STOP PRESS - I have removed many of my original pictures because the fakers have now perfected many of the original points of difference.  You will need to read through the detail to check how to spot a fake pair.  I have also received the following tips from somebody (thanks Laura) who recently bought UGG Australia boots on eBay:-

" I recently brought a pair of ugg boots from ebay which I believed were genuine after reading every single guide on the internet.  After receiving them I took them to a local authorised reseller to check their authenticity.  For the first 5 minutes the manager of the store believed they were real, however after a
little more close scrutiny we found a few differences.  1. The heels on the fake were too low compared to the genuine. 2. The label on the inside was stitched writing; the genuine was printed (not sure they were always this way but the new ones are). These new fakes have no funny smell.  The inside feels and looks right until you have a genuine pair in your hands.  Also UGG Australia have recently changed the sole -  these fakes even had that!  I just thought you may be interested in this, as the inner label
thing you can check without seeing a real pair."

As a general guideline however, I offer the following advice.  Over 90% of all UGG Australia Boots (made by Deckers Inc) on eBay are fakes. The only ones which you can be fairly sure of as being authentic are those which have no more than 10-20% off UK list price (which is £140 - £200 depending on style) or somebody who has brought the boots from the US into the UK as a personal import. 

There are generally no bargains for Deckers Inc UGGS - the authorised stockists are often in short supply so anybody who has loads (and selling them cheaply) is more than likely selling fakes.  The presence of a care card is not evidence of genuine boots - how easy is it to fake a piece of paper?  Any boots with a label pinned on to it is also a fake - as Decker Inc DO NOT have pinned on labels!  I have also been made aware of many websites seemingly selling Decker Inc UGG Australia boots cheaply.  These are all based in China and will not have a UK or USA address - regardless of their web address.  You do not need to be in the UK to register a .co.uk web address!   See my separate guide for more information on off eBay websites that sell counterfeit Deckers Inc UGG Australia boots.

Nearly all of the fakes are made in China (which is indeed where authentic Decker Inc UGG Australia boots are made).  UGG Australia DO NOT ship their boots via agents or wholesalers in China - therefore ANY boot shipped to you from China will be counterfeit (fake).  Huge number of fakes on eBay are being bought by UK traders and they will either have them sent to you from China (drop shipping) or have already imported large number from Chinese wholesalers.  One way of spotting this kind of operation is if the shipment is going to take 10 days to get to you and/or the parcel arrives via EMS from China.  If in doubt ask the seller where the boots will be shipped from - if its China (which includes Hong Kong) stay away!

Finally - I know of many fake sellers who get good feedback.  This is because the boots are well faked and the person buying them has not seen the real thing.  If you do buy a cheap pair then please be sure to take them to an authorised High Street retailer and do a side by side comparison BEFORE you leave feedback!  GOOD LUCK!

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HOW TO SPOT FAKE (Decker Inc) UGG AUSTRALIA BOOTS

1.  Within Australia, the term "UGG Boot" is a generic term and can be used by anybody selling within Australia to describe their boots.  Outside Australia the term "UGG Boot" is protected by registered trademark and can only be used to describe UGG boots sold by Deckers Outdoor Corporation (Deckers Inc).    In addition, Deckers have also registered "UGG Australia" to describe their UGG boots worldwide.  These boots ARE protected and not surprisingly it is these "UGG Australia" boots that are being faked by the thousands on eBay.  In fact at the moment its safe to say that the vast majority of Decker UGGS for sale on eBay are fakes! 

2.  In the UK, the shops are nearly always low or out of stock of these boots especially the Classic Tall or Classic Short styles and the fakers are having a field day.  Some of the fake Deckers "UGG Australia" boots are exceedingly good and even when placed next to genuine ones will take some spotting!  This guide will hopefully help you to spot them as many people are being duped.

