Replica and counterfeit furniture sales are big business, but not always illegal. Knockoff furniture occurs when a company decides to make furniture that resembles authentic furniture but is not authorized to do so. It is always made more cheaply from lesser materials. Replica furniture aims to copy the original pieces; however, it is made cheaply through cutting corners in construction and materials. There are occasional authorized replicas, particularly for pieces that have been discontinued. These should carry paperwork that shows the licensing and authorization. Counterfeit furniture is the most insidious of the lot. These pieces aim to confuse buyers into thinking they are buying authentic luxury furniture while fooling them into buying something that is lesser in all ways.
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The first thing you can do to protect yourself while buying furniture is to check where it is made. Made in Italy (or other European) furniture will clearly state where it is built. This is your first good sign you are buying the authentic item. If the furniture is labeled “Made in China,” then is it certainly a knockoff or counterfeit. Stay as far away from these furniture and decor items as you can. They will be factory-made instead of made by trained craftspeople. They will also be made out of the cheapest materials. Made in China furniture will not stand up to the test of time and, in most cases, differences will be apparent as soon as you see or touch the desk or sofa. Made in China furniture has several safety concerns. The materials that they use have not been put through the rigorous stress tests that Made in Italy brands have. Designs may look like originals, but do not function as well as originals. Additionally, chemicals used in treating wood and leather may be toxic. Metals may contain lead, mercury, or other unsafe adulterants. Authentic furniture lasts, knock offs do not. Genuine Italian furniture is an investment. It will stand the test of time and look and feel great twenty years from now and beyond. Italian furniture and decor are made of the most luxurious materials fitted to the needs of the beds or chairs being produced. They are designed by artists who are backed by scientists and engineers creating chairs and beds that look and work perfectly. The item is then carved, stitched, lacquered, and gilded by some of the best artisans in the world. A knockoff is no substitute.
Both Made in Italy labels and Product of Italy labels provide some guarantee that the furniture, lighting, and decor you purchase will come from Italy. The Made in Italy is a stronger label and demands that all parts of the product come from Italy and be backed up with certificates that show the origin of all components. To be able to display the Made in Italy label, a creator must go through a rigid certification process under Italian law. A creator must prove that every step of the process took part in Italy.
A chair with a Product of Italy label may be built in Italy, but the fabric, wood, and metal may come from other countries. Or it may just pass through Italy for a cosmetic touch or two. Product of Italy labeling only guarantees that Italy was involved somewhere in the process of making the good, whether involved a lot or very little.
A table that is labeled Made in Italy will be made from Italian marble, Italian crystal, and Italian wood. It will be carved, molded, and assembled in Italy. Made in Italy assures you that you are getting the best in design, materials, and workmanship. The label is zealously guarded and you can be certain any furniture bearing it is the result of Italian craftsmanship.
Counterfeiters will go after any brand that they think will make them money. Popular Italian brands Formenti and Formitalia are frequently counterfeited. European brands, like Mariner, are also targets. Their more traditional creations are harder to copy because of their complexity, but you still need to check. Look at the high-end details: gold, marble, quality textiles. Inlays, carvings, and veneers should be all of one piece. Also, look at the joins in the wood or metal for sloppy details or any visible glue. Mid Century Modern furniture designs are especially susceptible to knockoffs and replicas. The style is currently seeing a resurgence of popularity and its iconic forms are being reproduced in both legal and illegal ways. To see if your maker is legal, check for certificates from the designer stating that they are allowed to make replicas for sale in your country. Without that paperwork, the design ideas have likely been stolen.
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Eames chairs, with their iconic status, are very frequently copied with cheap knockoffs ranging from their molded plastic chairs to their lounge chairs. Aeron desk chairs have the same fate, being one of the most copied chairs in offices around the world. Bertoia chairs, especially the Diamond chair, are targets. Real ones have Knoll stamped on the base and the fabric, and other identifiable points in the wire and the frame. Philippe Starck’s transparent Louis Ghost chairs are frequently copied today. The originals are all one piece with no joins and crystal clear instead of cloudy.
