Wonder how to spot fake UGGs?  What you should look out for?  Where they are made?  How honest is the seller?

Then read on....

         Pic 1 - Fake Ugg                                 Pic 2 - Real Ugg

Pretty good copies...they did get the label wrong though!  Read on...

I had a bad experience and lost a fair amount of money.  I don't want others to lose out too as it's really stressful and time consuming.  There are quite a few sellers of fake items on eBay so be very careful.  

Remember...Prevention is better than cure!  To have any comeback on eBay you have to have a really strong case before you have any chance of a refund and it can be very difficult to prove to eBay that the item is fake.  So......  BEFORE YOU BUY:  

*Check the SELLER'S FEEDBACK...all of it!  Tedious as it may seem, it might save you £100, or more, in the long run.  If they have lots of Negs and a few Neutrals in the last year or so, ask yourself why?  Check out the buyers who left Negative and Neutral feedback, see if they have good feedback.  Usually it is obvious who's telling the truth.  Ask yourself why the seller has so many Negatives.  If they are a good seller, Customer Satisfaction will be No1 for them and any problems will be usually be rectified before feedback is left...so they should have no Negs or minimal.  

*Check the feedback the seller has left buyers in RESPONSE to the NEGATIVES left for them.  If it is agressive, defensive, sarcastic or just downright NASTY then that is a good indication that they are NOT NICE to deal with and have something to hide!  Should you make a purchase and consequently have a problem with seller, then YOU TOO will be met with the same type of verbal ABUSE, which is horrible and unnecessary.

*Beware of Feedback wording like 'Wonderful seller, 100% AUTHENTIC'   'Fantastic, REAL UGGs'  'GENUINE UGGs' , etc.  Why would buyers write that when they were expecting to pay for and have the REAL thing anyway??  The seller may have contacts who 'WIN' their items now and again and leave glowing feedback, in particular mentioning the fact that they are 'REAL' UGGs.  This is done to reassure you...and undermine you, should you ever question their authenticity. 

*Coupled with quite a few Negative Feedbacks, some sellers offer super-fast delivery and excellent communication to dumb down the fact that they are trading fakes or sub-standard goods.  This will be written on their feedback pages....everyone raving on about 'really fast delivery'.  Don't be lulled into a false sense of security as sometimes this is how they please the customer....even if the goods are fake!  You get so excited about your lovely new UGGs arriving and are bowled over by the super-quick delivery!  You don't even notice something wrong with your new purchase of dodgy UGG boots.  (My boots took a while and some comparing to my genuine ones before I realised I'd been duped!).  You leave the feedback in haste but by then it's too late...Take your time and check goods very carefully before leaving feedback.  Try the boots on, compare them to your other UGGS, study them, check for faults or anything out of the ordinary.  Also, you can try to contact buyers who have left Neg feedback questioning authenticity.  Sometimes eBay block out attempts to contact other eBayers...but try it.  It worked for me and we got a case of about half a dozen of us all complaining at the same time...adds weight to your argument. 

*Check out the buyers FEEDBACK numbers.  Who's been buying the Uggs?  Is is mostly by newish or inexperienced eBayers with only a few, or no feedback scores on their profile?  Or have purchases been made by loads of really experienced eBay users who have spent a lot of time on here and know a good deal from a bad one?  Also, have the people who write 'Great Buyer Will definitely use again'  bought again from this seller...or have they discovered too late that they have bought a dodgy pair of UGGs?  It might take a friend to spot their fakes and that could be weeks down the line. 

*How much are the UGGs for sale for?  For example....the retail value for UGG Classsic Tall is around £160 in UK ($169 in USA).  Most reputable mail order companies in UK will sell for around the £140+ mark.  If they are on eBay really cheap then why is this?  Sellers wouldn't ordinarily be able to buy them and make a profit if they are for sale on eBay for less than about £100.  However, you can get excellent fakes in China for £10-£20 and that's in a proper shop.  These eBay cheats buy at cost price so imagine how much they are making!    

Ok, you've checked out the feedback and it's 100% positive, or very close.  It's all looking good and chances are you've got yourself a pair of the real things.  Still in doubt?  

If you haven't bought real UGGs before then it's difficult to tell and you might not notice anything unusual...

  Real Uggs on the left, Fake on right.    

*Note the sharply sloping front on fake

*Fake UGGs are usually of sub-standard quality...but not always.  They may be made of thinner, crinklier sheepskin.  Do the boots stand up on their own, or collapse over the shoe part (particularly with UGG Classic Tall).  Is the grain of sheepskin quite even... or does it differ in thickness and quality from one area of the upper to the next?  Is the outside skin thick and smooth, or thin, papery and grainy?

