Counterfeit Domke ?
 

I posting my email to Tiffen.com to possibly warn others prior to buying cheap... and to get advise on what to do next. :confused:

I'll disclose name of the Seller once i have some more facts in the case.

Werner


[I]Dear Sirs,
I have purchased a Domke F-7 from eBay shop XXXX (URL) yesterday. After having read your "counterfeit warning” today, I suspect my bag may be of this kind, since XXXX ships out of Hong Kong or China. I ordered the bag yesterday at GBP 99,- which seemed like a god price but not so low that it got me suspicious
Have you heard of this company before ?
I need some pretty clear statements/guidance from you to move foreward in reversing the sale, as well as getting the eBay shop closed. If VISA requires proof of counterfeit to refund my losses, I’ll need help from Tiffen or local dealer in Norway (Interfoto ?)
Please email on XXXXXXXXXX or you can also call me on +47-XXXXXXX
Regards
Werner[/I]

Hi Werner,
Yes and sorry, you have purchased a counterfeit bag. Please contact me at [email]arauch@tiffen.com[/email] so I can assist you further.

Thanks,
Andrea

what to look for?
 

what do we as buyers of domke bags look for on the bag itself to confirm if it is real or not ?
some info on what to look for could help buyers out

thanks

Right now, the easiest way to tell is the YKK zipper. More info to follow.

I got sucked in as well by the decent prices for Domke bags. There are quite a few people who have fallen victim to this fraudulent operator. Are Tiffen doing anything to shut this guy down. I'm hoping to get my money back via PayPal.

We are working on stopping this. We thought that Ebay was a reputable company that would have been more help then they have been, but we haven't given up.

[QUOTE=Andrea;496]Right now, the easiest way to tell is the YKK zipper. More info to follow.[/QUOTE]

I have purchased a Domke F3x off ebay that i paid for with paypal. I beleive this could be a fake the seller is Muchmall Hong Kong, i have contacted paypal they have told meto sort the matter out with the seller. Has any one else had any experiance with this seller.

For some time I have been wondering why Hong Kong appeared to have copious stocks of cheap Domke bags. I purchased a FX-3 a year ago and could never understand why some of the stitching of the Velcro was so poor compare to other Domke bags I own. Although the bag appeared genuine and stood up to close scrutiny, I always felt there was something not quite right with it. Mine was from a UK dealer, but I suspect he was importing them from Hong Kong.

YKK zipper?
 

[QUOTE=Andrea;496]Right now, the easiest way to tell is the YKK zipper. More info to follow.[/QUOTE]

HI Andrea,

You mention you can tell a counterfeit by the YKK zipper. I may have missed something but does this mean that Domke bags do not use YKK?

If a bag has a YKK it is a counterfeit? If Domke does not use YKK what make of zipper is used?

I purchased a F3X sand bag from a seller on Ebay about a year ago and it has a YKK zipper under the top flap. The bag appears very well made and up until a day ago I did not realise there were counterfeits until I visited your Tiffen website to obtain the Australian distributor for accessories.

Thanks

Hi Toxic,
Interesting name. Domke bags have YKK zippers, all of the fakes we've seen so far do not. There are some legitimate sellers on ebay, most are not. There are two, one out of the UK called something like Pixlamb and another out of China called Muchmall that we have confirmed are selling fakes. We are working to stop them. Sounds to me like you have a real bag.

Andrea