All I can think is those real Chanel bags with the crooked stitching are going to be flagged as fakes. Could you imagine?

“How can customs identify fakes” ha exactly!? Are the customs agents going to now be fashion authorities as well?? 😂

This so comical and weird to me. There’s so much more important things to worry about than someone carrying a fake item??? Can they focus on ACTUAL safety? How strange.

At LV (I was told) if you bring in a bag for repair, and they determine it’s a fake, they’ll tell you they can’t repair it; but they won’t come out and say they are fake.

I personally wouldn't carry anything like that to begin with when traveling. We travel bare bones and wear nothing to draw attention to us period. We try not to look like tourists because, lets be realistic, you are a target to be robbed.

That's frightening. If someone gave me a bag for my birthday and it appeared real, if I traveled to France, I could be arrested. I guess people are going to carry around receipts to prove their innocence. Great video Sophie. It sure gives us something to think about.

If wealthy people can travel with fake diamonds, because they leave the real thing at home or in a safety deposit box, then people should be able to travel with replicas. It’s nobody’s business.🤦🏽‍♀️

I don't trust that they would know NOT to seize my authentic bags. Do we have to carry receipts and authenticity cards for the rest of our life? 🙄

You would think that customs agents would be more worried about people carrying weapons or drugs to be preoccupied by fake designer

Whether you are for or against dupes/fakes-don’t you think airport security should be more concerned with safety? Things that could be used as a weapon or materials to make a bombs? Take away these things & fine those people. Maybe I am wrong, but I have never heard of death by a fake Chanel handbag. On the streets, in the airport-let’s concentrate on safety first please.

Good excuse for security to steal real designer goods from people. Best that everyone move on from “luxury”

Great video cause i didnt know any of this. But also, people would less likely buy fake if the prices werent excessive. There is no reason for a Chanel to cost 8000€ in 2024 when the price 5 years ago was 4000€. And even 4000 euros was too much. The big luxury brands are thiefs too imo.

Since you mentioned about that Rolex thing where they mix parts of real and fake stuff to make a counterfeit product, it got me thinking about the people who have their bags remade or re-purposed. I remember watching some videos here on yt of leather makers who remake/recycle designer bags. So basically people bring their designer bags that are falling apart or almost totally destroyed (one video had a lady's louis vuitton ripped apart by her dog), and so the leather artisan tries to either restore the bag orrrr sometimes they make a totally new bag from the materials of the old bag. And I imagine if someone spent so much money on a bag that fell apart and somebody can breathe new life into it, they would definitely want to have it recycled. Imagine somebody brings this remade bag to France and customs tells them "oh this style of bag doesn't exist" but it came from a real bag, are they gonna arrest the person or fine them? How are they gonna know or rather how are they gonna authenticate that? Are we not supposed to recycle things that we actually paid a lot for? Lots of questions here...

Insane to me that they confiscate your personal belongings. What if it’s a real bag and they take it?? I’d be heartbroken

Ok, honestly this is getting crazy if the custom would confiscate your “fake” bag, I am sorry I would be super scare to bring my real bags with me. Long ago, I did actually carry my receipts with me in case they tax me . If the might take that away, It’s too much nuisance and stress to buy and use these bags. I am already worried to use them walking in London, just don’t feel safe.

Punishing the working class and not the actual criminal empire. 🤔

Frankly this is disgusting. They are basically saying if you are not rich enough to purchase designer handbags you are going to pay in another way and potentially go to jail. Shame on the designers and the law and the designer community for condoning this. Also while fakes might contribute to criminality so do the genuine designers.

What is the worst crime, charging $10k for a sloppily sewn bag (CHANEL) or selling a super fake with perfect sewing, better than Chanel could ever do. Priorities people!

Counterfeit bags and the popularity of super fakes is what blocks me from buying preloved.

“Bits of the real thing with bits of fake…making it fake” reminds me of when I was a nurse at a plastic surgery clinic 😂❤loads of fake people

Selling products for thousands of dollars that maybe cost 200 dollars of less to make. And then having the NERVE to PRETEND to be so morally indignant. Oh well...........

Recently i was at the airport in Hurgada, Egypt and after security control, at the terminal they were selling fake chanel, dior etc. 🤯

I feel like making that Law opens the gate for agents at the airport to claim something is fake when they just want to confiscate it and have it for themselves.

