by Barbara Kasey Smith

Created on: July 24, 2010

How to identify fake Coach handbags:

*Buyer beware of flea market purchases: 

Beware, flea markets are famous for the sale of fake Coach handbags and you'll find out the majority of Coach bags sold at flea markets are fake. The government is on to these fake Coach dealers and they're trying to catch these criminals. These fake Coach bags are imported into the United States by not putting the fake designer labels on them, and then, when a person purchases one of these unsuspecting bags, the vendor has glued on a cheap label. If you feel you have purchased a fake Coach bag from an authentic distributor, you should report it via e-mail to

lawdepartment@coach.com or you can use the Coach anti-counterfeiting hot-line to report the distributor for the sale of a counterfeit bag and unauthorized distributor of the Coach bag at 1-800-396-1807. You can also find out if the distributor is an authorized Coach dealer by calling their 800 number.

Here are some indicators that a Coach bag is a fake:

(1)  Look for minor flaws and remember Coach uses ykk zippers...look at the markings on the zipper. The seams of the Coach bag and interior authenticity tag should be stitched on and not glued. Also look at the stitching if it is of a poor quality like it is raised in some areas, or if the string knot is noticeable this is a replica.

(2)  A Coach bag will never look lopsided or slouch to one side. Coach strictly uses leather or suede trim and not shiny plastics or pleather. If the bag has a shiny look to it, it is not a Coach bag.

(3)  An easy way to spot an authentic Coach is to examine the layout of the signature C's. The C's should line up perfectly to the center. The signature style will be two C's next to each other in doubles not a single row of C's. Now if your buying a mini-signature C collection, these can be off by a little bit. The Coach bag is now assembled in China, whereas they use to be manufactured in the United States. The serial number should start with "No", the abbreviation for number and 4 numbers after the dash, not a 3. Look at the writing on the bag, it should be neat and not crooked and the paragraph above the serial number is in all caps and in English. 

(4)  Coach uses logo tags attached by a beaded chain and the tag will match the trim of the bag. The words "COACH" is raised and not imprinted. Remember, some Coach bags have metal tags and they're never made of hard plastic. Ensure that the authenticity number matches the style of the bag you're purchasing. Coach can verify the authenticity number by matching the style by calling the 800 number.

(5)  Coach dust bags are dark chocolate brown with a red drawstring, and in the bottom right, the words in all caps "COACH EST. 1941" and this is written in white. Coach always uses the best materials and never any type of cheap materials.  

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