19 Tips That Can Help You Spot a Fake Item

In 2013, counterfeit goods worldwide accounted for $461 billion. Nike is the most counterfeited brand globally, and Ray-Ban, Rolex, Supreme, and Louis Vuitton are the most copied brands worldwide. And while some copies look almost identical to the originals, there are slight differences we think you should know about.

At Bright Side, we want you to know how to recognize a fake product and the differences between originals and counterfeits in some of the most popular brands.

1. Nike shoes

• Nike Air sneakers have a texture that counterfeit manufacturers cannot imitate. This is because their materials are different, and so are their devices. Thus, in authentic Nike shoes, you will notice a hardness in the leather that will be missing in the counterfeit ones.
• You will also need to examine the symmetry of the sneakers. If something looks asymmetrical, then it may be a counterfeit product.

2. Ray-Bans

• Authentic Ray-Ban lenses with plastic frames are made in one whole piece. If it’s a metal frame, then the central part must look neat and can have small details but no protruding points.
• Most often, the lenses are made of real glass, but some can be made of plastic. To know if yours is one of them, go to the manufacturer’s official website.
• In the upper right corner of the right lens, you can find the inscription of the Ray-Ban logo. It is engraved on the surface of the lens, so it is impossible to erase it.
• On the outside of the temples, there should also be an inscription detailing the manufacturer. In addition, the item’s serial number is usually on the left side and the country of manufacture on the right side.

3. Fila shoes

• If you look at the letter “F” on your Fila shoes, you will notice that there is some irregularity in the stitching. This is perfectly normal on all original Fila shoes. What is not normal is for the letter “F” to be really sharp on the top two edges. On the fake shoes, these edges almost touch the square surrounding the logo, which should not be the case.
• Next, look at the details of the toe cap, especially the holes in the front. There should be the same distance between each hole, but if not, you probably bought a fake pair of sneakers.
• In addition, the heel logo may be completely different. On the original sneakers, that logo is the same as the one on the tongue.

4. Burberry scarf

• The authentic scarf always has well-defined lines and a dense texture.
• The fringe yarns in a scarf should be well rolled and spaced apart, they do not fall apart when touched.
• The brand name on the label attached to the article must be written in capital letters. Also, the label must contain information about the country of manufacture and the composition of the scarf.

5. Gucci handbags

• First, you should examine the two “G’s” on the front of your bag. The serifs of the G’s should be long and sleek looking and not thick. Also, the rounded part of the G should be a perfect oval and not pointed. If the logo looks blurry, it is probably fake.
• Look closely at the stitching, as a genuine Gucci bag will have even stitching. If the stitching on your bag looks uneven in places or is a different color than the bag itself, then you should assume it is a counterfeit.
  

6. Supreme sweatshirt

• On the collar of this brand’s hooded and non-hooded sweatshirts, there are two dark red labels. On the first, larger, is written the name of the brand with the letter R in a circle. On the second, you’ll find the country of manufacture: Canada. There should be a recommendation not to iron the item on the inner label, where you can find the care instructions. Manufacturers of replicas often forget this detail.
• On sweatshirts with embroidered logos, the location of the letters on the red part should be uniform, and the distance between the two should be adequate. If you turn the authentic sweatshirt inside out, you will see a fine mesh of white threads on the back of the logo.
• Supreme complements the hoods of its sweatshirts only with flat laces, which are carefully tied at the ends. Round laces, burned at the ends, or laces with different types of terminations are a sign of counterfeiting.

7. Adidas Yeezy tennis shoes

• First, you have to check the wave pattern on the original Yeezy, which should be sideways with irregular wave prints.
• Next, you can check the tongue of the sneakers. The original Yeezy’s tongues are more curved, while the fake ones look much straighter.
• Check the inside of the shoes and see if the Adidas icon is the same size on each shoe. On some occasions, you may notice that their size differs.
• The stitching on the inside should also be checked, as it may look suspiciously amateurish.

8. New Balance sneakers

• New Balance sneakers have brand symbols on the back, tongue, the side of the sneaker, and the side of the sole, on the sole itself, and the insoles. The logo in the shape of the letter N on the side of the sneaker is made in the form of a patch.
• The original slippers have a soft sole, made of foam material, easily compresses and quickly returns to their original state. The sole protector is made of rubber. The insoles of authentic New Balance shoes have a perforation, logo, size, and information about the model.

9. Toms espadrilles

• The first thing to check is the insoles of your espadrilles. If they can be removed, your footwear is likely fake, as the original insoles are sewn to the bottom.
• Next, you can check the back of the espadrille to look at the logo. The letters of the original brand are perfectly balanced and square. However, the letters of the fake brand are pointed and unbalanced (note the odd shape of the letter “O”). Also, the stitching around the label appears thicker on the fake ones.
• You can also check the sides of the shoes to see if any glue is discernible. A reputable brand would never allow something like this, but a copy would probably have glue all over it.

