Christian Louboutin Fake saga

Hello there, and how are you?

I’m not sure if you are aware that I purchased three pair of “pigalle” from an online store purporting to be selling last year’s stock of authentic Christian Louboutin (CL) shoes.

Example 1.

Example 2.

Example 3.

Anyway, as I knew nothing about CL shoes prior to this episode in my life, other than that they are expensive and exclusive. Having spent a little time inspecting the range at the Sydney Westfield Store, I realise the pairs I had seen on the feet of women in my city (who had rather high opinions of themselves because of the brand of shoes they were wearing) were all fakes as well.

What I realised was, until YESTERDAY I had never seen an authentic pair of Louboutin shoes in my life. Shame on you ladies.  Shame on you!!!!  :-P No wonder I thought they were overpriced crap.

I was told a few different stories during my contact with various authorities:

• Design houses do not give certificates of authentication due to legal issues.
• Design houses do give certificates of authentication due to legal reasons.
• There is an online service where the woman who owns the site will verify your items as authentic or fake.  It is called CarolDiva and Paypal gave me her site address.  By this time I had already booked the train ticket and didn’t want to pay her to find that the certification was not sound enough for the other Authorities here.

Another one that looks interesting is:  My Poupette however I have no idea if Paypal will accept notifications from this service.

Basically I’m waiting now for Paypal to verify they’ve received the document, contact the AFP, Customs and get on with it.

There is an interesting notice on the bottom of the authentication document that says that Louboutin reserves the right to prosecute those involved in the illegal trafficking of counterfeit goods [paraphrased] mostly, the seller and the manufacturer.

However and as I have found, and a due warning to naughty ladies who think they get away with the fakes – think again. Your address, credit card details, paypal record is all available to any investigating authority once the source of the fakes is located.

Don’t for a second believe if you have a few pair of these fakes in your cupboard that Australian services won’t consider you to be involved in and essentially guilty of illegal trafficking of counterfeit goods into Australia.  Once they are returning customers the “ignorance is bliss” defence goes out the window.   It is a conscious action and one full of purpose. To steal from the designer and pay criminals for counterfeit goods.  Who wants to wear fakes anyway?  If you can’t afford them, you can’t. Get over yourself and learn to live within your means, without becoming a criminal in the process.

Some facts as I am now aware:

1. Louboutin footwear is not made in China.
2. They have no contracts with Chinese factories to make cheap copies of the designs.
3. They do not sell from Asian sites. EVER
4. No Chinese company has any authority to sell last season’s stock.
5. All last season stock is destroyed at the end of the season, in Europe. Not China.
6. None exists in sales online. These are fake.
7. The official site for Christian Louboutin world wide is http://loubiworld.christianlouboutin.com/.
8. Any other site than the site named above, is not affiliated with Louboutin and is selling fakes.

“Why are you doing this.  Louboutin rips everyone off.  He deserves it.”

1. Okay.  Just because “Joe and Jane Low to Middle Income Earners” aren’t the customer that Louboutin is aiming his designs at, doesn’t mean that I am going to fall foul to the attitude that he deserves to be stolen from.
2. Nobody deserves to be stolen from.
3. I know I am not the customer that Louboutin wants, and that’s okay.  I am not in the financial position to buy these shoes and I know that.  I thought there was a way, but there is not a way. End of story.
4. Simply because the masses want his designs, doesn’t mean he should be made to compromise on offering supermarket priced lines to dilute the almost unicorn status of his designs – in order to stop the masses from stealing from him.

And  I will note, the Aussie designers that have teamed up with BigW shouldn’t have bothered. The clothing is crap, the material is rubbish, the cut is atrocious and they look awful on any body.  Not connecting with the masses at all. It’s like a big Fuck You for even considering that poor people can wear their designs…”Here, have the crap. I know it’s crap, and so does everyone else.”

I wanted authentic Loubies.  Not Asian fakes.

And now I want my money back.  :-P

Impressions of Authentic Louboutin Shoes

They are well made. Beautifully made actually.  The heels are THIN.  Not chunky fat stiletto heels as the ones that landed here a month ago. (To draw reference, they are as thin as the stiletto heel on the DiMarni red boots I own)

They are finished within an inch of their lives and are pretty much perfect.  The heels are not high, sure, but for the people who are buying them, they are sufficient.  It’s a different woman that can go into Louboutin and pick up 4 pair of shoes and not bat an eyelid at the $5000+ bill.

They do not stink like bad factory.  They smell like leather. They are a light shoe as well to handle.  I did not try any on.

I would like to thank the Christian Louboutin USA customer service representatives that helped me secure the certificate, the Sydney staff of Louboutin who were absolutely lovely and finally Paypal for giving me time to secure this important document so I can have my funds returned.

The fakes are now destroyed as per the world wide policy of Louboutin.

Suzan