Fake Jewellery from Overseas

17lbp

My husband bought me what he believed to be a Tiffany necklace from a website made to look like the genuine Tiffany site.
When he showed me the site he had ordered it from I suspected it was gonna be fake, well it has arrived today and it is shockingly horrendous, picture Woolies children's jewellery and your kinda close to what this looks like. The site claims it is sterling silver and had the usual high rrp which was heavily discounted. The necklace is in no way sterling silver and don't even think it's worth a fiver, my husband paid just over £50 for it!!! The
Is there anything we can do about it to try and claim our money back, he paid by credit card? The necklace was sent from China so assuming company is based there. He did believe he was buying genuine Tiffany as the site looks genuine.
thanks

bris

You cant get a silver Tiffany necklace for 50 quid, so if he believes he was buying a genuine Tiffany for a fraction of it's normal price you have a lot to teach him.


Try a chargeback with the CC but you would be best putting it down to experience and learning a bit about internet shopping, especially if you want designer gear.


No it's not good advice, but tbh there is not a lot anyone can tell you when you get scammed from China.

17lbp

Yeah I know that and had he shown me it prior to ordering I could have told him it would be fake and he has learnt an expensive lesson, however I'm just interested to find out if there is anything we can do about it - more through principal than money.

unholyangel

If its not hallmarked its definitely not sterling silver (there are instances where items arent hallmarked but afaik its only antique pieces that were made before hallmarking started being used).

There is a chargeback reason code for not as described/defective merchandise so hopefully your card company can help. You can also refer the matter to the financial ombudsman if your card issuer rejects your claim.

vuvuzela

unholyangel wrote: »

If its not hallmarked its definitely not sterling silver (there are instances where items arent hallmarked but afaik its only antique pieces that were made before hallmarking started being used).

There is a chargeback reason code for not as described/defective merchandise so hopefully your card company can help. You can also refer the matter to the financial ombudsman if your card issuer rejects your claim.

There are fake hallmarks out there...
Also, if it's foreign, then it wouldn't necessarily be hallmarked, just stamped with a generic (925) stamp which is even more widely faked...

unholyangel

vuvuzela wrote: »

There are fake hallmarks out there...
Also, if it's foreign, then it wouldn't necessarily be hallmarked, just stamped with a generic (925) stamp which is even more widely faked...

Yes there are, but that doesnt change what I said above - there are few instances where an item would be genuine sterling silver and not hallmarked - especially from somewhere such as tiffany.

I was speaking along the lines of not as described/misrepresentation since sterling silver means something quite specific - which often sellers misinterpret (whether intentionally or not). For example theres no such thing as sterling silver plated.

However I would add that in my opinion, when buying tiffany you pay for the brand rather than the work/materials involved.

vuvuzela

unholyangel wrote: »

Yes there are, but that doesnt change what I said above - there are few instances where an item would be genuine sterling silver and not hallmarked - especially from somewhere such as tiffany.

I was speaking along the lines of not as described/misrepresentation since sterling silver means something quite specific - which often sellers misinterpret (whether intentionally or not). For example theres no such thing as sterling silver plated.

However I would add that in my opinion, when buying tiffany you pay for the brand rather than the work/materials involved.

Only sterling silver coming from the UK has a UK hallmark. Sterling silver from overseas (ie likely the vast amount of sterling silver produced) is generally just stamped (925), which IMO is as bad as no hallmark at all.
As for the bold - same for every well known brand. The Japanese can make a watch on a par with a Rolex for many thousands of pounds cheaper. Sterling silver is sterling silver whether it has a Tiffany design or not. As an example of a Tiffany mark http://media.tiffany.com/is/image/Tiffany/28137613_921671_ED_M?$EcomItemL$&op_usm=2.5,1,6&defaultImage=NoImageAvailable&& - very very easily faked.

unholyangel

vuvuzela wrote: »

Only sterling silver coming from the UK has a UK hallmark. Sterling silver from overseas (ie likely the vast amount of sterling silver produced) is generally just stamped (925), which IMO is as bad as no hallmark at all.
As for the bold - same for every well known brand. The Japanese can make a watch on a par with a Rolex for many thousands of pounds cheaper. Sterling silver is sterling silver whether it has a Tiffany design or not. As an example of a Tiffany mark http://media.tiffany.com/is/image/Tiffany/28137613_921671_ED_M?$EcomItemL$&op_usm=2.5,1,6&defaultImage=NoImageAvailable&& - very very easily faked.

Did I ever say something to the contrary (regarding uk hallmarks)?

As for sterling silver overseas.....no idea where you got that from. Lots of countries use hallmarks as opposed to just marking it 925 (and strictly speaking, the "925" isnt actually a hallmark so you're quite right when you say its as bad as no hallmark at all).

Even china has hallmarks!

If you're interested you can see some examples here:
http://www.925-1000.com/foreign_marks.html

LilElvis

vuvuzela wrote: »

There are fake hallmarks out there...
Also, if it's foreign, then it wouldn't necessarily be hallmarked, just stamped with a generic (925) stamp which is even more widely faked...

All Tiffany jewellery I own is "foreign". I'm pretty sure that none of it is made in the UK.

My teardrop hoop earrings are stamped 'Tiffany & Co Elsa Peretti 925 Spain', as are the pair my sister owns. Mine were purchased from the Tiffany store in Bond Street, hers are silver plated fakes that cost a tenth of the price. Most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference ..... until the plating flakes off!

The prices at Tiffany (particularly with the UK mark up) are very high and available nowhere other than through their stores and websites - but this seems to be ignored by the foolish/ignorant in search of a bargain.

My husband will be ecstatic to know that they have a new collection out this year - Xmas sorted ..... bank account empty

LilElvis

unholyangel wrote: »

Yes there are, but that doesnt change what I said above - there are few instances where an item would be genuine sterling silver and not hallmarked - especially from somewhere such as tiffany.

I was speaking along the lines of not as described/misrepresentation since sterling silver means something quite specific - which often sellers misinterpret (whether intentionally or not). For example theres no such thing as sterling silver plated.

However I would add that in my opinion, when buying tiffany you pay for the brand rather than the work/materials involved.

I've got dozens of pieces of Tiffany jewellery and I've just looked at a selection (purchased in US and UK) and every single piece is marked 925 - no other marks. All are genuine purchases.

unholyangel

LilElvis wrote: »

I've got dozens of pieces of Tiffany jewellery and I've just looked at a selection (purchased in US and UK) and every single piece is marked 925 - no other marks. All are genuine purchases.

I have to say I've never seen a genuine tiffany with only "925" on it and nothing else.

Not even the Tiffany and Co mark? Any other number?