The easiest way to spot fakes is to get up close and personal with the furniture. Touch it. Is the leather or fabric smooth and even? Are the seams smooth? Are the stitches equal in size? Are there seams where you think a seam shouldn’t be? Any detail that looks less than perfect is suspect and should be questioned. Don’t limit your sensory exploration to sight and touch. Smell it. If it smells funny, it is likely a counterfeit. That’s the tell-tale sign that the materials were processed with cheap chemicals. Hear how any crystal or metal sounds when you pluck it with your finger. I do not recommend tasting furniture that does not yet belong to you.
What if you are looking online? Online shopping for luxury goods adds another level of potential fraud to the mix. The picture may give you some hints but know that unscrupulous sellers will show a picture of the authentic furniture and ship a counterfeit. Start with the base-line test: if the price looks too good to be true, it probably is. Dealers may occasionally place items on sale. However, if the item is listed at half its normal price or as low as a tenth of the normal price, that object is not likely to be authentic.
The only way to price designer furniture that low is to 1) not to pay the design staff, 2) use sub-par materials, and 3) build it by machine instead of by hand. Genuine high-end pieces require a considerable investment before they are sent to the dealer. Check the fine print in the ad. Phrases like these are a tip-off that the article is not genuine: “replica” or “inspired by,” “style,” “in the manner of,” “inspired by,” or “reproduction.” Any of these says you are not buying the genuine article.
Work with a reputable luxury furniture store or dealer. A good dealer stakes their reputation on every piece of furniture that they sell. They are proud of their knowledge of the items and their ties to the furniture’s creators. They will be able to show you certificates stating that they are authorized and licensed by the makers of the product. Generally, each brand licenses a very limited number of sellers in any country. When in doubt, go to the brand's website where they should list the authorized dealers. Look at the furniture itself. Authentic furniture will be marked with a logo, either on the piece somewhere or as a sticker or tag attached to it. They will also, generally, have tags that identify the model, the place it was made, the designer, and other important information that can help you verify your authentic chairs or beds.
Authentic luxury furniture is made of as few pieces as is possible. Extra seams, pieces of metal, or anything that is not absolutely necessary is a tell-tale sign. Seams down the middle of a chair or bench are highly unusual in genuine goods as are joints in the middle of straight pieces of wood or metal.
Do your research. Look at the designer’s or maker’s website. Knockoffs often have differing numbers of slats, seams, or even legs. Check out which colors are genuine. Look carefully at the shapes of the legs and arms. When you know the true product that you want to buy well, it is easy to spot where a replica is a little bit wrong.
Authentic leather goods should be made of the highest quality of leather. The leather should be even in thickness in all parts of the furniture. It should be smooth but at the close-up level have pores and pebbles because it is a natural product and every piece is different. The seams should all be evenly smooth without any strange creases or kinks in them. Hand stitching creates a wave-like texture that adds to the beauty of the finished piece. Smell the leather. Real leather smells clean and animal-like with a faint must. If it smells of plastic or chemicals stay away.
It is important to look for authentic Italian and European furniture. The design industry makes up 2.6% of Italy’s GDP. In a year, over $2 billion in knock-off product is sold in Italy and $2 trillion around the world. Your purchase is not only an investment in your home but also an investment in keeping the design industry going. It employs artisans and supports entire local economies.
Avoid dealers known for selling knockoffs and unlicensed replicas.
Ikea copies furniture design from several designers, but its furniture is built for a season, not for a lifetime.
Macy’s is a great place to buy clothes, but a terrible place to buy furniture. Not only do they sell replica furniture, but they also are known for bad customer service in their furniture departments.
City Furniture sells second-quality furniture and also has weak customer service. Any of the big box stores, with their low prices, are not the place to buy genuine designer goods of any sort.
Many online sites sell cheap replicas made in China. Alibaba is especially known for this, and will even tell you which Chinese factory built the furniture. Check that your dealer is licensed and authorized. Dealers are proud of these authorizations and will eagerly show them to you, or they can be found on the designer's website. Dealers can also show you the labels, tags, and information on any piece of furniture you are thinking about buying. A good dealer will be able to answer any questions you have about furniture, lighting, and decor, including where it comes from and how it is made. Venicasa is proud to be a licensed and authorized dealer for many top brands of luxury furniture Made in Italy and by top European designers.