10. Michael Kors Handbag

• For its bags, the brand uses only cream-colored labels containing the primary information about the product: serial number, shade, material, parameters, the price in USD, and a unique bar code.
• All parts of the original bags are engraved with the brand name. It is applied to magnetic clips, handle rings, clasps, carabiners, and fasteners.
• The brand’s authentic bags are made from a dense material that does not deform even during shipping when the item is packed.

11. Guess handbags

• First of all, fake Guess handbags are not made of leather but are cheaper synthetic material. You can check this by pressing the fabric with your finger. If the wrinkles stay there and do not disappear, it is not genuine leather.
• Next, you need to check the lining of the bag. Original Guess bags have an apparent soft lining, while fake ones sometimes have no lining. And if they do, it is very thin, like a sheet of paper.
• Finally, you can check the metal of the bag. The metal applications of a genuine Guess bag are sturdy and shiny, with a smooth surface. Counterfeiters, on the other hand, use a cheaper material that may appear dull and even have surface marks.

12. Guess watches

• Straps for Guess watches are made of metal, silicone, or natural leather. A lousy product smell, uneven color, cracks, scratches, and wear on the strap indicate that we are dealing with an imitation.
• The back should contain basic information about the watch: a logo with the brand name, the material of the watch body (as a rule, it is steel), and data about the watch mechanism with the engraving Japan Movt (as Guess uses only high-quality Japanese mechanisms).

13. Hermès handbags

• First, check the inside printing of the leather and see how the letters have been printed. The French accent of the letter E should be very elegant and not chopped up, as in the fakes. Also, the letters F and R in the word “France” appear to be glued together, something that would never happen on a genuine Hermès bag.
• Next, you can check the leather strap of the bag and inspect the stitching. On a genuine bag, the stitching looks much more elegant and flawless. In contrast, the stitching on the fake bag is not as elegant and, in some areas, looks thicker than that of the original bag.

14. Lacoste polo

• The Lacoste crocodile is always made with clearly defined details. Its eyes, teeth, legs, and red mouth are clearly visible. The crocodile’s body is bright green, and the tail runs parallel to the back.
• At the base of the polo neck, there is a white label with the logo and a red number indicating the size. In men’s models, it is one number, while in women’s models, it is two.
• An imitation Lacoste polo shirt can be spotted because of a small detail: its buttons. Original Lacoste garments have mother-of-pearl buttons with two holes. They have no inscriptions. Replica manufacturers often forget that, so they use buttons with four holes.
• In the men’s models, at the bottom, on the sides of the polo shirt, there are small openings approximately 1/2 inches deep. In women’s versions, the manufacturer does not make any cuts.

15. Balenciaga shoes

• Balenciaga sneakers have a very recognizable protrusion on the heels. This feature is often missing in counterfeits, as their structure is much weaker.
• Not only that, but the front of the shoe has a much more prominent curve than the originals.
• Also, if you check the back of the shoe, you will notice that the brand name is not well centered. Also, not all the letters are the same size and height, and some appear more significant than others.

16. Pandora bracelet

• The color of the original silver bracelet is a bit dull, not very light or bright. In manufacturing, Pandora uses a blackening technique that gives them this unique tone.
• The new original bracelet keeps its perfect shape and virtually no bending, showing well-defined edges of its striated silver cord.
• The size of the clasp on the original Pandora bracelets is comparable to that of the charms. On the front of the clasp, you can see the engraving of the brand: the word Pandora with a crown above the letter “o.”
• There is a brand-specific fastening in the clasp: a clover in the form of a small screw with four heads that serves to fasten the bracelet securely. In addition, the clasp must bear the quality seal of the metal (indicating its purity) with a mark of origin, the initials ALE.
• Pandora charms have an inscription with the name of the brand and the acronym of the metal they are made of. Since 2011, S means silver, and G is gold. Murano glass charms are free of cracks, broken parts, and air bubbles inside.

17. Levi’s

• The arched design on the back pockets of Levi’s jeans might be the brand’s most recognizable feature. It is either a simple bow or a diamond-shaped arch in the center of the pocket. This feature is often copied remarkably incorrectly on counterfeit jeans.
• In addition, the color of the stitching is traditionally orange on original jeans, while many fakes use white thread.
• The third sign of a fake pair of Levi’s jeans is the red tag on the back pocket. An original pair has “Levi’s” written on the red label, while a fake pair has a plain red tag with the letter “R.”

