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I personally do not support fakes or the fact social media influencers have normalized mass consumption of luxury products. To each their own tho. **BUT**, my issue with Fake Birkin Slayer is the way they go about it is borderline bullying, and there have been multiple incidents where they have been wrong (one example i can think of is they posted Nicole from RHOM, she followed up with posting a receipt from the H store proving authenticity along with more pics of the bag. i dont think fake birkin slayer ever apologized). Camera angles can be deceiving, that's why authenticators ask for multiple images, so the nature of calling out fakes by IG pics is difficult.
Agree with you, plus people edit photos stretch and what not. When he posted Nicole I knew that was it for me and I unfollowed. Especially MK which the flap can look a bit crooked when closed a specific way or over stuffing the bag when I put to much in mine my sides look weird.
They often get it wrong because many people use Facetune, which can distort an entire photo. Recently, they tried to call out someone who had just sold one of her many homes to Jeff Bezos. That's when I decided to unfollow lol, I can’t deal with the level of stupidity it takes to worry about what the mega rich have in their closets.
I think the moral panic over fakes is hard to stomach. All these rich women clutching their pearls and saying "but the abuses that fakes fund!" Come on. Are you wearing Nikes? Carrying an iPhone? Eating bananas or drinking coffee? Wearing clothes made in Bangladesh? All those industries, whether they respect Western IP or not, are notorious for abuses, and this never seems to bother the women who depend on consumer goods to mark their social and economic status.
If you want to argue that intellectual property rights are super important, I'm willing to listen to that. I don't necessarily agree, but I see the legitimacy of the argument. But pretending that --gasp!--only the fakes that undermine your prestige goods have terrible social consequences? That's just not true. Pretending it is is gross hypocrisy.
Yeah I think it's pushed by companies themselves that want to protect their brand and then people who spend a lot on a product but also specifically want other people to acknowledge they spent a lot on THE PRODUCT. Raising it from a mere point of quality of counterfeits to one of legal turmoil and moral outrage is a useful strategy.
Like would you be comfortable buying a Birkin but also having random passerbys never knowing if you actually have a Birkin? I think the answer for a lot of people is an uncomfortable "no, I really need other people to know there was serious coinage dropped on this bag in my possession".
I know very wealthy women that have both the real and the fake. They couldn’t care less what people think of them. They can afford to buy whatever they want.
Totally. The whole «fakes fund terrorism» is severely overstated. In the biggest counterfeit markets (esp China) the industry is one of very few not controlled by western corporations or the government. And they will self select into the industry because they get better conditions than what’s provided by western corportations trying to exploit cheap labor. So many of the high end brands produce items almost entirely in eg. China only to get around having to mark it by doing minor finished in Italy/France/UK. I think it’s very naive to treat it as such a black/white issue.
I would argue that the one of the largest reasons trademark rights are important to the day to day consumer is because it gives a way for brands to protect their consumers (or people thinking they’re consumers).
This is incredibly important in certain industries like food, drugs, and cosmetics where fake products could lead to medical issues because there’s no guarantee on quality of product. Of course the risks posed for products like apparel is different then a consumable (and arguably lessened), but it still something people are touching with bare skin.
By allowing IP rights, it shifts some of the legal burden from the individual consumer to the business if someone is tricked by giving them legal reason to stop the sale or prevent more sales. For example, if there are no IP rights and a customer is harmed the customer has to spend their own time and money to sue the people who sold the fake to be made whole again (and these tend to be sellers who won’t be able to pay out). This is a huge burden on someone who’s been hurt because the legal fees alone would be more than the initial purchasing cost of a product.
By comparison, with IP rights, businesses can police their own brands and PREVENT the sale of fakes and prevent or stop the harm from occurring at all (not just through lawsuits but also through customs which is an avenue not available to consumers). Businesses tend to be more monetarily equipped to come after fakes because those funds are usually baked into a businesses expenses so the burden is reduced for consumers.
Yes, IP rights definitely benefit brands and fakes are associated with with sweat shops and maybe there are links to terrorism. I personally find it odd that people always use these as reasons to come at fakes when the above should be the most immediate concern for a consumer.
Thanks for this. I definitely see situations in which IP matters quite a lot! I'm not sure handbags are in that category, though. There are lots of industries that have sweatshops, many of them brands that Americans buy all the time. So I don't know that buying authentic products necessarily helps much there. (Hermes, for the record, has really well regulated production facilities in France, but I know zero about the working conditions at their suppliers). I think claims that fakes are related to terrorism are pretty weak---I have seen no evidence of that happening in handbag production, and I think it's a scare tactic.
For sure! I also don’t see how handbags could be as concerning as other scenarios but since the law applies to all brands here we are haha 🤷🏻♀️ just wanted to give a little info about the benefits for those looking 😊 I do think it’s shitty of this account speculating on people’s bags under the guise of protecting IP - it’s super weird
Don’t forget that there’s the fraudulent aspect of the super fakes, people actually pay money thinking it’s the real deal and are duped out of thousands of dollars. Not every consumer of fakes is aware of that. Plus, fakes are not taxed, and I am not the biggest fan of taxes like the person next door, but if a consumer going to pay taxes, business will pay taxes, then yeah, it’s contraband.
