23 Nov How to avoid Fake Radley on Ebay

Fake Radley on Ebay

Over the years as Radley have become more and more popular, inevitably fraudsters have started producing fake or replica Radley products. Unfortunately Ebay is a prime target for these fake sellers because they know collectors need certain pieces from old ranges and they can only buy these from eBay and other second hand sites. It’s these types of fraudsters that give good genuine sellers of Radley on eBay a bad name and provide the need to produce a guide such as this.

So how will I know if its fake?

Sometimes its very hard to spot a fake Radley and other times its as easy as pie. Follow the simple guidelines below and these should help you decide if the seller can be trusted and if the product is genuine.

1. Inspect the Seller

Firstly have a close look at the seller of the Radley product. Inspect their feedback and look at recent transactions. This will give you a good indication of the sellers reputation and if they are trusted and reliable among other people purchasing from them. Don’t be afraid to even message the seller and ask them about their history with Radley and how long they have been selling Radley. All reputable sellers on eBay selling Radley should make time to answer your questions. Their reputation of selling genuine Radley relies on keeping buyers happy and selling genuine products.

2. Check Auction Time

Next, check how long the auction is lasting. eBay are very good at removing fake Radley products but when the seller only lists them for 1-3 days they have often ended or been sold before eBay can remove them and deal with reports of a fake products from experienced Radley Collectors. So always opt for auctions of 7 plus days.

3. Check Sellers Returns Policy

The sellers returns policy – Does the seller have one? Will the seller give you a full refund if you are not fully satisfied? If the seller does not have a returns policy listed it can mean numerous things but we believe its either , one – they have forgotten to list it, and if you message them they will give you confirmation if they do or do not accept returns or two – they are selling a fake. Don’t get us wrong, some genuine people may sell Radley without offering a returns policy, but do you really want to risk buying a product if you can’t send it back if its not what you thought it should be? Don’t be frightened to message them and ask.

So you’ve bought your bag, and it’s arrived. How can you be sure it’s a genuine Radley? Unfortunately there’s no way to 100% guarantee it. There is plenty of information on the internet about spotting fake Radley bags, but there’s still no guarantee since the manufacturers have access to the same internet pages, and can have changed their way of making them to make them harder to identify.

Radley Dog Tags

Radley changed their hanging Dog Tag in 2010/2011.  So any bag from 2010 or earlier should have an old style dogtag.

Old genuine Radley dog tag style:

The hanging dog tags, always hang with leather cord, not metal or string. The dogs eye is in proportion to the dogs body and the embossed RADLEY is clear and is in the middle and sized correctly to the eye.

New genuine Radley dog tag style:

In 2011, Radley introduced the new style tag.

More Genuine Radley:

Most guides on how to avoid fake Radley list the below dog tag as a fake. Its actually NOT a fake ! It is not a dog tag at all. It is a pin badge that comes from the Radley scarfs and hats. If there is a hanging dog tag like below with no Radley Embossed into it, then yes its fake as genuine hanging dog tags always have the words RADLEY embossed into the hanging tag BUT these below are not hanging dog tags and therefore are GENUINE RADLEY.

 

Fake Radley dog Tag:

Metal eye is too big compared to the Radley body. The word Radley does not look right, its not wide enough or placed in the middle correctly.

 

Radley inside tag:

The Radley Tag inside the bag is equally important.  If the bag was available up to and including the Autumn/Winter 2004 collection it has the old style tag inside, with the exception of Cottage which has an individually numbered tag.

From Spring/Summer 2005 until Spring/Summer 2008, the tag was changed to a metal Radley.

For Autumn/Winter 2008 the metal Radley became a holographic metal Radley that changes colour when moved to combat Radley fakes.  Click the picture below for a better look at it.

For 2009, Radley has a single stitch in the centre like here from Radley Get Me Outta Here.

Some bags, often signature bags, limited editions and other special bags do not have a standard tag inside, like Beside the Seaside, Sweet Pickings and Port of Call, yet another tag was used, a metal plate with the name of the bag and the season.

More recent bags use a small leather tag with Radley embossed, shown here from Happy Camper:

 

The latest Radley bags have a tag like this:

Things to look for:

• Check the Radley price tag, does it look genuine? Radley have a distinctive price tag.

   

• Examine the bag carefully. Is the stitching up to Radley standards?
• Is the dogtag correct, the right sized rivet for Radley’s eye, and Radley stamped on it?
• Is the interior lining right for that model of bag?  Radley use very distinctive materials for some of their bags and purses. check online to see if it matches what should be there.
• Does it come with a dust bag? Is the bag material correct?

A couple of rather easy to tell fakes:

  

This bag’s dogtag doesn’t have 5 stitches on his back, and his eye is too large.  It’s also tied on by some cord, and not the normal leather Radley uses.  The interior is plain black, unlike Radley’s distinctive linings.

  

Ever seen a dogtag like this one? We certainly haven’t.

A rather nicely made fake, but a fake nonetheless….

 

The Dogtag has a hole drilled in his back, and is held on by a chain, not a leather thong about his neck.  A metal plate on the front saying Radley, the black interior lining and lack of an interior label.

Photos courtesy of C. Griffin.

How about this for a copy of 2007’s By the seaside?

 More fake Radley:

Two fake purses:

   

and 2 genuine purses below, note the position of the Radley London wording:

 

Remember, If in doubt, don’t buy it, because buying fakes makes Radley doggies cry…

 

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