Once an item has passed these initial checks, it arrives at the center, where specialist authenticators examine details such as typography, stitching, engraving and materials, using tools including UV lamps and magnifying glasses to spot counterfeits. Finally, quality control inspectors check that the item’s dimensions, color and stated condition match its listing.
How to spot stolen
While specialist authenticators are highly skilled at spotting fakes, identifying stolen goods can be much trickier. During busy periods, such as next month’s Black Friday sale, between 1,500 and 3,000 items are expected to be uploaded to Vestiaire Collective each day of the week-long retail holiday. When processing such a high volume of product, especially following a mass looting event, it is incredibly difficult to identify whether an item has been stolen or not. “It’s not difficult to create five different accounts and post across them,” says Hadrien. “Sometimes, it’s impossible to know if you don’t have the serial number.”
Prior to the lootings, the company has received alerts from the Italian and German police that items on the platform may have been stolen. “We removed the item from the site and processed it in a discreet way that does not alert the seller right away, and we follow the instructions of the police,” says Hadrien. “If there is enough reason to believe it has been stolen, we will ship it to the police, coordinating with our legal team and the national police department. If the buyer has already received it, they will be reimbursed.”
“It’s important to be transparent and serious on this topic,” de Coutard says. “Trust doesn’t only cover counterfeit, but all items that don’t follow the commercial rules of the fashion industry.”
Following the looting on October 17, businesses prepared for further unrest ahead of the next protest on October 24. Many luxury brands boarded up their stores and hired private security in anticipation. But the scale of the damage was markedly lower. According to a preliminary government report, 24 businesses were looted across France on October 24, compared with 1,522 a week earlier. While the scale of the looting has decreased, for resale platforms like Vestiaire Collective, the challenge of identifying potentially stolen goods will continue in the weeks and months to come.