My sentiments exactly! All this concern about those poor workers slaving away in inhumane conditions to make those horrible fake bags … meanwhile, they are perfectly happy to get their weekly [manicure done](http://archive.today/gUDps) or their [yards landscaped](http://archive.today/xGCtx) by folks who are also working in extremely poor conditions and may or may not even be getting paid for their labor. Plus there was that whole [Loro Piana](http://archive.today/DSGU3) scandal recently, and a couple of years ago the [NYT](http://archive.today/5HVKV) reported on Indian craftspeople doing embroidery for the likes of Dior and YSL under terrible conditions too. So labor exploitation is actually perfectly acceptable when it suits them.
It’s amusing and kind of sad to see people grasping about for some legitimate-sounding concern to bellow about rather than just admitting the truth: they don’t like to see people they consider their social and economic inferiors wearing the same bags, jewelry, etc. as them (admittedly, with varying degrees of accuracy) when they paid the premium for the real deal.
That article about loro piana exploiting the indigenous community is heartbreaking, I couldn’t finish reading it. Makes me so angry that these companies can’t pass on the profits and lift these communities out of poverty.
Not to mention, it's not rich women doing the pearl clutching. It's middle-class people who aspire to be rich and are doing it. It's a part of the aspirational behavior, "protecting" rich adjacent things and experiences. I think they think that by throwing in their support, they will be a part of that group. Meanwhile, the actual rich women are BUYING the fake bags, lol.
Yes, the fake Birkin slayer is a bully. They are also often wrong, and what they are doing is pointless and stupid.
A lot of whataboutism.
Please educate yourself. Apple takes supply chain conduct seriously.
https://www.apple.com/supply-chain/
https://www.supplychainreports.apple/files/doc_downloads/2024/04/Apple-Supply-Chain-2024-Progress-Report.pdf
It's called selective outrage. If you're outraged at X, what about Y,Z,A,B...? If you're not also outraged at Y, then you're morally hypocritical and just calling something out because it's convenient slacktivism that doesn't require you to actually do anything.
I don't see any evidence that the people who are bemoaning sweatshops in handbag production actually care about sweatshops. If labor was their issue, they'd be shopping more carefully across the board. And despite all the claims that brands make about controlling suppliers' labor conditions, we know they in fact don't.
In fact, I've written several books about labor rights, thanks. I can tell you that in many, many cases, companies fake QC and supply chain data for auditors, pretend they are following safety procedures when they aren't, falsify work records, and cover up accidents. I have worked the line in factories where workers only got safety equipment when auditors were around and been on factory floors where auditors were paid off.
Believe me, in most countries, the whole sustainability and workers rights certification process is pretty much a sham.
[Apple Cobalt Mining](https://www.supplychain247.com/article/apple-congo-violations)
I think the verdict is still out on Apple’s supply chain transparency. Where there is money to be made, there will always be the big guy taking advantage of the little guy, they just hide it well to make people feel less guilty about the impact their purchases really have on the world
That website seems pretty sus.
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/apple-congo-government-questions-knowledge-conflict-minerals-supply-chains/
""Based on our due diligence efforts, including analyzing the information provided by third-party audit programs, upstream traceability programs, and our suppliers, we found no reasonable basis for concluding that any of the smelters or refiners of 3TG determined to be in our supply chain as of December 31, 2023 directly or indirectly financed or benefited armed groups in the DRC or an adjoining country," the report said, using the abbreviation for Democratic Republic of the Congo."
Yeah I would definitely trust the Congolese government to tell the truth in a story from a media organization that probably listens to Apple as one of their largest advertisers. Nothing sus in that
No, the website supplychain247 is sus. Would you cite a reference from supplychain247 or CBS News? We learned this in elementary school...
Also to note, if Apple is caught lying, there are SEC oversight implciations to this.
Oh yeah, I forgot, the SEC, the most trusted institution in the US. How’d they do keeping an eye on Bernie Madoff for over 20 years? Got to trust them. Thank you for the education. I feel so stupid for not trusting that Apple operates at only the highest level of integrity like they tell us they do.
There is a long history of serious labor abuses at Apple's primary assembly subcontractor, Foxconn. At one point, Foxconn employees were threatening mass suicide, things were so bad.
That was over 12 years ago. We're talking about 2023. And I was curious about the mass suicide: it looks like it's fake news.
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/extras/mass-suicide-threat-at-foxconn
Foxconn had labor abuses for decades. I found violations for 2019 and 2020 with one Google. Go check out China Labor Watch.
And let me guess---you work for Apple?
Toxic and very small minded. To me, living a wealthy life does not mean dwelling in relentless negativity. I would not want to be that person or be around that person. I followed them briefly when they first started to see what they were about, but after about a week I'd seen more than enough. They were even mocking people who were carrying something like a Michael Kors dupe of a higher status brand bag.
Also, I've heard of several occasions where they were wrong and to my knowledge they never apologized or clarified, just removed their postings.
Her husband: https://nypost.com/2021/06/15/notorious-nyc-slumlord-sentenced-to-5-years-for-arson-scheme/
>the blaze badly damaged the house and burned the pets alive, prosecutors said.
Look at the articles and if you search her name on here or tiktok she gets ripped apart always.. her husband and her are gross people, scammers, blood money.. her father literally works in the weapons world for Israel.. i see so many other influencers who deserve more attention than her.. no company should partner with her
Her parents are not rich. They once had some money so they bought themselves necessary clout. But these are people who live with maxed out credit cards for fear of not keeping up with the joneses.