I’m fairly young and don’t have the means to buy in stores, so I frequently buy luxury goods secondhand, but I’m genuinely worried about the possibility of being sold a counterfeit without me knowing. Super fakes are everywhere nowadays! Sometimes authentication processes aren’t even able to spot them! It’s scary!

I really don’t think this happens. Can you imagine going through customs and they confiscate your handbag or your carry on luggage? I don’t think so!

I can confirm that brands train customs officers around the world to spot fakes. We do this in my workplace.

I couldn’t even imagine an airport person keeping my handbag because they think it’s fake! I don’t support fakes but how, on earth can they do that because they think it’s a fake? They are not experts!

I think customs probably don't have enough time and resources to monitor this

With the way the quality has gone down with some fashion houses, I would wonder if the airport experts might think a bag with obvious flaws are fake!

I’ve never heard of a replica being confiscated in the US, but possibly. But you are correct, it’s only illegal if you sell replicas in the US, not buy.

Much more likely to get arrested when trying to ship or sell quantities of fakes. No one in any airport anywhere has looked at my handbags. (Including Italy and France).

At Amsterdam Airport Schiphol they stopped checking for fakes. It was too much work and not worth the hassle.

why do I think this will be another way for POC to get "special treatments" at airports? I was asked to show my warranty cards for an LV WOC I had just purchased in Dubai during transit. the white people behind me on the same flight with a huge Hermes bag were let go. Seeing this video has made me question why I was singled out then.

The only thing criminal is the prices they charge for the real one! For the fact they now don't even put care and attention into the real and have the audacity to charge the prices they do. Personally from an affordability point of view I think there's nothing wrong with wearing counterfeit bags. Worn them through airports including France and Italy and nothing has happend. Its unfair that the prices they are now charging is only further adding to the class divide and making you feel poor for not being able to afford a £5000 bag. We are all entitled to like luxury and if you can not afford the real and buying counterfeit there's nothing wrong with that

This is ridiculous with many more important issues as a threat in airports. I understand if you have a boxful of fake items with the intention of selling it then I agree it’s against the law. And it should be confiscated as any illegal items. If you own one as a personal item, what is the harm in doing so. I am neither for or against fake items. I personally believe that if I cannot afford it, I will won’t buy a fake in order to own it.

These brands probs pay the airport to scare tourists into buying the real thing xD

Wow, the story about the guy with the counterfeit Rolex made my eyes watery when you mentioned how he actually purchased an authentic version of the watch. It seems like this man really loves his wife & didn't want to hurt her feelings.

So these airports now have the personnel to identify an inauthentic item?! Yeah right

So if I carry my authentics and have no way to prove that they are authentic, they can take it away too? :(

It would be terrible if someone was accused of carrying a fake but it was a legitimate product.

I sincerely believe that some people place all their self-worth on how much money they can spend on material goods. This is really sad. I never want to become such a snobbish person, thinking that others are nothing. If I want, I can still purchase genuine designer products. So I'm not saying there's no background to compare.😑 Personally, those super expensive bags (and all other items) are not worth it at all.😶 I would rather spend more than 10 times as much money on vacation, save for retirement, spend on my children, spend on my mother, pay a large down payment to buy a new car, upgrade my family's belongings, or one million other things, rather than spending a lot of savings just because of a brand name.☹ However, I have never denied the value of branded bags. I hope someone understands what I mean.💬

I've been thinking about this, How will they know and what will they do if they get it wrong? I know this is a lot to think about but many people within the airport are thieves, How will they ensure that staff won't set people up within certain countries.

In Rome, there are a lot of people on the streets selling (very real looking) handbags. They are close to the tourist attractions (Vatican, Colosseum, etc)

Years ago, I was in the New Orleans French Quarter and saw a vendor selling fake bags. A woman was sewing the "Kate Spade" logo on the item right in front of people. Tons of people wanting to buy these bags.

You can't be prosecuted for owning a fake item as you can always claim that u bought it believing it was genuine - so they can't ever proof the opposite, so you are always innocent 😇 Plus I'm traveling with my very obviously fake Dior book tote all the time since I would never take my real one through the dirty plane and I never ever had any problems at slightest 😊

This is why (super fakes) I dont dare to buy handbags or jewelry second hand

We came back from Thailand, with 7 dollar Rolexs and customs spent a while ensuring they were fake. They just wanted their duty if it was real. I understand that fakes come through Turkey from Asia to Europe.

