Something tells me that I am really going to regret submitting this article for publication. After years of searching for an honest, reliable and well-priced source of authentic Louis Vuitton items, I just recently came across a source that I’m going to share with you. Does this mean that you’ll purchase that coveted Musette or Alma bag online before I have the chance to do so myself? Well, I’ll take that risk – and if any readers have other ideas or sources to share, I’m waiting to hear from you, too!
I’ve been a member of the Ebay community since 1998, both as a buyer and a seller. Over the years, I’ve run across sellers purporting to offer “authentic” Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada and more renowned designers. With very few exceptions, most of these sellers were instead selling knockoffs, or ‘replicas’, as they like to call them. Most of these sellers advertised them just by brand name, never stating in their listings that they were “authentic” or “100% guaranteed. (
Actually, now that I think about it, some of them did. These were generally foreign sellers, most notably those based in China, or even worse, those who would not list their country of origin. I’ve made some mistakes buying on Ebay over the years, but thankfully not many. I’ve learned that the best way to buy designer accessories (and sometimes clothing, too) is from sellers who are verified mypoupette.com sellers. They will state their verification on their listings, and you can go to the web site and check to make sure that they are actually verified.
It got to the point where I wondered if anyone in this country ever sold new, vintage or used Louis Vuitton items that were both authentic, verified, verifiable, and wouldn’t cost the same as a small compact car. I found the following dealer by way of a recommendation from a stylist who has used this dealer for a few years now, with much success. And unfortunately, they are not located in the U.S., but rather based outside of London.
Go to Ebay and search for the seller “timeless_lv”. These very congenial and helpful folks are Darren and Emma, who currently are ranked as power sellers with a 1,625 100% positive feedback. According to their store site (be sure to visit not only their Ebay listings but their Ebay store as well, and be sure to sign up for their store newsletter), they have been in business since March, 2004.
This all started a small and part time hobby for us and has now blossomed into trusted and respected small business, thanks to all the people who continue to view and support our auctions. Our end goal is still the same as it ever was – For you to own and love a genuine and beautifully crafted item that will last a lifetime.” They proudly display their “My Poupette Recommended Seller” designation on their site.
“Our commitment to you is to sell only 100% authentic Louis Vuitton 100% of the time, to describe items accurately and disclose all flaws and modifications fully within the item description. We also want to give each item its own detailed photographs that are of the actual item you will receive, and to always give only the best customer service possible. We want to always offer the best possible packaging and delivery options.”
Since July of this year, I’ve purchased four items from timeless_lv. My purchases included a used looping purse, a used pouchette, a used Basiago pony hair tote bag, and a pair of LV canvas and leather shoes. I took all of the items to the LV store in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, where every one of them was authenticated in store. The pony hair tote I haven’t had authenticated; it is a gorgeous bag in excellent condition for which I paid a fraction of the original price. (This Italian designer’s bags start at $250 and up.) Each one of my purchases was beautifully listed on timeless_lv’s store web site.
Each listing had at least a dozen photos of the item in question, highlighting any flaws which were also noted in writing in the item description. The condition of the item was also clearly stated: “gently used”, or “has been carried for several years” or “truly vintage in both condition and style”. There is, of course, always the Ebay option of asking the seller a question, which I did use once or twice. I received prompt emails back answering those questions in their entirety.
Not only are their items pre-verified and authentic, they also offer a 2% rebate when using Paypal (their preferred method of payment) to pay for your purchase. About three or four days after your payment has cleared PayPal, you will receive a notice from their site informing you that you have $__ in your account due to their “MyStoreRewards policy. 2% may not seem like much of a ‘rebate’, but how many other sellers offer this? When you’re paying a hundred dollars or more for your purchase, getting 2% cash back is very, very appealing!
If you’re worried about the cost of shipping from England to the States, theirs is a very interesting and exceptionally reliable method. Depending upon the size and number of items you purchase at the same time (they do discount heavily on shipping charges for two or more items), shipping charges range from $15 to slightly over $36. Timeless_lv offers FedEx to the States (and for all international shipping outside of England), and packages are received within two to three working days from the time your payment has cleared. My purchases have always arrived between two to three (at the very most) days after I’ve paid for my items with PayPal.
They are sturdily boxed, clearly marked, you must sign for your package delivery, and the item itself is beautifully and carefully wrapped. (They are big fans of lavender tissue paper!) They are the only sellers in England who offer the FedEx International priority shipping service to the U.S., and it actually costs a lot less than other British sellers may charge for regular air mail delivery. Timeless_lv not only sells authentic Louis Vuitton, they will also verify an item that you have for authenticity. (They can only do this for LV goods.)
Louis Vuitton isn’t the only high end designer brand that timeless_lv offers for sale. As of the beginning of September, their auctions and “buy it now” items included LV, Burberry, Radley, Chanel, Chloe, Hermes and Balenciaga. They post new items for “buy it now” almost daily, so keep checking back to see what’s come into the shop. Their auctions usually end over a weekend during the day.
I’ve found that on late Sunday afternoon or early evening, they relist BIN items that hadn’t sold. They don’t feature a “Best Offer” option on any of their listings, however. If you do see an item that is a BIN listing but ends very shortly or within a few hours, you can always contact them to see if they might accept a slightly lower price for it.
I highly recommend this Ebay seller for all things LV, from personal experience. My only lingering regret is that you’ll be there outbidding me on that dropdead gorgeous LV large backpack within minutes of the auction’s end…!