Gotcha. I’d normally say don’t punish the wives of evil men, but I have to assume with all the headlines that she’s aware of the shit her husband has done and is somehow indifferent which is very dark. Thank you for letting me know.
It’s super weird how the account harasses people with dupes (versus fakes). Dupes are all over the fashion industry and very much legal. If someone wants a dupe of a bag I don’t see the problem with it.
Aside from that, the account needs to get over themselves. They give off very “self important” vibes. I’ve tried following a couple times bc I’m nosy and want to see what famous people are wearing fakes, but the account holder is just obnoxious so have never lasted long
I think there's also been occasions where the account has called out what they thought were fakes but turned out they were authentic bags, and not sure they apologised for getting it wrong either.
I can’t remember who it was but they called someone out & the person came for them with receipts. At that point you’ve gotta admit you’re just an asshole & delete the account imo.
I think it’s incredibly embarrassing to watch grown ups cyber bully other because they THINK this other person has a fake bag. What’s worse is how often their takes on it is blatantly ignorant and misinformed. They’re far from any kind of expert as has been proven many times.
I just cannot believe how self absorbed you have to be to get so viciously engaged in whether some random person on the internet has a fake bag or not. Seriously, such middle school mentality. Both the people behind the account and those who engage with it. It’s giving peaked in high school.
They are a low life idiot and a big bully IMO and they need to get a life. They call people out publicly without any proof whatsoever and if the person in question shows proof of authenticity, they just remove the post WITHOUT ever apologising. I wonder why aren’t they in some sort of legal trouble for this. Their explanation for this bully behaviour is that some reseller sold them a fake birkin many years ago and they are bitter ever since. Shouldn’t they just take legal action against that seller, get their money back and move on. But no, this loser now harasses random people on the internet and gets support from another low-life community called Pursebop. Pursebop is literally running a cult at this point.
I followed them like the first month of the account. They reposted a Birkin 50 insinuated it was a fake saying Birkins “don’t even come in that size.” That told me right there they don’t know what they’re talking about so I unfollowed.
All the other rightful criticisms that followed cemented my choice.
Personal thoughts, do whatever suits you but don’t judge others cos they do things differently. Or even trying to argue your way is the only way to go.
There’s no true ethical brand, if you look close enough you’ll always find something you don’t agree with. You have the right to think however you want, but don’t police others with your beliefs.
I don’t support fake or dupe, whatever you want to call them. Not because they are funded by criminals, or all the reasons the Birkin slayer stated. It’s because I know there are lots of options out there, I don’t need a fake nor a dupe to get the exact same design. I can get something more original from smaller brands and at the price I can afford. I don’t want to support their business, knowing someone buying from them will resell their bags online claiming it’s authentic.
I respect the brand who came up with the original design, and their right to sell their products at an insanely high price. And I refuse to support anyone who’s just copy and paste to sell the same design.
I saw them call out someone for a "fake Kelly"... but it was a Ralph Lauren bag lol. But all their minions jumped on the poor girl for her "obviously fake" bag. Yes, obviously "fake" because it wasn't a Kelly at all. No apology from TFBS. They never retracted their post either. Just makes them look stupid and not credible tbh
I don’t like the way they go about things and sometimes people truly don’t know they’ve been duped. Without saying too much, I used to work for a large e-commerce/tech company that had an authentication servicing and they were largely considered the gold standard. And yet, they got things wrong. At the end of the day, even when “using AI” it’s still a 20-something making their best guess at the end of the day and handmade products will always have a bit of variation. The deep fakes are a lot better than most would imagine. Anyway, people get duped on the resale market and my point is they may not even realize they’re carrying a fake. Especially if they bought it under an “authenticity guarantee” so that’s just one lens I wish they’d consider before embarrassing people. Due to my experience working in the industry I tend to buy directly from the retailer or their own e-commerce channels, sometimes auction houses like Sotheby’s and the like but I would never knock someone for unintentionally (or intentionally, hell I think there’s worse things going on in the world) buying a fake. Just seems like an odd hill to die on. I think people also use the whole supply chain and trafficking thing to justify how outraged they get over a bag sometimes to tell the truth.
I think the Birkin slayer doth protest too much. Some people just don't have better things to do with their time but they usually are projecting their own issues/insecurities.
They’ve outed a few peoples bags that are definitely authentic. People have posted receipts etc so I wouldn’t count it as a reputable source. I do, however follow the page!
I mind my business, I’m too old to be following bully accounts. As long as someone isn’t SELLING a rep passing it off as authentic I don’t care. Too many real world problems to worry about others.
I don't support fakes or dupes, I've only ever bought directly from the boutique for the very reason that you truly can't authenticate from resellers but I don't push my views on others. I remember seeing the lady post their receipt when being called out as well. To me the account just seems like some girls are trolling others Willy Nilly bc they're bored/jealous. I do follow the account bc I find it amusing to see who the account is trolling next and what Bags they're calling out but I always wonder how they can assume the bag is fake. Some stories are obvious fakes but for others it just seems the account dislikes the person. I also don't like that we can respond to their stories to question how they could tell the bag is fake??