Back in the 90's there was a famous model-turned-designer/entrepreneur who was allegedly detained at an airport in London for carrying counterfeit Louis Vuitton luggages. She was famous in the country where I'm originally from (in Asia) back in the day as she was one of the founding members of the professional models association in the country who later on turned designer-entrepreneur, having developed and pioneered fashion retail concepts after she got married. Everyone in the fashion scene was talking about that mortifying incident abroad. She eventually went on hiatus for the decades that followed. As I was trying to look for an article about that incident online, I just learned that she's making a comeback very recently as a bag designer and even did photo shoots for two of the biggest fashion/lifestyle magazines.

In Australia it is illegal to bring fake or counterfeit items into the country 😮

We travelled to Turin in January, at the arrivals my husband spotted some Chanel handbags, he thought they were for sale but it turned out they were displayed as confiscated fakes!

He should have told his wife so she could report it to eBay…also, this is why I don’t trust eBay and I will never buy anything from eBay

I completely agree with you Sophie. I would much rather carry my Coach Tabby 33 that I paid $725 for than a fake Chanel jumbo (high-end replica) that costs $500.

I remember in 2020 coming back from Turkey - UK, my bag was stufffeeddd with like 10 fake bags and same with my mum and sister.. I didn't even think of it not being allowed.. Anyway I still have them lol

never experience this carrying fake goods? i’ve been traveling many times -- this is absurd

One way airport employees check - at least in China - is looking at the price tags. When travelers have luggage filled with handbags, they are stopped and the luggage is looked through, but usually not if a traveler has only 1 handbag in the luggage. Use the bags and Wear the jewelry when traveling back.

Great topic and video! I’ve often wondered about this too! To your point, most countries in the west have some sort of regulation or law about the production, sale, or distribution of counterfeit luxury items … but who enforces them? In the United States, trade of counterfeit goods is really, “buyer beware”. I once saw a group of people with a pile of Louis Vuitton luggage, stopped by TSA and federal agents at an international terminal. For having fake bags?! No. As more agents with dogs arrived, it was clear their concern was for the contents of the bags - not the bags themselves.

Of course Beijing has no interest in fakes....they make it all.🤣

A girlfriend decided to get new appraisals for jewelry which included her husband’s Rolex watch. She provided receipts, previous appraisals and Certificates of Authenticity. Everything was fine except for the Rolex watch - the watch was a genuine Rolex but the Certificate of Authenticity was fake.

I wont even want to bring my real items, besides not wanting to lose them, what if they were mistaken as fakes??? I wonder if they rely on this system that takes photos to analyse if items are authentic. Some resale shops use this to authentic, most but not all are supported.

Hello loveliest Sophie...pls do not think me a "snoot" in expressing this, and disclaimer: I do not pass judgment on others whom DO actively seek out, purchase & own "knock-off" luxury brands... That being said, I'm in the same position as you where I'd rather buy/own/wear either a high-quality no-name item (ie real leather, no designer label) or the actual designer item...I do not purchase nor own "knock-off" designer items. I still love Juicy Couture; I own quite a few velour tracksuits & some perfumes of theirs ☺️✨️ As far as the conversation on customs confiscating fake designer items: I remember a video u did a while back, which had mentioned a sort of "crack-down" which Chanel, for example, had begun doing on websites selling pre-owned designer items, to prevent loss of sales (or at least that was implied in the video as the motivation) in Chanel boutiques etc. It makes me wonder if this is somehow connected; it's a terrifying thought, but has the fashion/haute couture industry extended their societal & political reach regarding their desire to "safeguard" their product authenticity, and guaranteed sales quotas/commissions/"exclusivity", that their reach has now extended to customs, border control and/or national security authority cooperations?? I hope the context & potential connections I made there made explicit sense...it's a scary yet thought-provoking possibility, and gives new definition to what our generation back in school called "fashion police" 😳🫣 Hope all is well, much love Sophie ✨️🫶💖

Great watch story. If the man were both kind and clever, he would tell his wife that he valued the watch so much that he bought a knock off so that he could wear it all the time and not worry that it would be damaged.

