Real Vs. Fake Cartier Glasses
To the buyers of a pair of Cartier sunglasses, the name is everything. And just as important as the name is the assurance that it’s genuine. Discerning individuals know the difference, turning the hoped-for status symbol on the counterfeit wearer into a status faux pas. While it is a status symbol for the 500 to 2000 dollars worn casually on the bridge of your nose, its also not one you’d like to pay full price for. This can be done, but buyer beware!. There is always some element of risk in purchasing a pair of sunglasses not directly from the Cartier website. So for the Cartier shopper on a budget, here is a easy buyer’s guide to help you spot and avoid fake Cartier sunglasses. The guide has two sections, one for appraising a tangible pair of sunglasses you can hold and inspect, and one with tips to limit your risk when making an online purchase in order to score a great deal.
If you can inspect the glasses follow these tips:
The best way to inspect your possible Cartier purchase is to use a fine magnifying glass, or jeweler’s loupe, and look for the distinguishing stamping placed by Cartier on every piece it has made since the early 1910’s. This will most likely be in the form of a serial number located directly under the bridge section. The gold print serial number is best viewed under magnification. In fact, it the number is clearly visible with the unaided eye, its probably a fake. Real examples will also always have “Cartier” and “Paris” engraved on the bridge of the glasses as well as the size of the lens width in mm stamped alongside the model number.
Check the markings along the temple and earpieces as well. Inserts on the earpieces are flush and hand engraved on the real deal, and shoddy imitators are usually lacking in fit and finish that you can see if you know what to look for. For example, the sides of the temples are stamped with the size of the earpiece length on the right and left, but only the left is stamped with “Cartier” and “Made in Paris”
All Cartier sunglasses are made with the finest materials and workmanship. This becomes evident in the fit and finish of the product. All lines in the glasses should be perfect, without scuffs, discoloration, or burrs seen in cheaper manufacturing methods. Also, the construction of all Cartier glasses include metal screws so if you see a plastic screw, or a rivet, instead of a screw, then it is certain that the example you have is a fake.
When buying online not through the direct Cartier website:
Price is a usually a big indicator of quality in many things, and in this case it is the quality of authenticity. Cartier glasses cost a premium, even for online retailers, who won’t sell them below cost. That means we can use price to gage if the item is genuine. Generally, if the item is selling for less than 75 percent of the retail price of the item from the manufacture, then the item is probably fake. Cartier costs money however you buy, and the half off discount seen online needs to be judged with scrutiny, because that price is simply too good to be true.
Ask the seller to give you all the information they know about the glasses before you buy. Take their information, and go to a Cartier store, if possible, or call Cartier and request for information about the model in question. If anything doesn’t match up, then you know not to buy from that seller.
If you do end up buying counterfeited merchandise then you have only two options. You can report the dishonorable purveyor to Cartier on their website, so that Cartier may take appropriate action to defend their products and reputation. Option two is contacting the seller of the counterfeit glasses, and requesting your money back. Getting a refund seems like a long shot, but if you word your message right, and detail exactly how you are going to hurt the company through exposure of their fraudulent practices, you may have a shot. Going to the authorities may yield little to no results for you. Even when the fraudulent company is selling goods illegally, by falsely advertising the product as genuine, and has action taken against it by authorities, which is unlikely, you will receive no compensation. For that you must sue the company directly, and is almost never worth your time and effort.
The best solution is to be a smart buyer. Do the research and buy with confidence, because the joys of pridefully wearing a pair of distinctive Cartier sunglasses should not be hampered with a nagging doubt that they might be fake.