I went to the largest dupe store in the world & was blown away – there were ‘Cartier’ rings for £1.50 and ‘Prada’ for £2
EVERYBODY loves a bargain, but some are willing to go the extra mile for a great deal – literally.
Rather than taking a trip to her local Primark, one influencer flew to over 8 hours to visit the largest dupe store in the world – and found ‘Cartier’ rings for under £2.
After exploring other parts of Thailand with her friends, influencer Eloise Fouladgar was keen to take in Bangkor’s famous MBK Center.
Welcoming over 150,000 tourists a day, you can find virtually anything at this shopping centre – including countless counterfeit products.
Though they are virtually identical to the high-end version, the goods can cost just a fraction of their true retail price.
In fact, the Tiktok star was shocked about what was on offer as she explore the tourist attraction’s multiple floors.
“They even have those famous Prada sunglasses,” she gushed, as her friend tried the fakes sunnies – which were on sale for £2.
Eventually, they stumbled into the jewellery section finding fake Van Cleef necklaces and even Cartier rings.
Comparing the real ring to the dupe, Eloise noticed it even had the same iconic screw detail as the gold bands in Bond Street.
However, the Thai version didn’t have the £990 price tag.
In fact, one vendor was selling the fake Love Bands for just £1.50.
Walking through the seven stories of the shopping center, Eloise found hundred of realistic dupes for Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton and Gucci handbags.
Not every counterfeit was quite so convincing though, with Eloise struggling not to laugh at some of the off-brand perfumes.
Shelves were crammed with bottles of ‘Coco’ instead of Coco Mademoiselle, with plenty of other ‘Chanel’ scents also on offer.
There was also something for the boys, with the influencer pointing out the misspelled Dior dupes to her 4.7 million fans.
Fake or Find
Some fakes might not be this easy to find
- Check the logo. Counterfeiters often include a tiny change so they can claim they haven’t directly copied it.
- For fashion items, check the quality. Does the material feel genuine or heavy enough?
- On accessories such as shoes and bags, are the buckles and rivets shiny or have they already lost some of their gleam?
- Does the price seem too good to be true? Then it’s likely to be a fake.
- Shopping online? If you haven’t heard of the website, check out trusted online reviews.
- It is also a good idea, if you see a new website that looks like it has good deals, to wait for two weeks then go back to see if the site is still up. Many counterfeit sites only run for a couple of weeks in order to run a swift con.
- Check the delivery time. If your item takes a couple of weeks to be shipped, it could be being produced in a factory of fakes. Real designer items usually take under a week to arrive.
- Ask the brand. Check if the seller is legitimate or not by using the brand’s customer services. If they are fake, the brand may be able to help you find the real deal.
“[Its] Singular instead of Sauvage,” she paid point to the bottle, with the packaging also missing the Johnny Depp branding.
Though it’s fun to visit these places as a tourist, there are potentially risks if you come away with a designer dupe.
Whilst you might get a Kylie Jenner lip for £2, there is not guarantee that the pigments will be safe to use or provide the perfect pout you are after.
In fact, one teen was left struggling to breathe after a severe reaction to a dupe kit she’d bought on Facebook.
Even fake leather goods can cause issues, with fake designer handbags breaking or dye transferring on to clothes.
Thailand has also clamped down on counterfeits, with the country previously being responsible for 1.6 per cent of the world’s fakes.
Those caught trading facing heavy fines or even four years in prison.
However, this didn’t stop some of Eloise’s followers still from wanting to bag a bargain.
One even joked: “What’s the place called? I’m going to Thailand next week.”
We guess some people will risk anything for a good deal.