And if someone purchases a fake LV purse, it is probably b/c they like the look of the bag, but don't want to spend $100s on it, and there's nothing wrong with that.
What about the people who love the look of the real ones but cannot afford it? So they buy a fake and so people know it is a fake but they like it, what difference does that make?
If you want the real thing but can't afford it then do without. Or get an inspired bag so you can have the look without the price tag. If it's the name brand that's important, then get the real thing. I'm sorry, but knock offs are illegal and it's a crime to buy them.
What's wrong with buying counterfeit??
- Counterfeiting costs U.S. businesses $200 billion to $250 billion annually.
- Counterfeit merchandise is directly responsible for the loss of more than 750,000 American jobs.
- Since 1982, the global trade in illegitimate goods has increased from $5.5 billion to approximately $600 billion annually.
- Approximately 5%-7% of the world trade is in counterfeit goods.
- U.S. companies suffer $9 billion in trade losses due to international copyright piracy.
That's what's wrong. Wanting something you can't afford does not give you the right to resort to illegal measures to get it.
What bothers me more than anything is that there are shallow women out there that actually laugh at/call women posers for carrying fake bags. I mean really...??? People are dying in wars, from cancer..etc. and all they can think about is whether or not someone is being a poser by carrying a fake? Wow. I can understand the whole counterfeit thing taking money from the company- but geez... why do they charge so much in the first place? I'm not making excuses for the rip-off, I just don't understand what makes a hunk of leather so expensive in the first place. You could buy the whole cow for less than that. Maybe women like the style of LV bags- I for one love the speedy style, but I will never spend thousands on a handbag. So what's wrong with finding one that is designer inspired? I feel really sorry for women that judge others by the brand of their clothing or bag- I find that pathetic. Sorry to spout off, but this is something that really bothers me- shallowness.
I don't laugh at women who carry fakes (not inspired bags, but the ones with logos), but I do disapprove of them. Not for wanting something they can't have, but for thinking a knock off is okay. It is not a victimless crime (see above). If having the real thing is
that important to you, then save up and buy it. Wanting something and thinking it's okay to "steal" it (stealing the logo) is nothing more than entitlement. It's saying, "I want it but I don't think I should have to pay for it." Again, this is not the same as an "inspired" bag which is saying, "I like the style, but I'm not paying for the brand name on it!"
The companies charge so much because they can, just like any other company. With luxury goods they're trading on the fact that their items can't be owned by every one. There's an exclusivity to it. They back it up with a quality product, but that's really the core of the model. It's the same reason people stay in 5 star hotels. A $50 /night hotel will serve the same purpose, a place to sleep, but some people enjoy the experience of staying in a beautiful hotel and they're willing to pay for it. Or the same reason people buy anything more than a basic model car. In many cases it's the same engine, but you're paying for the features and the name they call it. If something holds no value to you, personally, then of course you see no reason to pay for it. I feel that way about a lot of things others pay for or care about. But I don't feel the need to judge them for what they like.
You may hate others that judge people by their handbag, but I hate being judged for owning mine.
I don't know why anyone would own the real thing, much less a fake. I suppose some people can tell the difference between a fake and a real LV purse, I don't need to because I can laugh equally at both of them.
Here's the thing, didn't buy it to impress anyone. I really do like it, and if no one knew it was a designer item, it wouldn't bother me in the slightest. (In fact, the bag I normally carry is worth about $800. Most people would never know, the only logo is on the lining inside and it's not a brand most people would have heard of anyway.) I totally get the annoyance about people who feel they are superior because they own a designer handbag, but you get that complex with
everything. From the car you drive, to the house to you own, to where you choose to vacation, to the food you buy at the grocery store. People who have a superiority complex will use any excuse to put others down. I find the fact that the above poster would laugh at me for something as simple as the bag I carry to be very pathetic. It may not be your thing, but why put others down?