18. Timberland boots

• The sole has a caramel color, but if you look at it closely, it seems slightly transparent. The company logo and the brand name are printed on them, and the sole is uniform. The heel part does not protrude, but forms a continuous line.
• The logo is located on the outside, at the bottom of the boot above the heel. Its print is uniform and well-defined, located strictly vertically.
• The eyelets on the boots are perfect hexagons, which are ideally rounded on the outside. In men’s models, there are 7, in women’s models, 6.
• All seams on the boots are made with white thread. If there are several seams close, they are clearly parallel to each other.

19. Nike t-shirts

• The first thing to examine is the Nike logo. In most cases, it does not have exactly the same proportions as the original. Its angle and inclination may be different.
• Next, the label inside the T-shirt should be checked for misspellings. The original brand would never misspell words, but counterfeit products may have one or more errors.
• You will also need to look at the labels inside the shirt, near the bottom. Nike’s usually have two or more labels sewn in, while the fake ones usually have only one.

Have you ever unknowingly bought a counterfeit product? How did you recognize that it was not a genuine brand? Could you tell the difference, or did you have to ask an expert?

Preview photo credit Albo73/ Depositphotos.com

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My Neighbor Doused My Car With Water In Freezing Weather – He Regretted It That Same Night

When my wealthy neighbor deemed my cherished old sedan an “eyesore,” he took matters into his own hands and froze my car solid overnight. But that same night, karma taught him a harsh lesson.

I never thought I’d end up in a neighborhood where every driveway sports at least one shiny German import and landscapers show up like clockwork every Thursday morning.

Houses in a nice neighborhood | Source: Midjourney

But here I was, thanks to my company’s corporate housing program, feeling like the poster child for imposter syndrome with my dad’s beat-up 1989 sedan.

That car was everything to me. Every ding and scratch told a story, like the small dent in the rear bumper from when Dad taught me to parallel park, or the tiny crack in the dashboard where he used to tap his fingers along to Johnny Cash.

After Dad passed, keeping that car running became my way of keeping his memory alive.

An old sedan | Source: Pexels

I was out there one crisp fall morning, giving the old girl her weekly wash, when I heard the crunch of expensive shoes on fallen leaves.

“Excuse me, miss” The voice dripped with the kind of entitled condescension you can only perfect through years of country club memberships.

I turned around, soap suds dripping from my hands, to find my neighbor Tom, looking like he’d just stepped out of a catalog for overpriced golf wear. His perfectly styled hair didn’t move an inch in the morning breeze.

A man with a stern expression | Source: Midjourney

“You can call me Lila.” I kept scrubbing at a particularly stubborn bird dropping.

“Right.” His jaw tightened slightly. “Look, I need to talk to you about this…” He gestured at my car with obvious distaste, his signet ring catching the morning light. “This vehicle situation.”

I straightened up, crossing my arms. “Vehicle situation?”

“It’s an eyesore.” He didn’t even try to soften the blow.

A man pointing his finger | Source: Midjourney

“People move to this neighborhood for a certain… aesthetic and quality of life. And your car, well, it’s destroying property values. Not to mention the environmental impact — do you have any idea what kind of pollutants that ancient engine is spewing? My children play outside!”

I couldn’t help but laugh. The sound echoed off the perfectly maintained facades of our matching houses.

“Your kids play outside? Since when? The only time I see them is when they’re being shuttled between your house and your massive SUV. Which, by the way, probably burns more fuel in a week than my car does in a month.”

A woman talking to someone | Source: Midjourney

His face reddened, the color creeping up from his starched collar. “That’s not the point. The point is that you need to get rid of this junk heap. It doesn’t belong here, and frankly—” he lowered his voice conspiratorially, “—neither do you.”

“Oh, really?” I cocked my head, feeling my father’s stubborn streak rising in me. The same stubbornness that had helped him build his auto repair shop from nothing. “Are you offering to buy me a new car?”

“Of course not, but if you don’t get rid of it within a week,” he said, jaw clenched, “I’ll make sure you have to replace it. This isn’t the kind of neighborhood where we tolerate… diminishing standards.”

An angry man | Source: Midjourney

I waved my soapy sponge at him, sending a spray of bubbles his way. He jumped back like I’d thrown acid. “Was that a threat, Tom? Because it sounded an awful lot like a threat.”

He turned on his heel and stalked away, leaving me wondering what kind of person actually talks like that in real life.

I finished washing my old car and went inside. I didn’t think much about the conversation until a week later when I found out exactly what kind of person Tom was.

A surprised woman | Source: Midjourney

The morning air bit at my face as I stepped outside, travel mug of coffee in hand, ready for work. The sunrise was painting the sky in shades of pink and gold, but I stopped dead in my tracks, nearly dropping my coffee.

My car was completely encased in ice; thick, clear ice that looked nothing like natural frost.

It was as if someone had spent hours spraying it with a hose in the freezing night air.

