Fendi Fights Fakes at Wal-Mart

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed)
Jun 13th 2006 at 6:03PM

Fendi has filed suit against Wal-Mart after accusing the retailer of selling counterfeit bags while representing them as the real thing. The bags in question were sold at the warehouse Sam's Club stores, which are owned by Wal-Mart. Fendi asserts that Wal-Mart never purchased products from them, nor did they inquire as to the authenticity of the goods they were buying from their suppliers. As the stores were selling the bags for 45% below retail, it does seem quite possible that they "fell off the back of a truck" somewhere, though Wal-Mart declined to comment.

Somehow, the "don't ask, don't tell" acquisition strategy seems like it is most effective when purchasing a single bag in a back alley somewhere - though still not great from the designer's perspective - than when the world's largest retailer, already under a lot of scrutiny, starts buying them in bulk.

Tags: counterfeit, designer, fake, fendi, handbags, lawsuit, shopping, wal-mart

Filed under: Handbags

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Perrey Z. Jun 13th 2006 7:14PM

This is ridiculous! Fendi which is owned by the greedy french monopoly Louis Vuitton claims Wal-Mart's own Sam's Club is selling cheap Chinese-made knock off purses under the name "Fendi". Yeah right!

Fendi claims to had actually found counterfeit merchandise baring the Fendi brand at a Miami Sam's Club. this lawsuit has no meaning. I had personally when to the Sam's in question today which is located in the Town of El Doral and the so-called "Fendi" bags ONLY bare a statement indicating they are as good as Fendi bags minus the upscale price.

Fendi/Louis Vuitton are a greddy company claiming they use the finest leathers from some of the most "exotic countries" you can't even pronounce and justify it with outrageous premium prices.

The LVMH company just want to compensate their shareholders for the dissapointing profits in the last two quarters. And to do so, they invented this outrageous claim. They just want thouse millions out of Wal-Mart.

mw Jun 13th 2006 8:04PM

They actually sell "authentic" of almost anything I believe they even had Rolexes at one point. I hate to break it to you but at other stores then yours they sell "authentic" items.

Harrison Jun 14th 2006 12:36AM

The bags are pretty much authentic by definition. Since the shipments are made at the same factories. Whereas a conterfeit item or knock off is made in some random factory and moves though a seperate distribution channel altogether. What Sam's Club does is bypass the Fendi middleman and purchase these bags at wholesale prices direct from the factory so if Fendi claims that since a bag doesnt go through their distribution chain directly than it is a counterfeit than by all means its a fake, but it is of the same quality material and craftsmenship you will find from an official retailer.

Max Jun 14th 2006 3:18AM

Am I the only one on Fendi's side in this?

It doesnt matter who/where/what/when/how Walmart got the bags, it matters that Fendi made the design and owns the rights to it. It really doesnt matter if you think that they are too expensive, and it doesnt matter if it came from the same warehouse. That warehouse would never have made the bags in the first place if Fendi didn't create the design. It is Fendi's brand. Anynody who doesnt understand this needs to learn a lot about business. Walmart is selling unauthorized copies of a bag and needs to be held accountable. You cant just run around and sell something that is exactly the same design as a well known brand, even if you put some ridiculous 'disclaimer' sticker on it. The design is STOLEN. You can't bypass the distribution channel if you feel like it...The distribution channel owns the design! It doesnt come down to quality or anything else.

Obie Jun 14th 2006 10:32AM

To Harrison above. So what you are sayign is that is is ok to bypass the company.

If you created a product, designed it, paid for marketing, then hired a company to manufacture it, then it would be ok for the contractor you hired to bypass you to sell at cutrate pricing?

It may be the same bag, but it does not belong to them to sell, it devaules the product because why would I want to spendd several hundred dollars for a bag that someone can buy at Sam's?

Obie Jun 14th 2006 10:34AM

Wow I can't spell today!!!!

Trey Evans Jun 14th 2006 2:24PM

I'm on vacation but felt the need to comment here on several points. One; Perrey, your spelling and grammar is horrible, so I couldn't even make it through your inane diatribe, but regardless of Fendi being owned by Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. group, I believe Karl Lagerfeld would be the one to complain, because it's his intellectual property that is possibly being used without his consent. Two; Max, I'm with you on the Fendi side of the argument, though they can't own a copyright to similar designs, they can copyright the double F logo, which is being used without their permission in this case it would appear. And to Obie, you're dead on. This would be along the same lines as a Wal-Mart selling me a ticket on Southwest Airlines that Wal-Mart had bought from someone with a Samsung printer. Sure, they acquired it from a manufacturer who used the same means to produce the item as I would legitimately, but it does not give them the right to do so. That's all I've got for now, thanks for reading.

ryan libson Jun 14th 2006 2:25PM

This article doesnt address enough of the variables to make a decent argument. Where are you getting the info from the district court papers or the reuters. Could be a trademark infringement case, could be a licensing contract issue. Could simply be walmart purchasing handbags from a liquidator that bought the bags at auction from Neimans, Bendels, Macys....etc.
Are these this years bags design or last years?

AH Jun 15th 2006 11:10AM

http://www.woai.com/troubleshooters/story.aspx?content_id=2FF98B9B-DF99-4643-AAC0-0DFB4022EC58

For those of you who don't believe it's true, Check this story out----

Jordan Williams Jun 27th 2006 8:25AM

It's hard to believe Walmart/Sam's Club didn't know they were fake. Yes, you can buy direct from the manufacture that is where 92% of the bags online are from. They are the authentic Fendi but Fendi didn’t receive their share of the profit. They should be suing the manufacture or where Walmart bought the bags from not Walmart.

Did you hear? A man who bought Fendi bags from Walmart/Sam’s Club is suing Walmart.

Nora Jun 30th 2006 10:54PM

Wow! It is so hard to believe all this about Sams/Walmart...I'm not too sure I believe it at all. They are the worlds largest retail giant and I am sure they watch their p's & q's, especially on selling illegal counterfeits! It seems like Louis Vuitton and Fendi have alot of gripes with the good ole USA! I hope for Sams sake that they are not fakes cause there will be alot of sueing going on! I own a Fendi bought from Sams!!!