What about the eBay Louis Vuitton fakes fine?

The news that eBay has been fined by a French court around 31 million Euros for allowing fake LVMH owned Louis Vuitton items to be sold was a surprise, but an interesting development.

As a long time user (and at varying times addict) the news that there will even more pressure on eBay to stamp out fakes on the site has to be welcomed in my book. I found, for example, fairly on that buying DVDs on the site was generally a bad idea as so many I got seemed to be fakes. In fact selling DVDs on the site is now so frustrating as people seem to only bid really low, even when sellers like me have a long history of positive ratings, as they assume the item may not be the original and real thing.

The site started as a way of collectors to sell items that were hard to get and has become a place to sell everything and anything. But as a dedicated user I now only use it to buy and sell items that are hard to fake (like my large Cunard brochure collection dating back to the 1960s... Yes I am a bit odd but without eBay it would be hard to connect with other odd people with that interest!). This is the good part of eBay.

There must be easy technology that means that multiple postings of items like LV accessories and bags is flagged and dealt with for example.

From a marketing point of view, they need to be seen to take a much harder line on the fakes issue. Even if they are doing a lot it is not enough. To really build trust with users and grow by attracting the harder to convert user, they must be seen as a brand that does not facilitate fakes. Especially when the fakes industry has so many known links to other crime. Just as retailers like Primark selling inexpensive clothes must make sure their supply chain is not leading to labour abuses. It is good business and marketing sense. It is about brand integrity.

And now I am off to list some more of my non-fake Cunard brochures to top up my PayPal kitty, as I have my eye on a rather nice Louis Vuitton wash bag on eBay.......