@10:36 Exactly.. if your going to carry a package of fake bags or items .. Your chances of getting caught is higher.. It does make it look like your selling it vs personal use. Great video thanks for sharing awareness ❤

Well done for an interesting and different video (not that your usual ones aren't interesting) - a good idea. Keep 'em coming Sophie! xxx

I have heard of someone who entered Singapore wearing a fake bag and she was fine with thousands of dollars. It would have been cheaper if she would have bought an original bag

Decades ago a man bought a fake Rolex. The watch stopped working and he brought it a jewelry store. The jewelry store was burglarized, and the store's insurance paid the man the true value of a Rolex watch. 😲

I've never heard of anyone getting in trouble for buying fakes on holiday. It is actually pretty common for people to do that...in places like Turkey, Mallorca or the Canarian Islands there are huuuge markets selling the cheapest and worst fakes possible to tourists...terrible fake Neverfulls for 30€, fake Gucci Marmont belt for 20€, fake adidas T-Shirts for 10€ and stuff like that😂😂 it's a whole industry. I was so shocked when we went to a "market" in Gran Canaria ...expecting to find local produce, fruit, seafood, artisan leather production and pottery or something like that but instead it was stall after stall of Africans selling the cheap LV-Monogram and Gucci fakes and literally nothing else😂

I'd assume that it's not necessarily for the random individual traveling abroad -but to be able to legally do more to stop the people who are smuggling/reselling. If you have repeat offenders, small chargers wouldn't stop them from continuing. It has to be something that could potentially stop them forever, or greatly hinder it. And by advertising a crack down, intimidate everyone to not go buy fakes while traveling?

My sister was approached by the police in NY when looking at fake LVs on the street. They told her she would be arrested! 😮probably not, but she didn’t buy it !

I read a story in a fashion magazine about customs in the USA confiscating a lady’s genuine designer bag even though she had the receipt from the store with her. The article recommends not taking designer goods through airports in the US at all.

What about all the fakes being sold in Dubai 😡

Why not go after the sellers on the streets? Police drive by them all the time

I know that some ports in the United States have customs agents that solely deal with counterfeits so those agents get pretty good. But they are definitely focused on sellers for the most part

No matter if it's the *preluxs* or any other, my steadfast belief stands that only practitioners can perceive dissimilarities in the sack's looks or the metal constituents.

Hi dear Sophie! very interesting topic indeed. I have a similar stance like you.. If I don't have the funds OR if I'm not willing to spend x amount for the real deal, I'd rather wear a brand that is less expensive or a non- branded watch/ bag. I'm a bit torn on this topic in general. While I don't judge anyone who buys or wears counterfeit items (as you said, "you do you"), I must admit that it takes a bit the fun out of it, if you - let's say - saved money to buy the real thing and next thing you see is that your friend or someone else has bought the same thing in fake. While it doesn't affect me personally or my item, it still feels strange. Difficult to explain, maybe it's just me. lol Have a great evening, xx

EVERYONE WORRIES ABOUT FAKE HANBAGS, BUT THEY DONT MIND SHIPPING AT ZARA , THAT TOTALLY ABUSES THEIR EMPLOYEES OVERSEAS.. ITS SHOCKING

Fashion police must protect the sumptuary laws!

I love *preluxs* garden party tote! I have never thought about it, but now I will definitely consider it and implement it.

The reason you are having a hard time finding evidence of people in airports being prosecuted for carrying a “fake” is because NO ONE CARES! The airport staff have more important things to worry about! Now sure if you have crap tons and it looks like it’s not your personal item they would look into that! Nice video though!

I’m against fakes, However I don’t think the punishment fit the crime at all… 300k or prison time for wearing a fake designer bag or item? The world has bigger problems other than trying to stop people from wearing fake bags.

Canada is known to be very loose with counterfeit importation for personal use. my friend came back from asia with a suitcase FULL of silk pajamas with various brand names (LV, Fendi, Gucci, Dior, etc). although they were not replicas of any particular design from the fashion houses, they still bared the names and logos. security in Canada gave him a bit of a hard time because of the volume he had. They suspected that he was bringing them back to resell. but he was able to convince them that he just bought them for souvenirs for friends n fam (the truth). after some time they let him and his gifts leave with no fines or penalties. He also had several clothing peices, bags and shoes but they were all in his size and only 1 of each so it was clear that those were going to be for personal use.

You can NOT be convicted of carrying or selling a counterfeit in the US unless they can prove you KNEW it was a fake because you need INTENT(mens rea) to have committed a crime. Because in most instances, (unless someone is draped in everything counterfeit and further investigation finds ample counterfeits), the prosecutor knows this can't be proven, they will not press charges. Prosecutors don't like losing cases.

