Sports Direct - Possible Fake Arsenal Kit

bergkamp10

Ergates said:

Retails can and do sell returned items - if they didn't/couldn't they they'd not accept returns (other than those they have to under law).  Not sure why they'd need to discount them, if they're still in as-new condition.

Yeah, true. But I think where I differ is that I wouldn't necessarily expect a discount just because it's been returned but rather because there is a torn inside label where the product code should be and which is one of the things people would normally use to verify its real.

flaneurs_lobster said:

There are many reasons not to buy from Sports Direct (have you been in one of their stores...) but they are too big and too successful to be daft enough to flog hooky gear.

I tend to agree with you. I was just a bit confused about why the item is looking the way it is, and considering all possibilities.

Okell

@bergkamp10  -  if you are saying that the adidas manufacturer's label sewn into the inside of the back of the neck opening has been cut with scissors, I'd say that is a clear sign that at some stage between manufacture and retail it has been judged to be a "second" because its defective/damaged/not of sufficient quality in some way.

Of course, that might explain why it's so heavily discounted.

I doubt very much it's a fake and if you are satisfied with it in other respects I'd just keep it.

With regard to the swing tags etc and how they are attached, I think it's a non-issue.  Of course retailers can sell returned items at full price so long as they have not been subjected to "excessive handling" beyond which you would reasonably expect in a shop.  The law allows consumers to cancel and return online sales within 14 days and on the very rare occasions that I buy clothes online I do so in the full knowledge that I might be the third or fourth person to "buy" them.

This applies to non-clothes items too and is one reason I buy very little online... 

Okell

Emmia said:

 I don't buy from Frasers/Sports Direct.

flaneurs_lobster said:

There are many reasons not to buy from Sports Direct (have you been in one of their stores...) but they are too big and too successful to be daft enough to flog hooky gear.

I know Sports Direct always get a hammering on this board, but I'll say - again - that I use their local stores a lot and I've picked up some great sports bargains there.  I've never had a problem returning stuff instore if I've had to.

Yes, some of their stores can be a bit messy and a bit "pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap" but they aren't all like that.  Indeed their nearest city store has recently moved into the old House of Fraser premises and the store is fantastically well laid out.  Their other store on a shopping site on the outskirts of the city is also well laid out.

And yes, a lot of their instore staff look like they must be truanting from school, but we've always found them extrememly helpful and cheerful.  No problems with instore staff at all.

But yes - I'd be reluctant to buy online from them.  But as I've already explained, I'm reluctant to buy online from anywhere - M&S being the worst...

Where I do have an issue with the Ashley empire is the buying up of brand names like Dunlop, Slazenger, Karrimor, Sweatshop, Evans etc

TELLIT01

The tag being attached with a plastic T fitting wouldn't concern me, but the label having been cut off would.  There might be a valid reason for that, but it's hard to think what that reason might be.

roytom2

You could refer the matter to Adidas - these companies have lots of people working on tracking down fakes

Okell

TELLIT01 said:

The tag being attached with a plastic T fitting wouldn't concern me, but the label having been cut off would.  There might be a valid reason for that, but it's hard to think what that reason might be.

Isn't it quite common for items of inferior quality (ie "seconds") to have the label deliberately cut or cut off?  I've certainly bought sports kit on that understanding before.

roytom2 said:

You could refer the matter to Adidas - these companies have lots of people working on tracking down fakes

I'd be amazed if Sports Direct were selling knock-offs(!)

Yes - a lot of their stuff is cheap tat, but I can't see Mike Ashley isn't going to go up against Adidas and sell fakes

Ectophile

Once retailers get big enough, they can often strike deals with brand owners to put those brand logos on their own merchandise.  If that's the case, then the clothes may never have been anywhere near Arsenal, but wouldn't be illegitimate.

bergkamp10

Hey guys. So good news. Managed to return the item and they accepted my video and picture evidence and refunded me my money.

Initially they offered me a £20 discount but I still felt like the item was too damaged for me to keep so asked to complete the return.

So all in all, it probably wasn't fake given they accepted the return, and they probably had a record of it being a damaged item in such a way prior to selling it to me for them to accept it without any arguments.

It was much easier than I was expecting to be honest given some of the horror stories I had read online about their after care service. Only issue was that they took weeks, and a number of emails before each response but when they did respond it was always a good response.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Good result OP. 

In terms of big companies, Tesco found counterfeit wine in their stocks, it's not impossible to occur:

https://www.clactonandfrintongazette.co.uk/news/8234826.wine-fans-tesco-bargain-bottle-is-a-fake/

IvanOpinion

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

Good result OP. 

In terms of big companies, Tesco found counterfeit wine in their stocks, it's not impossible to occur:

https://www.clactonandfrintongazette.co.uk/news/8234826.wine-fans-tesco-bargain-bottle-is-a-fake/

They also found horse in their burgers