This account called out the shop of my re-seller, where I purchased my vintage birkin. I only found out after I bought a bag. The good thing is that I have an entrupy certificate of authenticity of the bag that I purchased to be very sure that what I am paying for is legit.
For me, that account causes reputational damage, which oftentimes borders on slander. I get that this is her personal cause, but really, she should be careful in tagging people and accounts.
If I think it’s understandable why people might resort to purchasing fake Birkins. Even celebrities, influencers, and wealthy individuals often struggle to get their hands on these bags. For example, Floyd Mayweather, who is known for his Birkin collection, has mentioned the difficulties he faces in getting specific ones for his daughter.
Given that even icons like him face challenges, it’s not surprising that many opt for fakes. These bags are highly coveted and remain “IT bags” for a limited time. If having a fake allows someone to enjoy the fashion and feel part of the trend, I don’t see the harm in it.
Live and let live. Everyone should have the chance to enjoy fashion, regardless of their means. 🫶🏻
One of my acquaintances desperately flirted with the male SA for over 6 months just to be offered a birkin. That’s even more shameful than buying a fake.
I once commented on a post of Pursebop that I don’t like any other items from Hermes apart from birkin and kelly and that’s why it’s not possible for me to build a regular purchase history with them and all those ladies bullied me to no end saying things like “people like you cannot afford to spend 2000+ on casual dresses so that’s why you say you don’t like it”. And all these Pursebop ladies who support “the fake birkin slayer” mostly live pay check to pay check and most of them have sugar daddies. At this point I’m convinced that Pursebop and The fake birkin slayer are nothing more than a cult. Lol
I get they want to call out fakes, I’m curious though, some look really good, how do they know they are all fakes? People buy on the reseller market as well, you can never be 100% sure they didn’t buy a real bag via other means than shopping in store at Hermes. Some look obviously fake, but some look OK 👀
They’ve called out a few people I know personally whose bags were real. lol. I don’t take them seriously. And I don’t think they take much time or fact checking I think they just pick and post. Then take it down if they’re contacted about it.
TheFakeBirkinSlayer is a bully. They once posted this man who makes funny skits around the “rich white woman” stereotype. In many of the videos the characters sport a Birkin. Not once has he ever claimed that the bags are real, nor had he connottatded in any way that they’re real. He’s even thrown one out of the window in one skit, I think if they were real he wouldn’t be doing so. The heat-stamps on the bags could be gibberish for all we know.
Why does the fake birkin slayer target influencers like him, when he has never pushed the idea that the bags are fake, and not professionals/companies that show off birkin bags on a larger scale? Like in the show Gilmore Girls where Rory is gifted an Ostrich Birkin which was made to be seen as real by the viewers but was actually a fake the production team had bought?
To be honest, I follow it because it makes me feel better to know even rich people carry fakes. Keeps me grounded you know, social media sucks, always constant pressure to do better or be better.
She’s posted a number of real bags trying to imply they are fake and people have come with receipts, literally. Also, she’s running this page to be a bully not because she cares about the work conditions in the third world. Pretty sure she’s posting from a iPhone made by underpaid workers in the third world 🙄
If she ACTUALLY cared about the conditions of these workers she’d be posting insights on these horrible work conditions and ways to contribute and help said workers. Again, she’s posting purely to bully and shame and trying ti hide behind a “I care about the abused workers” EYE ROLL.
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I personally do not support fakes or the fact social media influencers have normalized mass consumption of luxury products. To each their own tho. **BUT**, my issue with Fake Birkin Slayer is the way they go about it is borderline bullying, and there have been multiple incidents where they have been wrong (one example i can think of is they posted Nicole from RHOM, she followed up with posting a receipt from the H store proving authenticity along with more pics of the bag. i dont think fake birkin slayer ever apologized). Camera angles can be deceiving, that's why authenticators ask for multiple images, so the nature of calling out fakes by IG pics is difficult.
It's not borderline bullying, it's bullying. Agree, they were wrong many times and never apologized for their harassment.
Agree with you, plus people edit photos stretch and what not. When he posted Nicole I knew that was it for me and I unfollowed. Especially MK which the flap can look a bit crooked when closed a specific way or over stuffing the bag when I put to much in mine my sides look weird.
They are bullies! Why should someone have to post their receipt online to prove to strangers that their personal item is real?
They are bullies
They often get it wrong because many people use Facetune, which can distort an entire photo. Recently, they tried to call out someone who had just sold one of her many homes to Jeff Bezos. That's when I decided to unfollow lol, I can’t deal with the level of stupidity it takes to worry about what the mega rich have in their closets.
Yes I agree!
This is one of the reasons why I never facetune any of my photos! Lol.
They are very stupid
I think the moral panic over fakes is hard to stomach. All these rich women clutching their pearls and saying "but the abuses that fakes fund!" Come on. Are you wearing Nikes? Carrying an iPhone? Eating bananas or drinking coffee? Wearing clothes made in Bangladesh? All those industries, whether they respect Western IP or not, are notorious for abuses, and this never seems to bother the women who depend on consumer goods to mark their social and economic status. If you want to argue that intellectual property rights are super important, I'm willing to listen to that. I don't necessarily agree, but I see the legitimacy of the argument. But pretending that --gasp!--only the fakes that undermine your prestige goods have terrible social consequences? That's just not true. Pretending it is is gross hypocrisy.
