- Guide provided by: Fattini Fashion
Fake sunglasses do not protect your eyes. They lack the special lenses that have passed the British Standard test. Your eyes will not be protected from the harmful UVA and UVB rays scorching from the sun. And dark lenses alone do not matter. They can actually be more brutal, since they force the pupil to peel open to allow in more light, and more of those blazing UV rays. That is actually more ultra-violet light burning your retinas than if you wore no sunglasses at all. Fake sunglasses will put your vision at risk. 100% of all fake polarized eyewear does nothing to protect your eyes. Even it says so. So to weed out these fakes, we have some key points for you to look for:
1. Price: Despite the great deals on ebay, authentic designer eyewear will still never sell for next to nothing. Most online sellers of authentic merchandise purchase off-season eyewear discounted in bulk. Now along with that, selling online costs a fraction of what it costs to run a brick and mortar store. The online seller does not have to pay a premium for a fancy location, or any location. Does not have to buy display cases, racks or registers. Does not have to spend thousands of dollars to market their store and their products. And in most cases, does not have to hire any employees. Therefore, ebay sellers can pass on that savings to you. But authentic designer eyewear will still not sell for next to nothing. At times you may get lucky and score a pair of Gucci glasses at an ebay auction from a reputable seller, but that is rare. The seller may gamble with you. But even then, designer eyewear will still never sell for next to nothing. If it looks to good to be true it is.
2. Point of origin: Where were they made? Well, they should not say Made in Taiwan etc. Most of all the top brands are made by:
a. Safilo Group: Italy
Safilo, Oxydo, Carrera, Blue Ray, Gucci, Dior, Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino and Marc Jacobs.
b. Luxottica Group: Italy
Ray Ban, Revo, Persol, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Donna Karen, Versace, Burberry, Polo Ralph Lauren.
c. Marcolin Group: Italy
Roberto Cavalli, MontBlanc, Ferarri, Tom Ford, Allison Spa, Gianfranco Ferre, Missoni, John Richmond, Romeo Gigli, Fendi, Coach, Calvin Klein, Nike
Note: Some designer brands do have factories in China. Yes, these brands are
authentic still. For instance, many of the models put out by their second tier labels like, "Marc by Marc Jacobs,"
or "Just Cavalli by Roberto Cavalli" etc, are made in China. But the premier label like
"Roberto Cavalli," or Marc Jacobs will be made in Italy.3. Weight: Fake sunglasses are made with cheaper materials and are lightweight and tend to rattle. Authentic sunglasses are made with better quality materials and should have some weight to them. Hold them in your hand and feel for some resistance. Their may be a slight rattle, but not too much. If they feel too flimsy they are probably fake.
4. Quality: According to the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC), counterfeit sunglasses shatter easily and the screws loosen quickly. But you don't need to wait for your glasses to fall apart to realize you have been ripped off. Fold and unfold the arms. The joints should feel strong. There should be nothing loose and almost no rattle. The hinges should feel stiff but smooth.