"Price point: Often the most telltale sign. If the price is too good to be true, it usually is. Do yourself a favor and check the price against the original manufacturer's recommended retail price on its Web site or that of an authorized dealer. Deep discounts are a huge tip-off that you may have encountered fake goods.
Contact is key: Especially if buying online, determine the physical location and contact particulars of the sellers. Test their authenticity and call them by phone or check out their address on Google - remember: location, location. Examine closely whether the seller really is an authorized and reputable retailer. If you are buying from an online auction site, send an e-mail and see how willing the seller is to reveal authentic contact details - often an excellent polygraph test.
The devil is in the detail: Become an avid label reader. Be shop- and tech-savvy. Counterfeiters often make spelling mistakes, get the type font wrong or miss some other detail. Spot the differences. If something just looks wrong, follow up with further investigations - contact the manufacturer's customer service center. And study the product itself closely. Vintage wines should have sediment in the bottle as an occurrence of aging. The labels are often damaged and have stains. Most château wine corks bear the correct vintage and trademark. High-end mechanical watches have a distinctive dial. Cartier watches, for example, have the word "Cartier" minutely etched onto the V of the Roman numeral VII and counterfeiters often miss this detail in their replicas. Authentic Cuban cigar boxes are very detailed and must carry the warranty seal, the "Habanos" chevron, hallmarks and proper bands around the cigars. Recent Colgate toothpaste fakes miscopied the word "favor" from the authentic packaging, using the British spelling (favour) instead of the American, and indicated that the sources of origin were African countries where Colgate does not manufacture.
Call upon the experts: This isn't always possible, but if you can, call in the experts, such as watchmakers, winemakers, car engineers and other specialists. Because copies are so perfect, even the gurus find it impossible to determine authenticity without a full scientific analysis - often based on an in-depth test such as DNA fingerprinting." (Mostert)
Links to cigar counterfeit information:
Cigar Aficionado Counterfeit Gallery
The Ultimate Counterfeit Cuban Cigar Primer
Spotting Fake Cuban Cigars
New Cuban Warranty Seal
Authentic Cuban Cigar Box Codes
Vitolas.net Counterfeit Cigar Section
Tips On Spotting Fakes - Warranty Seals
Is it a real Cuban?
Mostert, Frederick W. "Faking It." Ed. Marvin R. Shanken. Cigar Aficionado Apr. 2008: 78-88.
Contact is key: Especially if buying online, determine the physical location and contact particulars of the sellers. Test their authenticity and call them by phone or check out their address on Google - remember: location, location. Examine closely whether the seller really is an authorized and reputable retailer. If you are buying from an online auction site, send an e-mail and see how willing the seller is to reveal authentic contact details - often an excellent polygraph test.
The devil is in the detail: Become an avid label reader. Be shop- and tech-savvy. Counterfeiters often make spelling mistakes, get the type font wrong or miss some other detail. Spot the differences. If something just looks wrong, follow up with further investigations - contact the manufacturer's customer service center. And study the product itself closely. Vintage wines should have sediment in the bottle as an occurrence of aging. The labels are often damaged and have stains. Most château wine corks bear the correct vintage and trademark. High-end mechanical watches have a distinctive dial. Cartier watches, for example, have the word "Cartier" minutely etched onto the V of the Roman numeral VII and counterfeiters often miss this detail in their replicas. Authentic Cuban cigar boxes are very detailed and must carry the warranty seal, the "Habanos" chevron, hallmarks and proper bands around the cigars. Recent Colgate toothpaste fakes miscopied the word "favor" from the authentic packaging, using the British spelling (favour) instead of the American, and indicated that the sources of origin were African countries where Colgate does not manufacture.
Call upon the experts: This isn't always possible, but if you can, call in the experts, such as watchmakers, winemakers, car engineers and other specialists. Because copies are so perfect, even the gurus find it impossible to determine authenticity without a full scientific analysis - often based on an in-depth test such as DNA fingerprinting." (Mostert)
Links to cigar counterfeit information:
Cigar Aficionado Counterfeit Gallery
The Ultimate Counterfeit Cuban Cigar Primer
Spotting Fake Cuban Cigars
New Cuban Warranty Seal
Authentic Cuban Cigar Box Codes
Vitolas.net Counterfeit Cigar Section
Tips On Spotting Fakes - Warranty Seals
Is it a real Cuban?
Mostert, Frederick W. "Faking It." Ed. Marvin R. Shanken. Cigar Aficionado Apr. 2008: 78-88.