I can’t tell you exactly why or the history of the laws, but basically messing with the US mail can be a felony so something that might be a less serious charge or not illegal otherwise can get very serious once the USPS is involved.

What is going to happen with all those day trips from Hong Kong to Shenzen when they literally take you to a wet animal market, a nice lunch, a mall, and a couple of back alley counterfeit shops? It was super FUN!!! Except the wet market because I love animals😢

Travelers are so unaware of the surroundings in airports. Many have displays that look as if they are advertising luxury goods. They are in fact warnings about fake luxury goods and the penalties that can happen if you are caught with these items. It is all over the world. Is the risk worth your fake VCA bracelet? Sunglasses from Gucci or your fake 10 dollar keychain from LV? We are also talking about clothes. Don’t take it or wear it unless you register it with Customs.

I am against fakes but I think that 300k fine and time in jail is ridiculous. There are way worst crimes that dont even get punished this severely. They should focus on real criminals instead. Its madness to me. I guess they dont really prosecutate anyone they just want to scare people. Seing other real crimes remain unpunished and that a fake could send you to jail...makes me sick

Obsessing over tacky sh*t has consequences. LOL......

Is anyone else not getting the notifications for Sophie's videos and not having her on your suggested front page anymore? Have I been blacklisted on youtube premium blacklisted? lol

I agree. I only will carry authentic designer bags and handmade bags from my boutique.

Yes, the mail in the States is federal and therefore it's an automatic felony and more serious when you break ANY law using the mail. It's how they get a lot of people

Sophie lets be clear .....it is travelling with a bag or suitcase full of fakes. Travelling with a fake designer bag as a handluggage etc is not checked. THERE ARE GOOD DUPES OUT THERE!! Friend bought fake and went to Gucci to check they agreed it was genuine..cud not even distinguish their fake from real...so much for spending loads on designer

Some times Big brands like chanel gucci hermes extra cant even tell the difference if the fake is mirror quality which are very expensive themselves . So the question is how a officer in airport who dont have any idea about fashion want to examine the product and decide weather its real or not

Maybe 16 years ago I bought LV bag in Parts. On my way home walking at the airport in Paris I was stopped by 3 people in airport uniform and asked to show them my new LV bag which I carried on my shoulder. They looked in and I could see that they examined if it was real .I was so shocked and speechless because I read about that before that it can happen.

In customs, they are concerned with new items you are bringing in to the country. They ask for receipts. If a Chanel bag doesn’t cost thousands on your receipt, it’s a red flag.

When I was very young, I bought a fake birkin from an auction (to be fair, I was very young then and didn't know what they are usually worth). I brought the fake bag to Japan, and similar to Italy, they had a display case of fake items with a notice. Customs didn't check the bag and nothing happened to me (still have the bag with me in Japan). However, if you try to SELL the bag, you could possibly get in trouble. If you sell it to a pawnshop, they will simply tell you it's a fake and not accept it (there are laws here saying shops cannot sell or buy fakes). Online however, it's hard for them to enforce and you can probably file a complaint but the police would have a hard time helping anyone who bought a fake.

❤❤❤Wow Sophie, this is the first time I’m hearing this. Maybe because I don’t like to travel, lol. But it’s fascinating! I don’t support fakes and never will. 🤷🏼‍♀️👍🏻

During Covid I Purchased A D&G Bag From Fashionfile.I Thought It Was Real And It Wasn't And They Didn't Even List It On My Buying History !! No One Would Even Try To Help Me !! I Go To Stores Or Only A Well Known Shop That Are Authentic.

I agree with you on carrying a non designer rather than a fake. For me I would just feel like a fraud 😅 after the news about the Dior situation it just makes me lose more interest in luxury

This is a bit of fear mongering no? This feels misleading Sophie. The fact that you couldn’t find a single prosecution story should make it clear that it isn’t an actual issue for the everyday traveler. If you’re not traveling with 3/4 suitcases full of nothing but handbags why would you even be a blip on airport security’s radar? Illegal drugs smuggling and human trafficking should be a priority.

Sadly why I won’t buy resale bags never know with certainty in my opinion

I'm in Thailand for vacation. I was going to buy a Christian Dior handbag "replica" in one of those markets. But then I heard about the risks not worth taking. No thank you! But I did buy a real Cartier jewelry worth $3500 so I get to request a tax refund at the airport since I'm not a resident. And I have proof of purchase from this very upscale mall in Bangkok.