*If you have had real UGGs before, then compare them.  Does the sole look exactly the same shape and size?  Fake UGGs can have a slightly different shape/outline to sole

*Have you bought the same size as you always do but these ones don't fit?  UGG Classic Short and Tall come up big and you usually have to buy a half or one size smaller than your usual shoe size.  If you normally buy UGGs in UK4 and these new UK4 UGGs are too small then chances are they're fakes.  The sole may match up sizewise but fakes sometimes skimp on the upper and will pinch your toes a bit (see pic above).  They should look like boots and not slippers!

         FAKE                                        REAL UGG

Above left is FAKE.  See how the upper flops forwards and the toes turn up - yuk!!  Made from inferior sheepskin and cut to wrong shape.  Also, it's a slightly different shade of brown 

On the right is the REAL Ugg - It's the right shape....and see how it stands stiff without flopping?  The sheepskin is thicker and the boot fits properly.  This is quality!

*Check how the label on the back of the boot is sewn on.  Is the stitching uneven?  Is it stitched over any of the words 'UGG Australia' or is there a clear border left around the words.  Badly stitched labels could indicate fake boots.  The label on the back of my fake boots wasn't even the right colour - should have been CREAM and it was BROWN!  I didn't know until I bought a genuine pair of brown ones.

*UGGs are Made in China and should state this on the label inside the boot and on the outside of the box.  The labels are easy to copy so may appear authentic

*The UGG leaflet inside the box should be of good quality thick paper with full colour, clear pictures (not blurred)....however, these are easy to copy

* The soles should be slightly shiny but not glossy.  There should be no join lines at toe and heel (where ridged texture meets smooth).  There should be little R in a circle in pairs beside word UGG.  Look at each pair of 'R's - each one should be slightly offset from it's partner, not parallell to each other

Fake Ugg Sole                                      Real Ugg Sole

*Take your new UGGs to your local UGG stockist and compare them in the shop...don't be too proud or too shy!

*If you are still unsure, then contact UGG Australia via their website.  They are very helpful and will advise you.  They are good at offering replacement boots, even if you didn't buy direct from them...IF they are genuine UGGs.  If you send them fakes then they will confiscate them but will be very interested in where you made your purchase and may instruct their Legal Dept to carry out an investigation of the seller.  You might not get your money back but at least the culprit will be investigated and may face legal action and/or imprisonment, as well as their associates who manufacture the fakes.  UGG Australia take the matter very seriously as anyone selling fakes undermines the quality of their product and it loses them a considerable amount of revenue each year.  If you don't want to send the boots to them, take lots of good pictures of the boots, soles, labels and box and email to UGG Australia.  They are good at spotting fakes, even just from pictures!

If seller is based in UK, you can contact Trading Standards or your local Consumer Advice centre by phone or via their websites.  They too will be interested in sellers of fake goods within UK

The other route you can take is to file a Dispute on eBay against the seller.  This may help you get a refund but it is a long, slow process as eBay protects both seller and buyer.  This has to be done within 60 days of purchase.  Paypal may be able to help if you paid for the item by Paypal and purchase is eligible for 'buyer protection'.  This has to be done within 45 days of purchase.

Finally, the seller may offer you a refund if you contact them directly, asking you to return the boots to them.  This sounds great but BEWARE, this gives them the perfect opportunity to say they NEVER RECEIVED your returned goods and thus not give you a refund!  If seller is in UK then SEND the parcel RECORDED DELIVERY (signed for).  That should ensure the seller receives it and there is proof, should you need it.  If seller is abroad, you can use International Signed For through Royal Mail.  If the seller claims that the goods have not been received by 25 working days from date of posting then you will have to file a Lost Parcel form with Royal Mail and they will investigate seller's local Post Office/Sorting Office and who, if anyone, has signed for the parcel.  If seller claims they didn't receive the returned goods when they have, then that is theft!  Better still, SEND parcel abroad using a Signed For COURIER.  Goods will get there quicker and seller can't even try to lie and say they didn't receive parcel as you will have written proof.  Costs a little more but it's worth it. 

*Note:  It is illegal to trade, or knowingly be in possession of, fake goods in UK and many other countries. 

Many buyers and sellers on eBay are honest and trustworthy so please don't be put off by the tiny amount of dishonest ones. 

Happy eBaying. 

PS The seller I bought from in Australia has FINALLY, after several complaints and ripping off hundreds of people, been suspended from selling fake UGGs on eBay!  RESULT!!  Sadly, most of the buyers are unaware that they are sporting fake boots that cost them around £80 a pair, giving the cheating seller about £70 profit per pair!

Also, another seller bought a couple of dozen pairs from the same seller of fakes and has now re-sold them on eBay.  I despair! 

And I have no doubt that someone, somewhere, in a factory in another part of the world is reading this and using the information to improve their fake manufacturing techniques!