3.  Historically, many of the fakes were sold by sellers (with either low or zero feedback) in The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Australia, Poland, Russia, China, (including Hong Kong) and the Czech Republic.  Recently though, the majority of the fake dealers are from the UK, China (including Hong Kong), Korea, USA and Australia.  The deliberate fake dealers are usually easy to spot as they have zero or low feedback, use generic or library pictures and have tens and sometimes hundreds of boots for sale.  Some of these fakes have small print that say they are not selling boots by Deckers yet they use the Decker "UGG Australia" logo on their pictures.  Do not be misled buy these scams!

4.  A recent scam is where the fake dealers boost their feedback to above 10 (as this is the level needed before they can sell using 'Buy It Now').  Check that any positive feedback has been from sales and NOT from the purchase of low price e-books etc - this is a sure sign of a fake dealer!  Also check that if their feedback is 100% it is from recent sales (not years ago) and also relates to UGG boots.

5.  As mentioned a lot of the UK fakes are deliberate scams (the sellers know damned well they are fakes) BUT increasingly there are innocent sellers who genuinely believe they are selling the authentic Deckers "UGG Australia" boots.  They think that just because their boots have an "UGG Australia" label and care card they are the genuine article and will swear blind that their boots are 'authentic' but guess what - in their desire to make a fast buck they are buying the fake boots in at £10-£20 (as that is all they are worth) and then selling them on for anywhere between £80 up to £100 plus.

6.  Within the UK at the moment there are two main types of fake Decker "UGG Australia" Classic boots.  One common fake comes with a blue card or brown 'leather' pinned on tag (some of these might say "Made by CGM Co Ltd".)   The other type will have a dust bag in a light brown or beige colour saying "UGG" or sometimes "SNOW BOOTS" Most purchasers are entirely fooled by this.  No genuine UGG Australia boot has a pinned on label or comes with a dust bag or "shopping bag"!  See further descriptions below.

7.  As to the wholesale fraudsters, the thing that often gives the game away is where the seller is listing literally hundreds of boots.  No authorised and/or genuine seller has this number of boots available as the real thing is in short supply!  They will often use 'generic' or library pictures (quite often nicked from the UGG Australia web site).  My advice is to only buy where its obvious that the picture of the boots you are buying is unique and not from a catalogue somewhere. 

8.  As mentioned above, many of the fake UGGS will originally be shipped from China (including Hong Kong).  Pretty well all boots shipped from here will be fakes.  Although Decker UGG Australia boots are made in China there are NO Chinese warehouses or wholesalers authorised to sell them.  So, if you are buying something that will take 8-10 days to arrive and/or is shipped via EMS and/or the seller says stock is obtained from the factory in China then this is a sure sign that they will be fakes.

9.  Another scam is where somebody has had their eBay account hijacked and the fraudsters actually have NO boots - they just take your money and disappear.  The tell tale signs are that the seller has not sold UGG boots before but now mysteriously has hundreds for sale - all with some kind of generic photograph.  One way of checking this out is to 'Ask The Seller A Question" via their eBay account - not by direct email.  This will often alert the person whose account has been hijacked that all is not well.  These fraudsters also use 3 day listings so that they can clean up and go before being detected. 

10.  There are also some fakes that are being sold quite innocently in the UK because they were bought from the organised fakers via eBay (or web sites that have the word UGG withinthe address just to con you!) and they are found to be too small.  The fact is the many fake UGGS are indeed too small and this is why they are then resold.  Real UGG Austrlia boots come up big.  Some fake boots come up small - for example soem fake size 5 boots (US size 7) are about 1 cm smaller in foot size than they should be.  If a boot comes up small, chances are that it will be a fake.  If its the right size (i.e. comes up big) this in itself is NOT proof that its real - the fakers are getting clever - so look for other signs too.

11.  As mentioned, there are many UK based dealers selling fake Decker UGGS and they are entirely unaware that they are fake!  They seem to think that because the boots have a label on them saying 'authentic' then this is what they are.  Genuine Decker UGGS NEVER NEVER have labels pinned on to them (either blue, brown or indeed with sample 'fur' attached)

12.  The smell of a fake UGG is often a give away - it smells of paint/lacquer which comes from the dye used on the synthetic materials.   The fake will often have a blue or brown leather label pinned to it and also a brown or beige cloth protection bag which says "SNOW BOOTS" - these are not provided with the genuine UGGS!!  Deckers NEVER describe their UGGS as 'Snow Boots" or provide dust bags!!