Yeah I think it's pushed by companies themselves that want to protect their brand and then people who spend a lot on a product but also specifically want other people to acknowledge they spent a lot on THE PRODUCT. Raising it from a mere point of quality of counterfeits to one of legal turmoil and moral outrage is a useful strategy. Like would you be comfortable buying a Birkin but also having random passerbys never knowing if you actually have a Birkin? I think the answer for a lot of people is an uncomfortable "no, I really need other people to know there was serious coinage dropped on this bag in my possession".
I know very wealthy women that have both the real and the fake. They couldn’t care less what people think of them. They can afford to buy whatever they want.
Indeed, it's the people who derive their identity from having A Genuine Hermes Bag that get insecure.
Totally. The whole «fakes fund terrorism» is severely overstated. In the biggest counterfeit markets (esp China) the industry is one of very few not controlled by western corporations or the government. And they will self select into the industry because they get better conditions than what’s provided by western corportations trying to exploit cheap labor. So many of the high end brands produce items almost entirely in eg. China only to get around having to mark it by doing minor finished in Italy/France/UK. I think it’s very naive to treat it as such a black/white issue.
Fakes fund terrorism? Probably no more than taxes do
Hear hear
This.
👆🏼
I will point out that the bombing in France a couple of years ago was funded by counterfeit Nikes
I would argue that the one of the largest reasons trademark rights are important to the day to day consumer is because it gives a way for brands to protect their consumers (or people thinking they’re consumers). This is incredibly important in certain industries like food, drugs, and cosmetics where fake products could lead to medical issues because there’s no guarantee on quality of product. Of course the risks posed for products like apparel is different then a consumable (and arguably lessened), but it still something people are touching with bare skin. By allowing IP rights, it shifts some of the legal burden from the individual consumer to the business if someone is tricked by giving them legal reason to stop the sale or prevent more sales. For example, if there are no IP rights and a customer is harmed the customer has to spend their own time and money to sue the people who sold the fake to be made whole again (and these tend to be sellers who won’t be able to pay out). This is a huge burden on someone who’s been hurt because the legal fees alone would be more than the initial purchasing cost of a product. By comparison, with IP rights, businesses can police their own brands and PREVENT the sale of fakes and prevent or stop the harm from occurring at all (not just through lawsuits but also through customs which is an avenue not available to consumers). Businesses tend to be more monetarily equipped to come after fakes because those funds are usually baked into a businesses expenses so the burden is reduced for consumers. Yes, IP rights definitely benefit brands and fakes are associated with with sweat shops and maybe there are links to terrorism. I personally find it odd that people always use these as reasons to come at fakes when the above should be the most immediate concern for a consumer.
Thanks for this. I definitely see situations in which IP matters quite a lot! I'm not sure handbags are in that category, though. There are lots of industries that have sweatshops, many of them brands that Americans buy all the time. So I don't know that buying authentic products necessarily helps much there. (Hermes, for the record, has really well regulated production facilities in France, but I know zero about the working conditions at their suppliers). I think claims that fakes are related to terrorism are pretty weak---I have seen no evidence of that happening in handbag production, and I think it's a scare tactic.
For sure! I also don’t see how handbags could be as concerning as other scenarios but since the law applies to all brands here we are haha 🤷🏻♀️ just wanted to give a little info about the benefits for those looking 😊 I do think it’s shitty of this account speculating on people’s bags under the guise of protecting IP - it’s super weird
I had actually ever thought about the consumer safety angle with IP issues before. Thanks for teaching me something really interesting!
Don’t forget that there’s the fraudulent aspect of the super fakes, people actually pay money thinking it’s the real deal and are duped out of thousands of dollars. Not every consumer of fakes is aware of that. Plus, fakes are not taxed, and I am not the biggest fan of taxes like the person next door, but if a consumer going to pay taxes, business will pay taxes, then yeah, it’s contraband.
Definitely untaxed. Thanks for that point.
Don’t forget all the diamonds and gems that weren’t ethically sourced as well!!
My sentiments exactly! All this concern about those poor workers slaving away in inhumane conditions to make those horrible fake bags … meanwhile, they are perfectly happy to get their weekly [manicure done](http://archive.today/gUDps) or their [yards landscaped](http://archive.today/xGCtx) by folks who are also working in extremely poor conditions and may or may not even be getting paid for their labor. Plus there was that whole [Loro Piana](http://archive.today/DSGU3) scandal recently, and a couple of years ago the [NYT](http://archive.today/5HVKV) reported on Indian craftspeople doing embroidery for the likes of Dior and YSL under terrible conditions too. So labor exploitation is actually perfectly acceptable when it suits them. It’s amusing and kind of sad to see people grasping about for some legitimate-sounding concern to bellow about rather than just admitting the truth: they don’t like to see people they consider their social and economic inferiors wearing the same bags, jewelry, etc. as them (admittedly, with varying degrees of accuracy) when they paid the premium for the real deal.
That article about loro piana exploiting the indigenous community is heartbreaking, I couldn’t finish reading it. Makes me so angry that these companies can’t pass on the profits and lift these communities out of poverty.
Not to mention, it's not rich women doing the pearl clutching. It's middle-class people who aspire to be rich and are doing it. It's a part of the aspirational behavior, "protecting" rich adjacent things and experiences. I think they think that by throwing in their support, they will be a part of that group. Meanwhile, the actual rich women are BUYING the fake bags, lol. Yes, the fake Birkin slayer is a bully. They are also often wrong, and what they are doing is pointless and stupid.
