If you always thought purchasing a counterfeit designer bag was simply an affordable way to enjoy luxury looks, this story may make you think twice. A 65-year-old Austrian woman has been fined €1000 after purchasing an imitation Louis Vuitton purse in Italy.
The woman acquired the faux LV for just €7 from a Senegalese hawker. According to Italian law, selling and purchasing counterfeit goods is a punishable offense. Although it incensed the Austrian bag fan, who probably could have acquired a genuine Louis Vuitton for the price she eventually paid!
“Tourists think that when they buy things from street vendors, they provide some sort of support for them. In fact, it is not so. They only help criminal groups who exploit immigrants. We will relentlessly fight against this ‘phenomenon’ during the summer,” warned the assessor of the city administration.
This story is worth remembering next time you’re tempted by a cheap designer knock-off; it could end up costing you so much more!
[Image Source: Autoreverse Tiramisu/Flickr]