13.  A genuine Deckers UGG boot has real sheepskin fur on the interior.  Its fluffy looking and also thicker and a rich cream colour.  The fake uses synthetic 'fur', is slightly grey, thinner and also small pieces of the 'fur' come away when rubbed.  Here's the genuine fur on the left and the fake fur on the right:-

14. Believe it or not, the vast majority of genuine Deckers UGGS are made in China with a few limited styles or old stock from New Zealand. Decker's Ugg Australia Classic Boots are now ONLY made in China, Ugg Australia Sundance Boots and Ugg Australia Ultra Boots are made in New Zealand.  New stock authentic UGG labels now have the "Made in China" on the reverse of the inside label. 

15.  The outside UGG labels on some early fakes are subtly different.  Note how 'australia' is in a bolder font on the fake - which is shown on the right.  In some of the fake UGGS, the label is also too high up on the heel.  If you are not sure look at the real ones in a High Street shop - but again also look for other signs as the fakers are getting better at copying the labels.

Genuine label on the left, an example of an early fake on the right:-

16.  To my knowledge and indeed from the official UGG Australia website, UGG do not make a CAMEL colour - if your label says 'CAMEL' then your boots will be fakes.  Also please note that the Nightfall style is ONLY made in Chestnut - NOT Chocolate, NOT Black.

17. Most fake UGGS come up small - as opposed to genuine ones which come up big.  If you are advised to order a size up from normal or the seller says they didn't fit - then this is a sure sign they are fakes!

18  Of course the price is a huge clue.  Given that supply in the High Street is less than demand then there will NOT be any great bargains to be had.  Genuine UK sourced Decker UGGS in the Tall Classic style are at least £170 - anything less than £110 and they are probably fakes.  US sourced classic short UGGS are about £85 and classic tall UGGS £110 - again anything less and they will be fakes - especially as shipping needs to be added.  Also please be aware that if your shipment is from overseas then there is a chance that you will be stung for import duty, VAT (17.5%) and the Post Office handling charge for collecting this.  If the boots are genuine, then this can still work out cheaper than UK High Street prices, BUT you need to be extra vigilant on the authenticity of what you are buying as the fakers NEVER pay a refund of postage costs.

19.  To summarise, please please be careful as the vast majority of UGGS on eBay look very much like fakes.  Anything with a 'SNOW BOOT' dust bag is a fake, anything with a blue or brown leather label pinned to it is a fake and finally watch out for the fakers who use generic photographs rather than individually taken photographs - the fakers often use real UGG photos (from the UGG web-site) that are nothing like the boots you will be sent!  People who sell fakes with large shipping costs also claim that you can have a refund if you are not happy - but the small print excludes shipping costs and they can also add a 'restocking fee' - in other words they know damned well that you will want to return them and are stacking the odds and prices against you!!    Take care and Good Luck!

20.  I wanted to post a rogues gallery but in their wisdom eBay only allow 10 pictures to a guide so please look at my other guides for more pictures.  In the meantime, unless you are happy to have a pair of fakes, please proceed with extreme caution.

The picture below shows some examples of a FAKE UGG Australia Boots (Deckers).  On the authentic boot, there are no pinned on labels that say "UGG".  From a visual perspective, the biggest clue to a fake is often the fact that the slope to the toe is very pointed rather than a gentle curve.  Also, look at the middle picture and you will see a carry handle on the box - this is a feature ONLY on fakes!  Agin - on the picture on the right, you can see the tags.  There's also a sneaky dustbag on the top of the box and finally those heel labels are way too far up the heel.

 The pictures below are also of  fake Deckers Classic Tall UGG boot.  Again look at the pinned on label (some with a 'star' or 'leather' logo).  There's also an example of the fake "dust bag"

Finally, if you have been conned by any of these scamsters then please report them to UGG Australia Lawyers (scucurullo at deckers.com - use the @ sign instead of at)          Good Luck!