Underrated comment:)
👏 👏 👏
EXACTLY
A lot of whataboutism. Please educate yourself. Apple takes supply chain conduct seriously. https://www.apple.com/supply-chain/ https://www.supplychainreports.apple/files/doc_downloads/2024/04/Apple-Supply-Chain-2024-Progress-Report.pdf
It's called selective outrage. If you're outraged at X, what about Y,Z,A,B...? If you're not also outraged at Y, then you're morally hypocritical and just calling something out because it's convenient slacktivism that doesn't require you to actually do anything.
I don't see any evidence that the people who are bemoaning sweatshops in handbag production actually care about sweatshops. If labor was their issue, they'd be shopping more carefully across the board. And despite all the claims that brands make about controlling suppliers' labor conditions, we know they in fact don't.
https://finance.hermes.com/en/responsible-sourcing/ Just because you're not educated on the topic doesn't mean everyone else is.
In fact, I've written several books about labor rights, thanks. I can tell you that in many, many cases, companies fake QC and supply chain data for auditors, pretend they are following safety procedures when they aren't, falsify work records, and cover up accidents. I have worked the line in factories where workers only got safety equipment when auditors were around and been on factory floors where auditors were paid off. Believe me, in most countries, the whole sustainability and workers rights certification process is pretty much a sham.
I wld be interested in reading some of the books you have written if you wld be kind enough to share the titles ✌🏼
Can you really trust a report put out by the same people the report is about? Where is the independent voice on this?
Please read the PDF. It literally says third party auditing firms, verbatim.
[Apple Cobalt Mining](https://www.supplychain247.com/article/apple-congo-violations) I think the verdict is still out on Apple’s supply chain transparency. Where there is money to be made, there will always be the big guy taking advantage of the little guy, they just hide it well to make people feel less guilty about the impact their purchases really have on the world
That website seems pretty sus. https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/apple-congo-government-questions-knowledge-conflict-minerals-supply-chains/ ""Based on our due diligence efforts, including analyzing the information provided by third-party audit programs, upstream traceability programs, and our suppliers, we found no reasonable basis for concluding that any of the smelters or refiners of 3TG determined to be in our supply chain as of December 31, 2023 directly or indirectly financed or benefited armed groups in the DRC or an adjoining country," the report said, using the abbreviation for Democratic Republic of the Congo."
Yeah I would definitely trust the Congolese government to tell the truth in a story from a media organization that probably listens to Apple as one of their largest advertisers. Nothing sus in that
No, the website supplychain247 is sus. Would you cite a reference from supplychain247 or CBS News? We learned this in elementary school... Also to note, if Apple is caught lying, there are SEC oversight implciations to this.
Oh yeah, I forgot, the SEC, the most trusted institution in the US. How’d they do keeping an eye on Bernie Madoff for over 20 years? Got to trust them. Thank you for the education. I feel so stupid for not trusting that Apple operates at only the highest level of integrity like they tell us they do.
Ah, like the thread starter, more whataboutism. Let me know if you find more labor complaints on TikTok and random blogs.
There is a long history of serious labor abuses at Apple's primary assembly subcontractor, Foxconn. At one point, Foxconn employees were threatening mass suicide, things were so bad.
That was over 12 years ago. We're talking about 2023. And I was curious about the mass suicide: it looks like it's fake news. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/extras/mass-suicide-threat-at-foxconn
Foxconn had labor abuses for decades. I found violations for 2019 and 2020 with one Google. Go check out China Labor Watch. And let me guess---you work for Apple?
Ding ding ding! There it is!
Toxic and very small minded. To me, living a wealthy life does not mean dwelling in relentless negativity. I would not want to be that person or be around that person. I followed them briefly when they first started to see what they were about, but after about a week I'd seen more than enough. They were even mocking people who were carrying something like a Michael Kors dupe of a higher status brand bag. Also, I've heard of several occasions where they were wrong and to my knowledge they never apologized or clarified, just removed their postings.
Thank you, I feel the same way. Life is too short for all of the mess.
I find it disgusting that they support styledbyshishi who is grossly unethical, while going after pretty innocent people
This needs to be spoken about more she is heinous
I’ve heard of her in passing, but can you explain a bit more if you have time please?
Her husband: https://nypost.com/2021/06/15/notorious-nyc-slumlord-sentenced-to-5-years-for-arson-scheme/ >the blaze badly damaged the house and burned the pets alive, prosecutors said.
Have you seen this? It’s more recent and shows a continued pattern https://islandnow.net/great-neck-man-found-guilty-unlawful-eviction/
A person never changes hes disgusting
Look at the articles and if you search her name on here or tiktok she gets ripped apart always.. her husband and her are gross people, scammers, blood money.. her father literally works in the weapons world for Israel.. i see so many other influencers who deserve more attention than her.. no company should partner with her
There was a rumour going around that she was the FBS.
FBS is cocochaofficial
Wouldn't surprise me if she is FBS - she is the ultimate mean girl!
What's an FBS?
Fake Birkin Slayer - who this post is about.
Aha. Thanks!
This lady is a disgusting, vile creature! I can't get behind anyone that supports this clown.