Call us, we will be happy to answer all of your questions and help you at every stage of the buying process. We invite you to visit our showroom in Florida or to shop online with our worldwide delivery.
Are you new to buying luxury furniture and home decor? Check out our Luxury Furniture Buying Guide for helpful information on luxury brands, styles, trends and more!
Searching for authentic luxury furniture, including major Italian and Eurpean brands in South Florida? Visit Venicasa's luxury furniture showroom today!
Alibaba is the largest B2B marketplace in the world. We can verify from its traffics. Below are the latest traffic results from similarweb.com.
Above are some basic facts which you should pay attention to if you plan to buy furniture from Alibaba. Now let’s dive into the topic with some frequently asked questions that Alibaba furniture buyers’ concerns about the most.
Trade assurance is good for buyers though the charge is high on some conditions.
Only a few big factories choose Alibaba though Alibaba is trying to attract more.
It’s important to learn how to verify suppliers on Alibaba and control the quality .
Most Alibaba furniture suppliers can offer competent furniture products and a few of them can match with big factories.
As I have been a supplier on Alibaba for 8 years, let’s start straightforward with a list of facts about the Alibaba platform and furniture suppliers on it.
After talking to hundreds of Alibaba buyers, I realized that it’s necessary to help small-medium buyers get to know the facts and truths about Alibaba furniture.
I have heard a lot of successful stories of buying furniture from Alibaba. I have also witnessed many buyers get scammed when working with suppliers on Alibaba.
It has gathered lots of furniture suppliers of different furniture categories not only from China but also from other main furniture manufacturing countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, India., etc.
Filter by the verified supplier. A verified supplier has a higher standard and must pass Alibaba’s audit . So, you can be sure that it is a true company and have a certain size.
The most straight and effective way is to make a factory visit. If it’s not possible for you and you don’t want to use a third-party service or an agent. You can follow the following steps.
We would like to recommend using a third-party service or an agent . It’s reliable and more effective. If you decided to do it by yourself. Here are a few tips.
There are thousands of furniture sellers on Alibaba. Most of them can be trusted to a certain extend. But it is necessary for you to be cautious. Necessary verification should be done before you start making an order.
You must be wondering how you can know whether the supplier you are researching is a factory or a trading company or combo. It’s simple. You can just check their about us pages. There you can find their identity easily because Alibaba will verify if a supplier wants to open an Alibaba account.
For example, you may find some of the furniture sellers on Alibaba are good at sofas, but coffee tables are outsourced. It is not hard to judge when you simply asking a few prices. If you find the price is not reasonable. It’s probably not produced by their own factory.
Manufacturing and trading combo often have a small factory for their core products. At the same time, they outsource related products to enrich their product lines.
Trading companies often have more product categories and styles as they have the entire China furniture factories as their source .
Furniture traders on Alibaba take products from factories and upload them to their Alibaba page to get customers. And most of the time they can offer better services than the factory. For a few items, they may even have better prices than factories as they can source nationwide and get a better deal.
Trading companies on Alibaba are small companies with less than 20 people. Mostly may have 5 to 10 people.
One of our UK clients once finds some good suppliers on Alibaba after investing a lot of time and money testing products and services from Alibaba furniture suppliers.
As small factories, they often specialize in a certain product category and won’t have lots of products in different styles. There is a good chance that you can find really good factories for a specific category if you can go deep into Alibaba furniture factories.
Factories on Alibaba are mainly small to medium-sized factories with less than 200 people. Most of them will be 50 to 100 people with 3 to 5 of them are export sales.
For trading companies, communication is mostly good and effective. But you may find that they have poor quality control as they do not own any factories.
For small furniture factories, you will probably find it hard to communicate with the sales because most of them are in the industrial area. It’s hard for them to hire salespeople who can speak fluent English. People, especially young people, do not wish to live there since it’s not convenient in life.