A car covered in ice | Source: Midjourney

The morning light refracted through the frozen shell, creating tiny rainbows that would have been beautiful if they weren’t so infuriating.

“Careful,” came Tom’s voice from his porch next door. He was lounging in an Adirondack chair, sipping his morning coffee with a smile that made me want to throw something. His breath made little clouds in the cold air. “Looks like it’s raining every night! Hope you’ve got a good scraper.”

I stormed over to his porch, my boots leaving angry prints on his perfect lawn. “Are you serious right now? This is how you handle things? What are you, twelve?”

A woman gesturing to her frozen car | Source: Midjourney

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” His smug smile never wavered. “Mother Nature can be so unpredictable. Especially in this neighborhood.”

“Mother Nature doesn’t target single cars, Tom.” My hands were shaking with anger. “This is harassment. And pretty childish harassment at that.”

“Prove it.” He took another sip of coffee, the steam curling around his face like a villain’s smokescreen. “Or better yet, take the hint and get rid of that heap, or move. I’m sure there’s a nice apartment complex somewhere that would be more… suitable for your situation.”

A smirking man | Source: Midjourney

I spent the next three hours chipping away at the ice, my hands going numb despite my gloves. The whole time, I plotted elaborate revenge scenarios, each more ridiculous than the last.

But Dad’s voice echoed in my memory: “The best revenge is living well, kiddo. And keeping your hands clean means you never have to look over your shoulder.”

That night, a strange whooshing sound jolted me awake. At first, I thought it was just the wind, but there was something different about it, something almost musical… like water.

A woman in bed | Source: Pexels

I rushed to my window, half-expecting to catch Tom creating another ice sculpture out of my car. Instead, I burst out laughing.

A fire hydrant at the edge of Tom’s property had exploded, sending a powerful jet of water directly at his house. In the freezing night air, the water was turning to ice on contact, slowly encasing his perfect home and his precious German SUV in a thick crystal shell.

The streetlights caught each frozen droplet, turning his property into a bizarre winter wonderland.

Water spraying from a damaged fire hydrant | Source: Midjourney

By morning, half the neighborhood had gathered to gawk at the spectacle. Some were taking photos with their phones, others whispering behind their hands.

Tom stood in his driveway, attacking the ice with a tiny garden shovel, looking absolutely miserable in his designer winter coat. His perfectly styled hair was finally out of place, plastered to his forehead with sweat despite the cold.

I watched him struggle for a few minutes before sighing heavily. Dad would’ve known what to do.

A woman with a resigned look on her face | Source: Midjourney

He always said that kindness costs nothing but means everything. I grabbed my heavy-duty ice scraper and walked over.

“Want some help?” I asked, trying not to sound too amused. “I’ve got some experience with this sort of thing.”

Tom looked up, surprised and suspicious. His face was red from exertion, his breath coming in short puffs. “Why would you help me? After everything?”

I shrugged and started scraping. “Guess I’m just a better neighbor than you.”

A woman holding an ice scraper | Source: Midjourney

We worked in silence for hours, gradually freeing his car and clearing a path to his front door. By the time we finished, the sun was setting, and we were both exhausted.

The next morning, there was a knock at my door. Tom stood there, shifting his weight from foot to foot, making his expensive shoes creak.

“I owe you an apology,” he said. “I was a jerk. You didn’t have to help me yesterday, but you did.” He thrust an envelope at me. “This is to thank you… and to make amends.”

A woman holding an envelope | Source: Pexels

Inside was $5,000 in hundred-dollar bills. I stared at it, then at him, the paper crisp between my fingers.

“It’s for your car,” he explained quickly. “Get it fixed up — or get a new one if you’d prefer. Consider it a peace offering. And… I’m sorry about what I said. About you not belonging here.”

I looked at the money, then at my dad’s old sedan sitting in the driveway.

“Thanks, Tom,” I said, tucking the envelope into my pocket. “I think I know exactly what I’m going to do with this.”

A woman with her hand in her pocket | Source: Midjourney

A week later, my old sedan was sporting a fresh coat of paint, new tires, and a completely rebuilt engine. It stood out even more now as a perfectly restored classic in a sea of modern luxury vehicles.

Every time I caught Tom looking at it, I made sure to rev the engine extra loud. Sometimes he’d even give me a grudging nod of appreciation.

Sometimes the best revenge isn’t revenge at all.

A woman driving a classic car | Source: Pexels

Dad always said that class isn’t about what you own — it’s about how you treat people, even the ones who don’t deserve it.

Here’s another story: When sleep-deprived mom Genevieve discovers her car covered in eggs, she thinks it’s a prank — until her smug neighbor Brad admits he did it because her car was ruining the view of his elaborate Halloween display. Furious but too exhausted to argue, Genevieve vows to teach him a lesson. 

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.