Shein is catching up with the luxury industry and has begun selling Coach bags—but buyers are skeptical about whether they're authenticated or not.
So far, Coach handbags are only available in its own retail and outlet stores. This led to customers double-guessing the products they bought from Shein.
In a report by The Daily Dot, a fashion content creator on TikTok, Abi Downs, made a coach handbag purchase in Shein and shared the product with their followers. She explained that she had it authenticated by Coach.
How Coach Authenticates Bags
Now, Coach authenticates bags by checking specific details, and this includes the Storypatch inside the bag. It's a small label that provides information on how the bag was and what materials were made, to ensure it was a genuine product. This feature was introduced in the 1950s and has been Coach's way to designate as a bag as 'authentic.'
Every coach bag is marked with a unique registration number for every style.
Besides Storypatch, Coach bags are also branded with Coach logos and come in leather quality. Both are unique to the brand. In fact, VCPost learned that the fashion company sued Guess for allowing a 'Coach' trademarked name to be printed on its clothes.
Is Shein Selling Authenticated Coach Bags?
Surprisingly, The Daily Dot shared that the TikTok content creator confirmed that her bag appeared genuine and came from a couch outlet.
While comments questioned the way Downs explained the process, she eventually revealed that Coach itself verified her bag. Meaning, Shein may be an authorized reseller of Coach products, especially after it has been found commenting positively on other content creators showing off their Shein-purchased Coach bags.
However, a conflicting response from Coach clarified, as sent to The Daily Dot, that they are not, in any form, affiliated with Shein and do not authenticate items bought through third parties. They also encourage buyers to purchase from authorized retailers to ensure brand authenticity.
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