It’s very important to verify the supplier before making an order. Pre-shipment inspection is necessary while a during production inspection is recommended if you want to secure the quality of your order.
Based on our experience, you may have problems like poor communication, just so-so quality, unmatched products with photos, delay on deliveries., etc.
However, as I have mentioned earlier that most suppliers on Alibaba are small-medium sized companies. It’s impossible for Alibaba to ensure every one of them is good.
If you have enough time, you can dive into Alibaba’s supplier and get really good deals.
If you search for furniture on Alibaba, you will find that there are over 5000 furniture suppliers and more than 1 million products. It is no doubt there will be good furniture products and sellers though there are many duplicate products.
My answer is a straight “YES “but you have to learn how to verify. Why?
The verified suppliers also spent more money on Alibaba marketing, which means they are more competent than non-verified suppliers though it is not always true.
There is a chance you get scammed buying furniture on Alibaba. Here I would like to show you 5 types of typical scams that you may come across when buying furniture on Alibaba.
1) Attract you with beautiful brand furniture photos and deliver copies that are different from what you expected.
On Alibaba, you can find some really beautiful furniture photos. But wait a minute. They may come from brand furniture in Europe or in China. Many small furniture companies start with copy famous furniture brands like Minotti, Poliform., etc. When I was a new fish in the field. Once I was attracted by a furniture factory because they have very good product photos. I was amazed to find that there is such a factory in the town who is so serious about product photos. I decided to join them. However, after one month, I noticed the secret and found that it all comes from a famous brand in Europe.
Though there is a chance they can also produce similar products, but it won’t be the same. It won’t have the same taste as proportion and colors matter a lot for furniture.
Now Alibaba is also discouraging using branded photos. Despite the severe rules by Alibaba, there are still few sellers using fake photos. Or they use dedicatedly taken photos which is different from mass production.
Remember to ask for real photos from showroom and production will save you from such scam if you cannot visit the seller by yourself.
2) Offer a low price for a high-end product to get your down payment and then increase the price.
The competition on Alibaba is fierce as more and more suppliers joined the Alibaba platform.
I have once studied the top 20 furniture sellers on Alibaba. The result shows that they share the same character. They all have a very attractive price. And the design and quality for sure are equivalent to the price.
All furniture sellers on Alibaba knows this trick. And they use extremely low prices to attract customers. But when you get the quote, you will find that it’s only the price for a small part of the furniture. For example, an ottoman.
What worse, there are a few suppliers quote you with low price and all goes well until you paid the down payment. After the down payment is done, they claim that some of the material is out of stock or discontinues and ask you to make the change. And at the same time, they increase the price.
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3) Change materials without notification.
You will get efficient and thoughtful service from Hangcan.
The supply of furniture materials is not stable, especially for material such as fabric. It may happen that the material you have selected discontinued after the order is finalized. Some small sellers may use similar materials for replacement without notification.
There is another situation which is connected with the second scam. Some of the bad sellers may offer very competitive prices to get your order and then use inferior material instead.
For products like sofas, there is a lot that can be done. From the wood frame to foam and spare parts. They may change the material. For example, imported solid pine wood frame and solid wood without requirement on wood category, there is a huge gap.
Though this seldom happens, you should be cautious about it. To completely get rid of this kind of scam, a during production inspection would work very well.
4) Disappear after receiving your payment.
Most furniture sellers on Alibaba are honest and many of them live on Alibaba. But sometimes there are cheaters. They have no intention to work as long-term sellers. They are there to cheat buyer’s money and then disappear.
5) Asking for payment to another account by hacking the supplier’s email address.
This is in fact not a scam caused by the seller, but by hackers. They normally hack the supplier’s email address and use a similar email address to communicate with you in the way your supplier communicates with you.
It’s not easy to notice it as they use similar email addresses which won’t get your attention and they won’t require abnormal actions until you trust them.
Finally, when it comes to the time of payment. They will ask you to make a payment to a different account.