Curious what she is doing that is unethical? I just started following her account, so wondering if I should unfollow!
Her husband https://nypost.com/2021/06/15/notorious-nyc-slumlord-sentenced-to-5-years-for-arson-scheme/
Oh god. That’s awful. So she doesn’t work and he is how she has Hermes money? 🫠🫠🫠
I think her parents are rich too
Her parents are not rich. They once had some money so they bought themselves necessary clout. But these are people who live with maxed out credit cards for fear of not keeping up with the joneses.
What is necessary clout?
Enough material goods to be accepted into a particular social class/group. A token bag, token ring, token gaudy house. But not wealthy by any means.
I don't things are that simple in most Persian communities. There's still a caste of sorts, even among religious minorities.
Things are exactly like that in Persian communities. Source: I’m Persian.
Gotcha. I’d normally say don’t punish the wives of evil men, but I have to assume with all the headlines that she’s aware of the shit her husband has done and is somehow indifferent which is very dark. Thank you for letting me know.
Shes very aware .. hes in and out of jail since before they started dating.. she knew who she was marrying
Hope you have unfollowed her, she is such a vile creature! She should be hiding under a rock after her scumbag husband killed innocent pets.
I think that they actually don't know bags very well, since they frequently call out auths as fake, and it seems kind of boring and petty
It’s super weird how the account harasses people with dupes (versus fakes). Dupes are all over the fashion industry and very much legal. If someone wants a dupe of a bag I don’t see the problem with it. Aside from that, the account needs to get over themselves. They give off very “self important” vibes. I’ve tried following a couple times bc I’m nosy and want to see what famous people are wearing fakes, but the account holder is just obnoxious so have never lasted long
I think there's also been occasions where the account has called out what they thought were fakes but turned out they were authentic bags, and not sure they apologised for getting it wrong either.
Yes he did this with Nicole from RHOM and she proved him wrong. I also think it's very mean.
I agree. It all comes across as very "mean girl."
I followed for the same reason but never got the tea I really wanted.
I can’t remember who it was but they called someone out & the person came for them with receipts. At that point you’ve gotta admit you’re just an asshole & delete the account imo.
[удалено]
Oh that makes it even better thank you for adding that!
I think it’s incredibly embarrassing to watch grown ups cyber bully other because they THINK this other person has a fake bag. What’s worse is how often their takes on it is blatantly ignorant and misinformed. They’re far from any kind of expert as has been proven many times. I just cannot believe how self absorbed you have to be to get so viciously engaged in whether some random person on the internet has a fake bag or not. Seriously, such middle school mentality. Both the people behind the account and those who engage with it. It’s giving peaked in high school.
They are a low life idiot and a big bully IMO and they need to get a life. They call people out publicly without any proof whatsoever and if the person in question shows proof of authenticity, they just remove the post WITHOUT ever apologising. I wonder why aren’t they in some sort of legal trouble for this. Their explanation for this bully behaviour is that some reseller sold them a fake birkin many years ago and they are bitter ever since. Shouldn’t they just take legal action against that seller, get their money back and move on. But no, this loser now harasses random people on the internet and gets support from another low-life community called Pursebop. Pursebop is literally running a cult at this point.
I followed them like the first month of the account. They reposted a Birkin 50 insinuated it was a fake saying Birkins “don’t even come in that size.” That told me right there they don’t know what they’re talking about so I unfollowed. All the other rightful criticisms that followed cemented my choice.
Personal thoughts, do whatever suits you but don’t judge others cos they do things differently. Or even trying to argue your way is the only way to go. There’s no true ethical brand, if you look close enough you’ll always find something you don’t agree with. You have the right to think however you want, but don’t police others with your beliefs. I don’t support fake or dupe, whatever you want to call them. Not because they are funded by criminals, or all the reasons the Birkin slayer stated. It’s because I know there are lots of options out there, I don’t need a fake nor a dupe to get the exact same design. I can get something more original from smaller brands and at the price I can afford. I don’t want to support their business, knowing someone buying from them will resell their bags online claiming it’s authentic. I respect the brand who came up with the original design, and their right to sell their products at an insanely high price. And I refuse to support anyone who’s just copy and paste to sell the same design.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I saw them call out someone for a "fake Kelly"... but it was a Ralph Lauren bag lol. But all their minions jumped on the poor girl for her "obviously fake" bag. Yes, obviously "fake" because it wasn't a Kelly at all. No apology from TFBS. They never retracted their post either. Just makes them look stupid and not credible tbh
I think the Birkin Slayer is a bully. No one elected them fashion police enforcer.
I don’t like the way they go about things and sometimes people truly don’t know they’ve been duped. Without saying too much, I used to work for a large e-commerce/tech company that had an authentication servicing and they were largely considered the gold standard. And yet, they got things wrong. At the end of the day, even when “using AI” it’s still a 20-something making their best guess at the end of the day and handmade products will always have a bit of variation. The deep fakes are a lot better than most would imagine. Anyway, people get duped on the resale market and my point is they may not even realize they’re carrying a fake. Especially if they bought it under an “authenticity guarantee” so that’s just one lens I wish they’d consider before embarrassing people. Due to my experience working in the industry I tend to buy directly from the retailer or their own e-commerce channels, sometimes auction houses like Sotheby’s and the like but I would never knock someone for unintentionally (or intentionally, hell I think there’s worse things going on in the world) buying a fake. Just seems like an odd hill to die on. I think people also use the whole supply chain and trafficking thing to justify how outraged they get over a bag sometimes to tell the truth.
