £75.00 – £129.00, which is exactly the same as what they sell for on the official Ralph Lauren website.

You should also check details about the seller and the website you’re purchasing from. A full address and contact details should be supplied by the seller, including an email and phone number. Find out about their refund policies, and if in fact they will refund you if you’re not satisfied.

Shipping details are also very important. More often than not if you’re shopping in the UK, the product should be shipped from the UK. If the website states products are shipped from Asia and takes more than 3-4 business days for shipping, you need to be careful about how you proceed, as it may be a fake merchandiser.

Your purchase should also be delivered in proper packaging. For example, Adidas trainers will arrive in an Adidas shoebox. Correct documentation should also be visible with the product which confirms the authenticity, and price tags should not be attached to the item.

How to tell if the website is legit

When it comes to how the product is displayed online, the key is high-quality photography. Each product should have three or four pictures accompanying it, with the ability to zoom in so you can properly scrutinise the product.

Through these images, you should be able to view the stitching, labels, seams and logos. This enables you to make sure that everything is to the highest standard that we would expect and no loose threads or messy stitching is visible.

Unfortunately, you are rarely able to see images of the inside of items when purchasing online, but if when your delivery arrives there are messy threads on the inside – behind logos for example – it is probably a fake. Official brands take pride with all their stitching, and although some loose threads may occasionally be visible, they are always neat and in the same colour as the rest of the item.

Brand names when visible should always be engraved or stitched into the product, not printed onto it and the feel of the item should be high quality. For example, leather should feel soft and supple, not stiff or plastic-y.

Although it is often very hard to tell if the product you’re buying is genuine or fake, the retailer you buy it from is normally a big give away. Buying designer products from sites like eBay are often found to be fake, but reliable sites like us at Mainline Menswear can guarantee you the legitimate, high-quality product. We only deal with the real thing.

If you google the brand you’re purchasing from, and their stockists, the website you’re using should be displayed. For example, G Star Raw online stockists shows the name of our store and the address, so you can clearly see we are a genuine retailer.

Inspect the pictures and do some research around the price, and you should be able to narrow down your search to only the real products. At Mainline Menswear, we stock a huge selection of both designer and high street brands, at reliable prices, so visit our website to browse our extensive range of clothing, footwear and accessories. With over 100 brands available, we have the real thing ready for you.

SHOP DESIGNER CLOTHES  ONLINE