To avoid been frauded, please do not accept any notice change sent by email or SMS. Call your supplier and clear the issue before you take further action.
You can also make payment through Alibaba trade assurance payment platform to avoid such scams.
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Yes, you can buy 1-piece furniture from Alibaba though there will only be a few suppliers accept such a small quantity.
Traditionally, Alibaba is a B2B platform, but as the development of cross-border e-commerce, part of sellers on Alibaba starts to involve in B2C business and accept retail orders.
The real problem for small quantity furniture orders on Alibaba maybe not the MOQ, but the prices and shipping cost.
From my 10 years of experience in the furniture sector, I know exactly how different it is the cost of small quantity production and large quantity production. So, the price will be much higher than the wholesale orders. Many customers are looking for furniture from China at wholesale prices while they are ordering a very small quantity. I should say that’s not always the real situation. There is no such thing unless there are special cases.
One of the situations you can get a good price for small quantity is that you buy through sourcing agents and trading companies like simonsense. A competent agent or trading companies have a good relationship with factories and buy a large amount yearly, thus makes it possible for them to negotiate a good price for retail orders.
Another major problem of buying a small quantity of furniture from Alibaba is the shipping cost. Furniture is of low value but high volume. It is quite costly to deliver by air. Few buyers will select air freight unless it’s very important and urgent.
Normally people will choose shipment by the sea which takes a long time but much cheaper than by air. However, though it is cheaper than by air, it is still costly for LCL shipping.
After comparing all the cost, if you still find that it is cheaper for buying furniture from China. Simonsense and some trading companies can offer door to door services which means the only thing you need to do is receiving the furniture at home. You can contact us for a free consultation now.
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On Alibaba, there are several payment methods. Here is a table offered by Alibaba for your reference.
Payment MethodCurrency/LimitFeeProcessing timeCredit/Debit Card
For more details, you can go to the payment page on Alibaba.
To protect buyers, Alibaba offers trade assurance orders. In this way, you can get a refund if you get fraud dealing with Alibaba furniture sellers. It works in two steps:
Step 1: Place an online order with trade assurance suppliers
Step 2: Pay through Alibaba’s secure payment platform.
For a trade assurance order, if there’s an issue with your order, you can request a refund within 30 days of product delivery.
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Shipping furniture from China, especially small quantity is always a problem for both buyers and suppliers. It is costly compared with other products with higher value and smaller package and weight.
To solve this problem, Alibaba offers a shipping service at the buyer’s cost. It may be to some extent cheaper coz they can consolidate different orders from the same destination into one container and make the shipment. In this way, the share of cost might be lower than your agent quotes you.
If you would like to use Alibaba shipping service, you can contact your Alibaba furniture supplier. They can quote and arrange to use Alibaba shipping service.
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There are mainly 2 ways to ship furniture from China.
The best way to ship furniture from China would be FCL shipment as it saves significantly on the overall cost. To make FCL shipment, you can rely on a shipping forwarder or your sourcing agent, they can offer international shipping services to set you hassle-free.
LCL shipment is often costly due to the small quantity and there will be high handling charge and delivery cost at destination.
At simonsense, we often suggest our customers consolidate one container and make FCL shipment. It’s easy to fill one container if you buy most of the furniture and renovation materials from China.
Here in Guangdong, we have a wide range of options for all of those products. You can source without compromise with simonsense help. Contact us now for a free consultation.
As we have discussed in question 9, we can reduce the furniture shipping costs on Alibaba by consolidating one container for furniture and renovation material. In this way, you can save significantly on shipping costs. Talk to us, let simonsense help you handle your furniture from China.
Conclusion:
Alibaba is the largest B2B marketplace in the world, it has a wide range of furniture. However, it is necessary to be cautious when you are dealing with furniture suppliers on Alibaba. To engage a sourcing agent could be a good option to set you hassle-free from buying furniture on Alibaba.
About Simonsense:
Simonsense is a one-stop supply chain management company with a demonstrated history and experience. We help companies and individuals buy furniture and renovation materials from China at ease. Order a FREE consultation for your orders. We are glad to offer help.
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