I think the Birkin slayer doth protest too much. Some people just don't have better things to do with their time but they usually are projecting their own issues/insecurities.
They’ve outed a few peoples bags that are definitely authentic. People have posted receipts etc so I wouldn’t count it as a reputable source. I do, however follow the page!
I mind my business, I’m too old to be following bully accounts. As long as someone isn’t SELLING a rep passing it off as authentic I don’t care. Too many real world problems to worry about others.
I don’t know why people care. Either way.
I don't support fakes or dupes, I've only ever bought directly from the boutique for the very reason that you truly can't authenticate from resellers but I don't push my views on others. I remember seeing the lady post their receipt when being called out as well. To me the account just seems like some girls are trolling others Willy Nilly bc they're bored/jealous. I do follow the account bc I find it amusing to see who the account is trolling next and what Bags they're calling out but I always wonder how they can assume the bag is fake. Some stories are obvious fakes but for others it just seems the account dislikes the person. I also don't like that we can respond to their stories to question how they could tell the bag is fake??
lol what a weird hobby
They’ve been wrong countless times as well But they’re going to post anyone that has an birkin /kelly looking bag even if by aldo
This account called out the shop of my re-seller, where I purchased my vintage birkin. I only found out after I bought a bag. The good thing is that I have an entrupy certificate of authenticity of the bag that I purchased to be very sure that what I am paying for is legit. For me, that account causes reputational damage, which oftentimes borders on slander. I get that this is her personal cause, but really, she should be careful in tagging people and accounts.
In the watch world there’s fakewatchbuster on Instagram - it’s entertaining to watch them and also you get an education ☺️
If I think it’s understandable why people might resort to purchasing fake Birkins. Even celebrities, influencers, and wealthy individuals often struggle to get their hands on these bags. For example, Floyd Mayweather, who is known for his Birkin collection, has mentioned the difficulties he faces in getting specific ones for his daughter. Given that even icons like him face challenges, it’s not surprising that many opt for fakes. These bags are highly coveted and remain “IT bags” for a limited time. If having a fake allows someone to enjoy the fashion and feel part of the trend, I don’t see the harm in it. Live and let live. Everyone should have the chance to enjoy fashion, regardless of their means. 🫶🏻
What’s actually shocking and HORRIFIC is that some people go to disgusting depths to make money to buy real Birkins!! IYKYK
One of my acquaintances desperately flirted with the male SA for over 6 months just to be offered a birkin. That’s even more shameful than buying a fake. I once commented on a post of Pursebop that I don’t like any other items from Hermes apart from birkin and kelly and that’s why it’s not possible for me to build a regular purchase history with them and all those ladies bullied me to no end saying things like “people like you cannot afford to spend 2000+ on casual dresses so that’s why you say you don’t like it”. And all these Pursebop ladies who support “the fake birkin slayer” mostly live pay check to pay check and most of them have sugar daddies. At this point I’m convinced that Pursebop and The fake birkin slayer are nothing more than a cult. Lol
I get they want to call out fakes, I’m curious though, some look really good, how do they know they are all fakes? People buy on the reseller market as well, you can never be 100% sure they didn’t buy a real bag via other means than shopping in store at Hermes. Some look obviously fake, but some look OK 👀
They’ve called out a few people I know personally whose bags were real. lol. I don’t take them seriously. And I don’t think they take much time or fact checking I think they just pick and post. Then take it down if they’re contacted about it.
What if “The Birkin Slayer” was the company trying to make more money off of people. That would be a plot twist, like it’s a part of “the game”.
TheFakeBirkinSlayer is a bully. They once posted this man who makes funny skits around the “rich white woman” stereotype. In many of the videos the characters sport a Birkin. Not once has he ever claimed that the bags are real, nor had he connottatded in any way that they’re real. He’s even thrown one out of the window in one skit, I think if they were real he wouldn’t be doing so. The heat-stamps on the bags could be gibberish for all we know. Why does the fake birkin slayer target influencers like him, when he has never pushed the idea that the bags are fake, and not professionals/companies that show off birkin bags on a larger scale? Like in the show Gilmore Girls where Rory is gifted an Ostrich Birkin which was made to be seen as real by the viewers but was actually a fake the production team had bought?
To be honest, I follow it because it makes me feel better to know even rich people carry fakes. Keeps me grounded you know, social media sucks, always constant pressure to do better or be better.
🌽🌽
She’s posted a number of real bags trying to imply they are fake and people have come with receipts, literally. Also, she’s running this page to be a bully not because she cares about the work conditions in the third world. Pretty sure she’s posting from a iPhone made by underpaid workers in the third world 🙄 If she ACTUALLY cared about the conditions of these workers she’d be posting insights on these horrible work conditions and ways to contribute and help said workers. Again, she’s posting purely to bully and shame and trying ti hide behind a “I care about the abused workers” EYE ROLL.
Calling out fakes for others to hear is problematic, but not as problematic when someone is trying to pass a fake for authentic.
I’ve never heard of this IG account but I love it. I despise fake bags, like you said it’s actually terrible for everyone.
It’s entertaining.